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A 

HANDBOOK  FOR  TRAVELLERS 


EGYPT. 


LONDON : 

PRINTED  BY  WILLIAM  CLOWES  AND  SONS,  STAMFORD  STREET, 
AND  CHARING  CROSS. 


HANDBOOK  FOR  TRAVELLERS 

IN 

EGYPT; 


INCLUDING  DESCRIPTIONS  OF 


THE  COUESE  OF  THE  NILE  THKOUGH  EGYPT  AND  NUBIA, 


ALEXANDRIA,  CAIRO,  THE  PYRAMIDS,  AND  THEBES, 
THE  SUEZ  CANAL, 


THE  PENINSULA  OF  MOUNT  SINAI,  THE  OASES, 
THE  FYOOM,  &c. 


LONDON: 

JOHN  MUEKAY,  ALBEMAELE  STREET. 

PARIS:  GALIGNANI;  BOYVEAU.    MALTA:  MUIR. 
CAIRO  AND  ALEXANDRIA  :  ROBERTSON. 

1873. 


FOURTH  EDITION,  REVISED  ON  THE  SPOT. 


The  right  of  Translation  is  reserved. 


THE  ENGLISH  EDITIONS  OF  MURRAY'S  HANDBOOKS  MAY  BK  OBTAINED  OF  THE 
FOLLOWING  AGENTS  : — 


G 


many, 


aix-la-  \ 
chapelle  ( 
amsterdam  . 

ANTWERP 
HA  DEN-BAD  EN 
RERL1N  . 
BRUSSELS 
CARLSRUHE  . 
COLOGNE. 
DRESDEN 
FRANKFURT  . 
GRATZ  . 
THE  HAGUE  . 
HAMRURG 
HEIDELBERG  . 
KISSINGEN 
LEIPZIG  . 


BASLE  . 
BERNE  . 
COIRE 
CONSTANCE 
GENEVA  . 


LAUSANNE 
LUCERNE. 


BOLOGNA 
FLORENCE 
GENOA  . 


LEGHORN 
LUCCA 
MANTUA . 
MILAN  . 


MODENA . 
NAPLES  . 


I.  A.  MAYER. 

J.  MULLER.— W.  K1RBERGER 

KORNIOKER. 
D.  R.  MARX. 
ASH  ER. 

MUQf  ARDT.  —  R1KSSLING. 
A.  Rl  ELEFELD 
GUKVEN.— NELTE  &  CO. 
ARNOLD. 
C.  IUGEL. 

LEUSCHNER  &  LUBENSKY. 

N I  l  HOKF  &  CO. 

MAUKE  SOHNE. 

MOHR. 

JUG  EL. 

BROCKHAUS. —  DURR. 


Holland,  and  Belgium 

I  MANNHEIM 


METZ 
MUNICH  . 
NURNBERG  . 
PESTH  . 

PRAGUE  . 
ROTTERDAM  . 

STRASBURG  . 

STUTTGART  . 
TRIESTE  . 
VIENNA  . 
WIESBADEN  . 


ARTARIA    &  FONTAINE.— 

LOFFLER.— KOTTER. 
WARION. 
H.  MANZ 
SCH  RAG.— ZEISER. 
HARTLEBEN. — G.HECKENAST, 

— OSTE  R  LA  MM.— RATH . 
CALVE. 

KRAMERS  —PETRI.  — 

ROBBERS. 
TREUTTE L  ET  WURTZ.— 

GRUCKER.— DER1VAUX. 
P.  NEFF. 

MUNSTER. — COEN. 
C.  GEROLD.—  BRAUMULLEK. 
KREIDEL. 


Switzerland. 


H.  GEORG.— H.  AMBERGER. 
DA  LP. — J  EUT  &  REINERT. 
GRUBENMANN. 
MECK. 

H.  GEORG. — DESROGIS. — 

CHERBU  LI  EZ. — 

F.  RICHARD. 
T.  ROUSSV. 
F.  KAISER. 


NEUCHATEL    .  GERSTER. 

SCHAFFHAUSEN  HURTER. 

SOLEURE.      .  JENT. 

ST.  GALLEN    .  HUBER. 

ZURICH    .      .    H.  FUSSL1  A  CO. — MEYER 

&  ZELLER.— 

H.  F.  LEUTHOLD,  Post- 


Ituly. 


MARSIGL1  &  ROCCHI. 
GOODBAN. 

GRONDONA  &  CO.-ANTOINI 

BEUF. 
MAZZAIOLI. 
F,  BARON. 
NEGRETTI. 

ARTARIA  —  DUMOLARD. 

FRERES.— G.  BRIGOLA. 

L.  RONCHI 
VINCF.NZI  &  ROSSI 
DOR  A  NT,  BRITISH  LIBRARY. 

DETKES. 


PALERMO 

.  PEDONE 

PARMA  . 

.  J.ZANGH1ERI. 

PISA  . 

.    NI^TRI. — JOS.  VANNUCCH1. 

PERUGIA. 

.   VINCENZ.  BARTELLI. 

ROME 

.  SPITHOVER.-PIALE.— 

MONALDINI. 

SIENA 

.    ONORATO  PORRI. 

TURIN 

.    MAGGI.-L.  BEUF.-BOCCA 

FRERES. 

VENICE  . 

.    MUNSTER.  —  COEN.— 

MEINERS. 

VERONA  . 

.    H.  F.  MUNSTER.— MEINERS. 

AMIENS  . 

CA  RON 

ANGERS  . 

BARASSE'. 

AVIGNON 

CLE'MENT  ST.  JUST. 

AVRANCHES  . 

ANFRAY. 

BAYONNE 

JAYMEBON. — LASSERRE. 

rSORDEALX 

C  H  A  U  M  AS. — M  V  LLER. — SAU- 

VAT. — FERET. 

BOULOGNE  . 

i\l  ERRI  DEW. — WATEL 

BREST  . 

HEBERT. 

CAEN 

BOISARD.  —  LEGOST.  —  CLE- 

RISSE'. 

CALAIS  . 

RIGAUX  CAUX. 

CANNES  . 

BARBERY.— TAYLOR 

ROB  ANDY. 

CHERBOURG 

Mr.LE.  LECOUFFLET. 

DIEPPE  . 

MARAIS. 

DIN  ANT  . 

COSTE.  A 

DOUAI  . 

j  ACQUART. — LEMALE. 

DUNKERQUE . 

VAN  DENBI'SSCH  E. 

GRENOBLE  . 

VELLOT  ET  COMP. 

HAVRE  . 

BOURD1GNON.  —  FOUCHER.— 

Mmb.  BUYS. 

LILLE 

bp:'ghin. 

LYONS  . 

AYNE'  Fl LS. — SCHEUR1NG. — 

\ince. 

|    MAKSELLLES  . 

j  MONTPELLIER 

NANCY  . 
i    NANTES  . 

!  NICE 
|  ORLEANS. 
I  PARIS 
j    PAU  . 

I    PEpPIGN AN  . 
I  REIMS 
'\    \  t 

ROiHEFORT  . 

ROUEN  . 
i  SAUMUR  . 
!  ST.  ETIENNE  . 
!  ST.  MALO. 
|  ST.  QUENTIN  . 
I  TOULON  . 
j  TOULOUSE 
I  TOURS 

TROYES  . 


CAMOIN  FRERES.— 

M  EUN1ER. 
LEVALLE. 
GONET. 
PETIPAS.-POIRIER  LEGROS. 

—ANDRE'. 
BARBERY  FRERES.— JOUGL A 
G  ATINEAU. — PESTY. 
GALIGNANI.  —  BOYVEAU. 
LA  FON. 

JULIA  FRERES. 
BRISSART  BINET.— 

GEOFFROY. — G1RET. 
BOUCARD. 

LEBRUMENT.— HAULARD. 

GAULT1ER  BRIE'RE. 

DELARUE. 

HUE. 

DOLOY. 

MONGE  ET  VILLAMUS. 
GIMET  &  COTELLE. 
GEO  RGET. 

LALOY.— DUFEY  ROBERT. 


GIBRALTAR 
LISBON  . 


ST.  PETERS-  i 
BURG.  j" 
MOSCOW  . 

Malta. 

MU1R. 


Spain  and  Portugal. 


ROWSWELL 
MATT.  LEWTAS. 


MADRID  . 
MALAGA  . 


DURAN  — BA1LLIERE. 
FR.  DE  MOYA. 


Russia,  Sweden,  Denmark,  and  Norway. 


W  ATKINS. — WOLFF. 
GAUTIER  —  DEUBNER.— LAN( 

Ionian  Islands. 

CORFU    .    J.  VV.  TAYLOE. 


ODESSA     .       .  CAMOIN 
CHRISTIANIA.  BENNETT. 
STOCKHOLM  .  FRITZE. 


Constantinojde. 

WICK  &  WEISS. 


Greece. 

ATHENS,  KARLWILBEBG. 


/ 


PEEF  ACE. 


IS? 


The  original  Handbook  for  Egypt  was  a  reprint  of  Sir  Gardner 
Wilkinson's  learned  and  exhaustive  work,  'Modern  Egypt 
and  Thebes,'  corrected  and  revised  by  the  erudite  author 
himself,  so  as  to  meet  as  far  as  possible  the  requirements  of 
a  guide  book.  A  few  additions  and  corrections  were  sub- 
sequently made  from  time  to  time,  but  substantially  the 
Handbook  remained  the  same  as  when  it  was  first  published. 
G-reat  changes,  however,  have  taken  place  in  Egypt  since 
then,  especially  during  the  last  ten  years,  and  it  was  felt 
that  a  thorough  revision,  and  even  recasting,  were  necessary 
in  order  to  bring  the  Handbook  up  to  the  standard  required 
by  travellers  at  the  present  day. 

Since  the  accession  of  the  Khedive,  Ismail  Pasha,  the 
work  of  change  and  progress  has  been  carried  on  in  Egypt  at 
an  almost  feverish  rate  of  speed.  Several  hundreds  of  miles 
of  railway  have  been  completed,  and  are  in  full  operation. 
The  telegraph  wires  intersect  every  part  of  the  country. 
Many  parts  of  Alexandria  and  Cairo  are  so  changed  that 
those  who  saw  them  only  a  few  years  ago  would  hardly 
recognise  them ;  and  while  some  towns  in  the  Delta  have 
declined,  many  more  have  risen  and  are  rising  into  con- 
siderable importance.  The  Suez  Canal  from  being  a  "  chi- 
merical "  project  has  become  an  accomplished  fact ;  and  the 
towns  of  Port  Said,  Ismailia,  and  it  may  almost  be  said  Suez, 
have  sprung  into  existence  with  it. 

The  changes  of  which  these  are  a  few  instances  have,  in 
a  great  measure,  arisen  from,  and  in  their  turn  caused,  an 
increased  communication  between  Egypt  and  the  West.  Resi- 
dent foreigners  in  Egypt  may  now  be  counted  b}T  thousands, 
instead  of,  as  was  the  ca^e  twenty  years  ago,  by  tens :  and 


vi 


PEEFACE. 


the  increased  facilities  for  travel,  combined  with  the  increased 
thirst  for  "doing"  all  possible  countries,  send  every  winter 
a  greater  number  of  travellers  to  the  Nile. 

Even  in  the  matter  of  its  old  remains,  Egypt  has  not  been 
standing  still,  and  the  discoveries  of  M.  Mariette  at  San, 
Sakkarah,  Abydus,  Denderah,  and  other  places,  have  not  only 
provided  fresh  objects  of  interest  in  the  country  for  the 
intelligent  traveller  to  visit,  but  have  helped  to  throw  new 
light  on  some  of  the  many  obscure  portions  of  old  Egyptian 
history. 

The  endeavour  in  this  new  edition  of  the  Handbook  has 
been  to  supply  the  traveller  with  all  the  latest  information 
on  every  point  of  interest,  including  many  subjects  which 
were  not  touched  upon  in  the  former  work :  and  while  keep- 
ing, especially  in  the  accounts  of  antiquities  aud  rains,  the 
substance  of  the  original  description,  to  arrange  it  in  a  more 
handy  form,  and  to  add  whatever  was  new  and  likely  to 
interest. 

Five  visits  to  Egypt  between  the  years  1862  and  1871, 
extending  over  periods  varying  from  four  to  eight  months, 
have  enabled  the  Editor  to  make  himself  thoroughly  acquainted 
with  the  changes  that  have  occurred  during  that  time ;  and 
three  voyages  to  the  Second  Cataract  have,  he  hopes,  given 
him  some  knowledge  of  the  wants  and  requirements  of 
travellers  on  that  trip.  He  has,  however,  endeavoured  to 
supplement  his  own  knowledge  by  consulting  all  the  best 
books  recently  written  on  Egypt,  and  by  culling  from  many 
kind  friends  the  results  of  their  personal  experience. 

The  name  of  M.  Mariette,  the  learned  and  indefatigable 
Conservator  of  the  Museum  of  Egyptian  Antiquities  at  Cairo, 
and  the  director  of  all  discoveries  and  excavations  in  Egypt, 
will  be  found  constantly  occurring  in  the  pages  of  the  Hand- 
book. Most  of  the  information  respecting  the  new  and  in- 
teresting discoveries  which  have  thrown  so  much  fresh  light 
on  Egyptian  history,  and  upset,  in  the  opinion  of  many 
learned  Egyptologists,  numerous  apparently  well  founded 
theories,  has  been  derived  either  directly  from  him,  or 
through  the  medium  of  an  excellent  little  work  lately  pub- 
lished by  him,  and  of  which  he  kindly  allowed  the  Editor 


PEEFACE. 


Vll 


to  make  full  use,  entitled  Itineraire  de  la  Haute  Egypte,  and 
containing  a  description  of  the  principal  ruins  between  Cairo 
and  Philse,  with  some  useful  hints  preparatory  to  making  a 
study  of  them.  The  plans  of  an  Egyptian  tomb  and  of  the 
Temple  of  Denderah  are  taken  from  M.  Mariette's  work. 
The  able  remarks  of  Dr.  Grant  of  Cairo,  on  the  temperature, 
seasons,  &c,  of  Egypt,  will  be  read  with  great  interest  by 
all,  and  especially  by  invalids.  To  Mr.  Greville  Chester  the 
readers  of  the  Handbook  are  indebted  for  a  most  interesting 
paper  on  the  Coptic  Churches  of  Old  Cairo — a  subject  which 
has  never  before  received  the  attention  it  merited.  The 
notes  for  Eoute  22,  Wady  Halfah  to  Khartoom,  were  kindly 
fnrnished  by  Mr.  George  Goldie-Taubman,  late  of  the  Eoyal 
Engineers.  Nearly  all  the  valuable  information  contained  in 
Eoute  14,  Cairo  to  Mt.  Sinai,  is  taken  from  the  Ordnance 
Survey  of  the  Peninsula  of  Sinai,  for  the  loan  of  which  the 
Editor  is  indebted  to  Captain  C.  W.  Wilson,  E.E.,  of  the 
Topographical  Department  of  the  War  Office.  Acknowledg- 
ment for  kind  assistance  in  various  ways  is  also  due  to 
H.E.  Nubar  Pasha,  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs  in  Egypt ; 
Colonel  Stanton,  C.B.,  H.B.M.'s  Agent  and  Consul-General  for 
Egypt;  Lieutenant- Colonel  G.  Clerk,  late  Deputy  Assistant 
Quartermaster-General  at  Suez ;  the  Hon.  Charles  Hale,  late 
United  States  Agent  and  Consul  General  for  Egypt ;  the  Eev. 
Dr.  Barned,  American  Missionary  at  Cairo ;  Major-General 
Lord  Henry  Percy,  V.C. ;  E.  T.  Eogers,  Esq.,  H.B.M.'s 
Consul  at  Cairo  ;  F.  Ayrton,  Esq. ;  the  Eev.  E.  F.  Wayne ; 
A.  Baird;  Esq. ;  C.  L.  Arkwright,  Esq. ;  and  many  others. 

The  principal  additions  to  the  Book  are :  nearly  all  the 
Preliminary  and  General  Information  prefixed  to  the  descrip- 
tions of  the  various  chief  towns  and  routes  ;  Excursions  iv  and 
vn  from  Cairo ;  Eoutes  6,  7,  9,  14,  and  22 ;  and  the  greater 
part  of  Eoutes  10  and  15.  A  great  deal  of  fresh  matter  has 
been  introduced  into  the  Descriptions  of  Alexandria,  Cairo, 
and  Thebes ;  Excursions  I,  n,  in,  v,  and  vi  from  Cairo  ;  and 
Eoutes  8,  18,  20,  and  21.  Little  or  no  alteration  has  been 
made  in  Eoutes  11,  12,  13,  16,  17,  and  19,  the  Editor  not 
having  had  the  opportunity  of  personally  visiting  them, 
nor  having  been  able  to  find  any  authentic  information  later 


viii 


PREFACE. 


than  that  given  by  Sir  Gardner  Wilkinson.  This,  however, 
may  be  considered  of  less  importance,  as  these  routes  are  very 
seldom  travelled,  and  the  places  mentioned  in  them  are  not 
likely  to  have  nmch  changed  since  they  were  described  by 
the  original  author  of  the  Handbook.  The  table  of  Egyptian 
dynasties  has  been  altered,  so  as  to  afford  the  opportunity  of 
judging  of  more  than  one  system  of  chronology ;  and  a  few 
cartouches  of  the  earlier  monarchs  have  been  added  to  the 
list  of  kings.  The  list  of  Caliphs,  and  the  Arabic  Vocabulary 
remain  as  they  were,  though  the  Editor  hopes  in  a  future 
edition  to  make  some  changes  which  appear  to  be  needed  in 
the  latter.  It  was  intended  to  insert  new  maps  of  Alexandria 
and  Cairo,  but  unfortunately  no  trustworthy  ones  have  yet 
been  published,  showing  the  numerous  changes  which  have 
taken  place  in  those  two  cities,  and  it  seemed  better  to  await 
their  appearance,  and  be  in  the  mean  time  content  with  the 
old  ones,  rather  than  give  imperfect  new  ones. 

In  conclusion,  the  Editor  hopes  that  travellers  will  kindly 
send  to  him,  at  the  office  of  the  Publisher,  50  A,  Albemarle 
Street,  W.,  any  information  obtained  on  the  spot,  which  may 
serve  both  to  correct  the  errors  into  which  he  may  have  fallen, 
and  to  furnish  fresh  material  for  insertion. 


December,  1872. 


HANDBOOK  OF  EGYPT. 


LATEST  INFORMATION,  ADDENDA,  AND  CORRIGENDA. 


Introduction,  p.  xv. 

A  very  good  plan  for  those  who  j 
intend  going  to  Egypt  by  sea  from 
Southampton,  is  to  choose  one  of  the  i 
steamers  which  are  now  sent  by  the  I 
P.  &  O.  through  the  Suez  Canal,  and 
go  in  it  as  far  as  Suez.    They  then 
have  the  opportunity  of  seeing  the 
Canal  very  well  and  comfortably,  and 
can  reach  Cairo  or  Alexandria  by 
train  from  Suez. 

Alexandria,  Sect.  I.,  p.  72,  col.  1. 

The  Peninsular  and  Oriental  Hotel, 
or  Hotel  d' Orient,  no  longer  exists, 
nor  the  Hotel  d'Angleterre. 

P.  72,  col.  2, 1.  52. 

For  Colonel,  read  General. 
P.  72,  col.  2. 

The  Italian  steamers  no  longer 
cany  mails.  American  letters  may 
also  be  found  at  the  Austrian  post- 
office.  By  the  new  convention  with 
the  Egyptian  Government  letters  can 
now  be  sent  direct  from  England  to 
any  part  of  Egypt. 

P.  73,  col.  1. 

Mr.  Barthow  is  dead.  Mr.  Beards- 
ley  is  Consul-General,  and  Col.  Bab- 
bit Consul. 

P.  73,  col.  1. 
Dr.  Grosjean  no  longer  practises. 
Dr.  Davidson  assists  Dr.  Mackie. 
Mr.  Waller,  dentist, 

P.  73,  col.  2. 
The  American  Mission  hold  an 
Arabic  service  in  the  Scotch  Church 
at  8-30  a.m. 

P.  73,  col.  2. 
A  donkey  for  the  whole  day,  5s. 

P.  74,  col.  1. 
The  Nile  steamers  are  now  man- 
aged by  Messrs.  Thos.  Cook  and  Sons. 
P.  96,  col.  1. 
For  Kaisersworth,  read  Kaisers- 
werth.    The  new  hospital  of  these 
deaconesses  is  situated  outside  the 
Moharram  Bey  Gate. 


Cairo,  Sect,  n.,  p.  115,  col.  2. 
The  Hotel  des  Ambassadeurs  no 
longer  exists.     The  Hotel  Abbat, 
opposite  Rudouans  store  in  the  Station 
Road,  is  well  spoken  of. 

P.  117,  col.  1. 
The  English  Post-Ofjice  has  been 
i  abolished,  and  letters  and  papers  are 
sent  through  the  EgyptianPost,  which 
charges  an  additional  2d.  for  the 
transit  between  Cairo  and  Alexandria, 
making  the  rate  of  postage  between 
Cairo  and  England  lOd.  via  Brindisi, 
and  8<2.  via  Southampton.  Letters, 
however,  can  still  be  sent  to  England 
by  the  French  post  for  6d.,  but  not 
vice  versa. 

P.  117,  col.  2. 
General  Stanton  now  resides,  when 
at  Cairo,  in  a  part  of  the  block  of 
buildings  erected  by  the  Duke  of 
Sutherland  facing  the  Esbekeeyah 
Gardens.  Mr.  Rogers  occupies  the 
house  to  which  the  Consulate  is 
attached. 

P.  118.  col.  1. 
Messrs.  Robertson  and  Co.  have 
no  longer  the  superintendence  of  the 
Nile  steamers.  There  is  a  large 
bookseller's  shop  opposite  the  Bourse. 
Joanovich,  in  the  Mooskee,  is  a  good 
chemist.  The  Magazin  Universel, 
behind  the  Bourse,  is  a  good  general 
shop.  H.  Ralph  and  Co.,  in  the 
Station  Road,  are  good  provision  and 
wine  merchants;  they  also  keep  a 
general  shop  and  an  agency  for  for- 
warding goods. 

P.  118,  col.  2. 
The  English  Church  will,  it  is 
hoped,  be  soon  completed,  and  divine 
service  regularly  performed  there  by 
a  permanent  chaplain.  The  American 
Mission  now  hold  their  Services  in 
the  German  Lutheran  Church. 


) 


P.  119,  col.  1. 
The  nearest  station  to  Cairo  on  the 
Upper  Egypt  line  is  a  new  one  close 
to  a  village  called  Boolak  Dakroor, 
and  in  a  direct  line  with  the  two  new 
iron  bridges  over  the  Nile.  The  ter- 
minus of  the  Upper  Egypt  line  will 
be  in  the  Delta,  at  Tel-el-Barood. 

P.  120,  col.  2. 
The  management  of  the  Nile 
Steamees  is  now  in  the  hands  of 
Messrs.  Thos.  Cook  and  Sons,  the  well- 
known  travelling  agents,  who  have 
an  office  in  the  garden  of  Shepheard's 
Hotel,  next  door  to  Kobertson's  shop. 
The  fare  for  the  voyage  up  the  Nile 
to  Assooan  has  been  raised  to  £46 ; 
but  the  steamers  now  start  regularly, 
and  the  accommodation  and  food  are 
said  to  be  very  much  improved. 

P.  125,  col.  2,  1.  35. 
For  37,000,  read  370,000. 

P.  143,  col.  1. 
The  river  now  flows  again  through 
the  W.  branch. 

P.  143,  col.  1,  1.  33. 
For   Kasr-el-Ain,  read  Kasr-el- 
Aali. 

P.  160,  col.  1. 
The  word  "  Matareeah"  is  probably 
of  Coptic  origin,  Ma-ta-re  signifying 
"  town  "  or  "  place  belonging  to  the 
sun  " — an  exact  equivalent  of  Helio- 
polis. 

P.  170,  col.  2. 
Later  investigations  have  proved 
that  there  are  17  cubits  in  the  Nilo- 
meter,  and  that  they  are  not  all  of  the 
same  length. 

P.  174,  col.  1. 
The  Nile  has  been  again  allowed 
to  flow  through  the  channel  to  the 
W.  of  Gezeereb, converting  once  more 
that  place  into  what  its  name  implies, 
an  "  island ;"  and  the  road  to  the  Pyra- 
mids crosses  this  branch  by  another 
iron  bridge,  and  continues  in  a  more 
direct  line  than  before. 

P.  187,  col.  2. 
Dr.  Grant  and  Mr.  Dixon  disco- 


I  vered  two  channels  in  the  N.  and 
walls  of  the  Queen's  chamber,  but 
not  communicating  with  it ;  the  ends 
of  the  channels  being  separated  from 
it  by  5  inches  of  stone,  up  to  which 
point  the  channels  had  been  grooved 
out.  They  are  about  9  in.  square,  and 
after  going  horizontally  for  about  7  ft. 
ascend  at  an  angle  of  33°.  In  one 
was  found  a  double-hooked  bronze 
handle  with  two  clamps,  to  which 
fragments  of  wood  still  adhered,  a 
piece  of  wood  5  in.  in  length,  and 
a  large  black  basalt  vase,  probably  a 
weight.  The  end  and  object  of  these 
channels  are  at  present  conjectural. 

P.  199. 

About  10  miles  due  W.  of  the  Py- 
ramids is  a  conical  hill  of  reddish 
miocene  formation  which  looks  from 
a  distance  like  a  pyramid.  At  the 
base,  and  for  some  distance  round, 
are  great  quantities  of  petrified  wood, 
some  of  the  trees  being  of  large  size. 
It  can  be  reached  on  donkeys  in 
about  2|  hrs.  from  the  Great  Pyramid. 

P.  220,  col.  2. 
The  Hotel  Pagnon  at  Ismailia  is 
good. 

P.  233,  col.  2, 1.  52. 

For  cent,  read  share. 

P.  234,  col.  2, 1.  24. 
For  223,598,  read  223,398. 

P.  234,  col.  2, 1.  24. 
For  4,471,960,  read  4,467,960. 

The  Nile,  Sect.  III.,  p.  318. 
The  railway  now  goes  as  far  as 
Khoda. 

P.  319. 

Tickets  for  the  Nile  Steamers 
may  be  taken  in  England  at  Messrs. 
T.  Cook  and  Sons',  Ludgate  Circus, 
or  at  their  Offices  at  Alexandria  and 
Cairo ;  at  all  of  which  places  infor- 
mation can  be  obtained  as  to  the 
dates  of  starting,  &c.  The  fare  is 
now  £46. 

P.  323,  1.  17. 
For  Preliminary  Information,  read 
Introduction. 

P.  340,  col.  1.  1.  50. 
For  1837,  read  1787. 


CONTEXTS. 


PREFACE   

INTRODUCTION  

a.  Season  for  visiting  Egypt,  page  xiv. — b.  Journey  from  England  to 
Egypt,  xv.-c,  Malta,  xv. — d.  Things  that  should  be  bought  in  Eng- 
land for  the  Nile  Journey,  xix. 

Sect.  I.— EGYPT. 

Preliminary  Information   

a.  General  remarks  on  Sanitary  State  of  Country,  1. — b.  Temperature,  2. — 
c.  The  Seasons,  3. — d.  Diseases  for  which  Climate  is  Beneficial,  4. — 
e.  Clothing  and  Mode  of  Life.  6. — /.  Medicines,  and  Treatment  of 
Slight  Ailments  incident  to  the  Country,  7. — g.  Presents,  8. — h.  Pass- 
port, 8. — i.  Coinage,  8,—k.  Weights  and  Measures,  10.—  /.  Population 
and  Revenue,  11. — m.  Reigning  Family  and  Mode  of  Government,  11. 
—  n.  Chronological  Table  of  Egyptian  Dynasties  and  Kings,  12. — 
o.  List  of  Caliphs  and  Sultans  of  Egypt,  27. — p.  Certain  Points  re- 
quiring Examination,  43.  —q.  English  and  Arabic  Vocabulary,  45. 


ALEXANDRIA. 

General  Information  

1.  Landing  at  Alexandria,  69. — 2.  Hotels,  72. — 3.  Lodgings.  Houses,  72. 
— 4.  Cafe's.  Restaurants,  72. — 5.  Post  Office,  72. — 6.  Bankers,  72.—  - 
7.  Consulates,  72.-8.  Physicians,  73.  —  9.  Shops.  Tradespeople,  73. 
10.  Agents  for  forwarding  goods,  73. — 11.  Churches,  73. — 12.  Con- 
veyances, 73. — 13.  Railways.  73. — 14.  Steamers.  74.— 15.  Telegraph, 
74. — 16.  Servants,  74. — 17.  Boats  for  Nile  Voyage,  74. 

Description  of  Alexandria  

1.  History  and  Topography,  Ancient  and  Modern,  75.  —  2.  Principal 
Ancient  Buildings,  82. — 3  Present  Remains  of  Ancient  Alexan- 
dria. 87. — 4.  Population,  89. — 5.  Climate,  91. — 6.  Government,  91. — 
7.  Commerce  and  Industry,  92. — 8.  Ports.  Gates.  Walls,  92. — 9. 
Streets.  Public  Places,  93 —10.  Canals,  94.— 11.  Mosks.  Churches, 
95—12.  Hospitals.  Charitable  Societies,  96.— 13.  Schools,  96.— 14. 
Theatres,  Amusements,  &c,  96. — 15.  Drives.  Excursions,  97. — 16. 
Plan  for  seeing  Alexandria,  100. 

a  3 


X 


CONTENTS. 


EOU 

ROUTE  PAGE 

1.  Alexandria  to  Bosetia,  by  land. 

— Canopus — Abookir  Bay    . .  101 

2.  Rosetta  to  Atfeh  and  Cairo, 

by  the  Nile  104 

3.  Alexandria  to  Cairo,  by  land, 

through  the  Delta      . .     . .  104 

4.  Alexandria  to  Cairo,  by  the 

Western  Bank. — Embabeh  ..  104 


Exc. 

I.  Shoobra,  156. 

II.  Heliopolis — a.  Drive  to  Abbassee- 

yah  and  Koobah,  157. — b.  Vir- 
gin's Tree,  158. — c  Obelisk  and 
Remains  of  Heliopolis,  158.— d, 
Matareeah,  160.  —  e.  Birket-el- 
Hag  and  Ruined  Towns,  161. 

III.  The  "Petrified  Forest,"  161. 

IV.  The  Barrage,  162. 

V.  Old  Cairo — a.  Drive  to  and  De- 
scription of  Old  Cairo,  163. — 6. 
Mosk  of  Amer,  164. — c.  Roman 
Fortress  of  Babylon,  165. — d. 
Coptic  Convents  and  Churches, 
166.  —  e.  Island  of  Roda  and 
Nilometer,  170. 
VI.  The  Pyramids  —  a.  Preliminary 
Observations,  172. — b.  Drive  to 
the  Pyramids,  Boolak,  Gezeereh, 
Geezeh,  173.— c.  The  History  and 
Object  of  pyramidal  buildings  in 


T  E  S. 

ROUTE  PAGE 

5.  Alexandria  to  Atfeh  and  Cairo, 

by  the  Canal  and  the  Nile. — ■ 
Sa-el-ffagar  (/Sen's) — Boolak  105 

6.  Alexandria  to  Cairo,  by  the 

Railway.  —  Damanhoor  — 
Kafr-ez-Zyat —  Tantah  — 
Benha  (Athribis)  Ill 


115 


121 


Exc. 

Egypt,  176.  —  d.  The  pyramid 
platform  of  Geezeh,  177.— e.  The 
Great  Pyramid,  179.—/.  The 
Second  Pyramid,  189.  —  g.  The 
Third  Pyramid,  191. — h.  Other 
small  Pyramids,  193.  —  L  The 
Sphinx,  193.  —  *.  The  Tombs, 
196.  —  I.  The  Causeways,  198. — 
m.  Pyramid  of  Abooroash,  199. 
— n.  Pyramids  of  Abooseer,  200. 
VII.  Sakkarah — a.  Preliminary  Obser- 
vations, 201.  —  b.  Bedreshayn, 
Mitrahenny,  202.— c.  History  of 
Memphis,  202.  —  d.  Remains  of 
Memphis,  205.  —  ,e.  Village  of 
Sakkacah  —  Site  of  Necropolis, 
206.—/.  Pyramids,  206 —g.  Sera- 
peum,  or  Apis  Mausoleum,  207. 
— h.  Tombs,  209. —i.  Pyramids 
of  Dashoor,  214. 


Sect.  II. — CAIRO. 

General  Information    . .   

1.  Hotels,  115. — 2.  Lodgings.  Houses,  115. — 3.  Cafes.  Restaurants,  117. 
—4.  Post  Office.  117.— 5.  Bankers,  117—  6.  Consulates,  117.— 7. 
Physicians,  117. — 8.  Shops.  Tradespeople,  118. — 9.  Agents  for  for- 
warding Goods,  118. — 10.  Churches,  118. — 11.  Conveyances,  118. — 
12.  Railways,  119.— 13.  Telegraphs,  119.— 14.  Servants,  119.— 15. 
Boats  for  Nile  Voyage,  120. 

Description  of  Cairo     . ,   

1.  History  and  Topography,  121. — 2.  Oriental  Character  of  the  Town, 
123. — 3.  Climate,  125. — 4.  Population,  125. — 5.  Local  Government, 
126.— 6.  Manufactures  and  Industry.  127.— 7.  Gates.  Walls,  127. — 
8.  Canals.  Lakes,  128.— 9.  Citadel,  128.— 10.  Mosks.  Churches,  130. 
— 11.  Tombs.  Cemeteries,  138. — 12.  Sebeels,  or  Public  Fountains, 
139.— 13.  Streets.  Public  Places,  140.— 14.  Baths,  141.— 15.  Bazaars, 
141.— 16.  Palaces,  143. — 17.  Schools.  Libraries.  Museum,  143. — 
18.  Hospitals.  Benevolent  Societies,  151. — 19.  Theatres.  Amuse- 
ments, 152. — 20.  Festivals  and  Religious  Ceremonies,  152. — 21.  Modes 
of  seeing  Cairo  and  Neighbourhood,  1 55. — 22.  Drives.   Excursions  : — 


CONTENTS. 


xi 


ROUTES. 


ROUTE  PAGE 

7.  Cairo  to  the  Suez  Canal. — ■ 

Zagazig — Suez— Coast  of  Red 
Sea  —  Bitter  Lakes — Ismailia 
— Lake  Tims  ah  —  Port  Said  215 

a.  Hints  for  the  Excursion, 
215.— 6.  Cairo  to  Suez,  216. 
— c.  Town  of  Suez,  223.-d. 
Egyptian  coast  of  Red  Sea, 
227. — e.  Ancient  canals  of 
communication  between  the 
Mediterranean  andRed  Seas, 
229. — /.Various  modern  pro- 
jects for  connecting  the  two 
Seas,  231. — g.  Financial  and 
Political  History  of  the  pre- 
sent Maritime  Suez  Canal, 
232. — h.  Suez  to  Port  Said 
by  the  Canal,  235. 

8.  Cairo,  by  water,  to  Damietta. — 

Semenood  —  Behayt-el-Hagar 
(Iseum)  —  Mansoorah  (Ex- 
cursion by  Canal  of  Men- 
zaleh  to  Menzaleh  and  the 
Lake— Tel-et-Tmei  (Thmuis)  247 

9.  Cairo  to  Damietta  by  rail — (a) 

Via  Zagazig  and  Mansoorah 
(|3)  Via  Tantah  253 

10.  Cairo  to  San,   the  ancient 

Tanis,  and  Lake  Menzaleh,  by 
rail  and  water,  via  Zagazig. 
— Matareeah'  :  254 

11.  Cairo  to  the  Natron  Lakes  and 

Monasteries.  —  The  Bohr  el 
Fargh,  or  Bahr-bela-ma      . .  259 

12.  Cairo  to  the  Seewah,  or  Oasis 

of  Ammon  265 

13.  Cairo  to  Syria  by  the  "Short 

Desert."  —  Pelusiurn  —  El 
Areesh — Gaza   268 

14.  Cairo  to  Mount  Sinai  and  Con- 

vent of  St.  Catherine. — Suez — 
Magharah  —  Sardbit  el  Khd- 
dim —  Wddy  Mokatteb —  Wddy 
Feirdn  —  Jebel  Serbdl  —  Tor. 
Continuation  of  "  Long  De- 
sert "  Route  via  Akabah  and 

Petra  to  Syria   271 

a.  Preliminary  Hints,  271. 
—b.  Cairo  to  Suez,  274. — c. 
Inhabitants  of  the  Peninsula 
of  Sinai,  275. — d.  Geography 
and  natural  features,  276. — 


ROUTE  PAGE 

e.  Natural  History  and  Cli- 
mate, 278.— /.  Ruins,  279. 
g.  Route  of  the  Israelites 
from  Egypt  to  Mt.  Sinai, 
279.  —  h.  Route  from  Ain 
Moosa  to  Jebel  Moosa  (Mt. 
Sinai)  and  the  Convent  of  St. 
Catharine  :  (a)  via  Wady 
Mukatteb  and  Feiran,  281  ; 
()8)  via  Sarabit  el  Khadim, 
290. — i.  Description  of  Con- 
vent, 291.  —  k.  Ascent  of 
Jebel  Moosa  and  Ras  Sufsa- 
feh,  294.— Ascent  of  Jebel 
Katareena,  295. — m.  Other 
excursions,  296. — n.  Con- 
tinuation of  the  journey  by 
the  Long  Desert,  via  Akabah 
and  Petra,  or  via  Nakb,  to 
Palestine,  297. 

15.  Cairo  to  the  Fyoom. — Medeenet 

el  Fyoom — Labyrinth — Lake 
Mceris — Birket-el-Korn       ..  298 

a.  Preliminary  Hints,  298. 
—  b.  Description  of  the 
Fyodm,  299. — c.  Cairo  to 
Medeeneh,  299.  —  d.  The 
Labyrinth  and  Lake  Moeris, 
300.  —  e.  Other  excursions 
from  Medeeneh,  302.  —  /. 
The  Birket  el  Korn,  303.— 
g.  Kasr  Kharoon,  and  other 
ruins  on  the  shores  of  the 
Birket  el  Korn,  303.  —  h. 
Other  parts  of  the  Fyoom, 
305. 

16.  Cairo  to  the  Little  Oasis,  the 

Great  Oasis,  and  the  Oasis 
of  Dakhleh,  by  the  Fyoom, 
"Wddy  Ryan,  and  Moileh. — 
Small  Oasis  of  El  Hayz — 
Oasis  of  Fardfreh — Oases  of 
the  Blacks — Tomb  of  Emeer 

Khdled  306 

a.  Different  roads  to  the 
Oases,  307.  —  b.  Requisites 
for  the  Journey,  307.  —  c. 
Distances,  307.  —  d.  Wddy 
Ryan,  and  Moileh,  308. — e. 
Little  Oasis,  308.  —  /.  El 
Hayz,310.— g.  Farafreh, 310. 
— h.  Oases  of  the  Blacks  in 


Xll 


CONTENTS. 


ROUTES. 


ROUTE  PAGE 

the  interior  to  the  west,  310. 
—I  Oasis  of  Dakhleh,  311. 
j.  Great  Oasis,  312. — k.  Dis- 
tances in  the  Great  Oasis, 
315.—/.  Road  to  the  Nile  at 


ROUTE  PAGE 

Abydus,  315. — m.  Road  to 
Esneh,  315. 
17.  Cairo  to  the  Convents  of  St. 
Antony  and  St.  Paul,  in  the 
Eastern  Desert  316 


For  the  Desert  south  of  Kcsseir,  see  Koute  19. 


Sect.  III.—  VOYAGE  UP  THE  NILE. 


a.  Introduction,  318. — b.  Voyage  by  Steamer,  318. — c.  Voyage  in  a  Daha- 
beeah  with  a  Dragoman,  319. — d.  Voyage  in  a  Dahabeeah  without  a 
Dragoman,  322. — e.  General  hints,  324. — /.  Shooting  and  Natural 
History,  326 .— Geography  and  Products,  328. — h.  Inhabitants,  332.. 
».  Antiquities  and  Ruins,  333. 


ROUTES. 


ROUTE 

1 8.  Cairo  to  Thebes.  —  Benisooef — 
Maghagha — Minieh — Grottoes 
of  Beni  Hassan — Rhoda — Tel 
el  Amarnn  —  Manfaloot — As- 


yoot — Soohag — Girgeh  — Bel- 
lianeh,  for  Abydus — Denderah 
— Eeneh— Luxor,  for  Thebes  339 


Sect.  IV. — THEBES. 

Preliminary  Information     395 

a.  Arrival  at  Luxor  and  General  Information,  395. — b.  Mode  of  seeing 
Thebes,  396.— c.  History  and  Topography  of  Thebes,  397  —  d.  Ruins 
and  Remains  : — Western  Bank — 1.  Temple  of  Koorneh,  399. — 2.  Ra- 
meseum  or  Memnonium,  401. — 3.  The  Colossi;  Vocal  Memnon,  407. 
4.  Temples  of  Medeenet  Haboo,  and  other  Ruins  near,  409. — 5.  Dayr 
el  Medeeneh,  417. — 6.  Dayr  el  Bahree,  418. — 7.  Tombs  of  the  Kings, 
420. — 8.  Tombs  of  Priests  and  Private  Individuals,  428. — Drah  Aboo 
'1  Negga,  428. — Assaseef,  428. — Sheykh  Abd  el  Koorneh,  430.— Koor- 
net  Murraee,  &c,  435. — 9.  Tombs  of  the  Queens,  436. — Eastern 
Bank— 10.  Luxor,  437.— 11.  Karnak,  439. 

ROUTES. 


19.  Thebes  and  Keneh,  to  Kosseir, 
on  the  Red'  Sea.— The  Abab- 

deh  Desert  447 

For   places  on  coast  of 
Red  Sea,  see  Rte.  7  (<2.) 


ROUTE 

20.  Luxor  (Thebes)  to  Assoodn,  the 
First  Cataract,  Elephantine, 
and  Philw. — Erraent — Esneh 
-  El  Eab  —  Edfoo  —  Hagar 
Silsileh — Eom  Ombo    ..  ..451 


CONTENTS. 


Xlll 


Sect.  Y. — NUBIA. 


Preliminary  Observations,  472. — c  Ancient  History  and  Geography,  472.- 
c.  Modern  Inhabitants,  473. 

ROUTES. 


ROUTE  \  PAGE 

2 1 .  Philse  to  Wady  Halfah.—Kalab- 

shee  —  Korosko — Derr  —  Aboo 
Simbel  475 

22.  Wady  Halfah  to  Khartoom.— 


ROUTE  PAGE 

Dongola — Meroe — Berber  :  — 
and  Khartoom,  via  Berber, 
to  Sowakim  on  the  Red 
Sea   490 


Index  495 


LIST  OF  MAPS  AND  PLANS. 


Plan  of  Alexandria   ■•  76 

Plan  of  Cairo    116 

Plan  of  the  Pyramids  of  Geezeh   ,  ..     ..  178 

Plan  of  the  Great  Pyramid    183 

Plan  of  an  Egyptian  Tomb    210 

Map  of  the  Eastern  part  of  the  Delta  and  of  the  Suez  Canal  ..  ..  to  face  216 
Plan  of  Mount  Sinai,  and  of  the  surrounding  Valleys  and  Hills   . .      . .     „  289 

Plan  of  the  Temple  of  Sethi  I.  at  Abydus   380 

Plan  of  the  Temple  of  Denderah   386 

Plan  of  the  Rameseum,  or  Memnonium  401 

Plan  of  the  Great  Temple  of  Karnak   440 

Map  of  Egypt   at  the  end. 


(    xiv  ) 


INTRODUCTION. 


a.  Season  for  Visiting  Egypt. — b.  Journey  from  England  to  Egypt. — 
c.  Malta. — d.  Things  that  should  he  nought  in  England  for  the  Nile 
Journey. 

a.  Season  for  Visiting  Egypt. 

From  October  to  April  is  the  best  season  for  a  residence  in  Egypt. 
For  those  who  intend  to  do  the  whole  Nile  voyage,  and  who  can  choose 
their  own  time,  the  months  especially  to  be  recommended,  both  for 
climate  and  convenience  of  travelling,  are  November,  December,  Janu- 
ary, February,  and  March.  During  these  months  winds  from  the 
North  are  more  or  less  prevalent,  and  they  not  only  cool  the  air,  but 
are  absolutely  necessary  for  making  progress  up  the  Nile.  A  good 
deal  will,  of  course,  depend  on  the  destination  of  the  traveller  after 
leaving  Egypt.  If  he  intends  going  to  Syria,  he  should  arrange  so  as 
not  to  get  there  before  April,  it  being  too  cold  to  travel  comfortably 
in  Syria  before  that  date.  For  those  who  propose  to  do  the  so-called 
Eastern  tour  completely  the  following  average  time-table  may  be  given : 
Arrive  in  Egypt  about  the  middle  of  November,  and  remain  there  till 
the  end  of  February,  going  in  a  daliabeeah  up  to  the  Second  Cataract 
and  back.  Leave  Egypt  at  the  beginning  of  March,  and  go  by  way  of 
Sinai  and  Petra  to  Jerusalem,  arriving  there  about  the  second  week  in 
April.  Five  or  six  weeks  in  Palestine  will  then  bring  the  traveller  to 
Beyrout  before  the  end  of  May.  The  omission  from  this  programme 
of  the  Long  Desert — a  journey  undertaken  by  comparatively  few — 
would  make  a  month's  difference  in  the  traveller's  arrival  in  Syria ;  but 
unless  he  thinks  cold  and  damp — under  a  tent,  be  it  remembered — less 
harmful  than  heat,  he  had  better  arrange  for  spending  that  month  in 
Egypt,  and  if  he  does  not  care  to  give  more  than  three  months  to  that 
country,  arrive  there  in  December  instead  of  November.  Of  course 
these  remarks  are  not  intended  to  apply  to  those  who  merely  propose 
to  do  the  country  in  the  shortest  possible  time  that  steam  and  their 
own  energy  can  enable  them  to  accomplish  it  in.  They  may  go  from 
London  to  the  Second  Cataract  and  back  in  six  weeks,  and  any  time 
during  the  months  named  above  will  be  as  good  as  another.  But  even 
to  them  it  may  be  said,  choose,  if  you  can,  some  period  between  the 
middle  of  December  and  the  middle  of  February.    It  is  perhaps,  every 


INTRODUCTION. 


XV 


thing  considered,  the  most  delightful  season  in  Egypt.  The  tempe- 
rature is  delicious,  often  indeed,  cool,  the  Nile  neither  too  high  so  as  to 
cover  land,  nor  too  low  so  as  to  look  like  a  huge  canal  flowing  between 
high  banks,  over  which  it  is  impossible  to  see  from  the  deck  of  either 
boat  or  steamer,  and  the  country  perfectly  lovely  in  colouring — it  is 
in  fact  spring  time.  Further  information  useful  for  invalids,  as  to  the 
season  for  visiting  Egypt,  will  be  found  under  Preliminary  Informa- 
tion, d. 

I.  Journey  from  England  to  Egypt. 

There  are  various  routes  by  which  the  traveller  may  reach  Egypt 
from  England,  but  he  will  probably  choose  one  of  the  four  following  : 
(1.)  Direct  from  Southampton  to  Alexandria  by  P.  &  0.  steamer,  via 
Gibraltar  and  Malta.  (2.)  Across  the  Continent  to  Brindisi,  and 
thence  by  P.  &  0.  or  Italian  steamer  to  Alexandria.  (3.)  Across  France 
to  Marseilles,  and  thence  by  Messageries  steamer  to  Alexandria,.  (4.) 
Across  the  Continent  to  Trieste,  and  thence  by  Austrian  Lloyd  steamer 
to  Alexandria.  Eoute  No.  1,  as  the  cheapest,  and  involving  the  least 
trouble,  is  the  best  adapted  for  large  families.  Fare,  1st  Class  from 
Southampton  to  Alexandria,  201.,  wine  not  included.  The  voyage 
occupies  about  13  days.  Eoute  No.  2  is  the  one  taken  by  the  Indian 
mail,  and  is  at  once  the  quickest  and  the  most  direct.  To  those  who 
dislike  the  sea  it  especially  recommends  itself  by  the  shortness  of  the 
sea  passage,  only  75  hours.  The  time  and  expense  will  entirely  depend 
on  the  road  chosen  by  the  traveller  for  reaching  Brindisi.  Assuming 
that  he  goes  direct  via  France  and  Italy  with  as  little  delay  as  possible, 
he  may  reckon  the  whole  expense  as  far  as  Brindisi  at  about  151. 
From  Brindisi  the  lst-Class  fare  by  P.  &  0.  boat  is  121.,  without  wine  ; 
by  the  Italian  boat  111.,  with  table  wine.  Through  tickets  are  issued 
across  the  Continent  at  a  reduced  rate.  Eoute  No.  3  will  be  preferred 
by  those  who  equally  disliking  a  long  railway  journey  and  a  long  sea 
voyage,  and  not  knowing  which  to  avoid,  choose  a  sort  of  middle  course, 
which  gives  them  30  hours'  railway  and  6  days'  sea.  The  average 
expense  will  be  about  the  same  as  via  Brindisi.  Eoute  No.  4  has 
nothing  special  to  recommend  it  except  that  is  the  most  convenient 
for  those  who*  wish  to  go  through  Germany,  and  that  the  Austrian 
Lloyd  steamers  are  very  good  ones,  and  the  food  provided  on  board 
exceptionally  excellent.  The  expense  would  be  about  the  same  as  the 
other  continental  routes.  For  the  dates  of  departure  of  the  various 
steamers  and  the  fares,  it  is  better  to  consult  the  different  companies' 
latest  published  information,  which  may  always  be  obtained  at  the 
several  offices. 

c.  Malta.  • 

If  on  arriving  at  Malta  you  intend  staying  there  for  any  time,  either  in 
going  to  or  returning  from  Egypt,  and  have  to  land  any  luggage,  it  is 
agreeable  to  find  there  is  no  custom-house  examination :  all  you  have 
to  do  is  to  hire  a  boat  as  soon  as  the  officer  from  the  Board  of  Health 
has  pronounced  the  steamer  to  be  in  pratique. 


xvi 


INTRODUCTION. 


Hotels  at  Malta. — Dunsford's,  in  S  trad  a  Keale,  and  the  Imperial,  both 
good  hotels. 

Lodging-houses. — Morelli's,  in  Strada  Eeale,  very  comfortable.  They 
are  well  adapted  for  persons  intending  to  make  some  stay  in  Malta ; 
and  then  it  is  better  to  come  to  an  agreement,  according  to  the  time. 

English  money  is  the  current  coin  in  Malta. 

In  returning  to  Malta  from  Egypt  there  is  no  longer  any  quarantine, 
except  that  when  cholera  happens  to  be  in  Egypt  travellers  are  subject 
to  a  quarantine  of  15  days. 

Sights  at  Malta. — There  are  few  objects  worthy  of  a  visit  at  Malta. 
The  principal  in  the  town  of  Valetta  are — the  palace,  the  government 
library,  the  cathedral  church  of  St.  John,  the  fortifications,  the  view 
from  the  two  Baraccas,  and  the  palaces  of  the  knights,  called  "  Auberges," 
particularly  those  of  CastiUe  and  Provence. 

In  the  Palace  are  the  Armoury,  a  few  good  pictures,  and  some 
curious  tapestry.  Many  of  the  apartments  are  handsome,  especially 
the  ball-room. 

The  Armoury  is  well  arranged,  but  the  specimens  of  armour  are  not 
so  curious  nor  so  varied  as  might  be  expected  in  the  city  of  the  Knights. 
The  complete  suit  of  Vignacourt  is  very  elegant  and  simple.  It  is  the 
same  he  wore  when  painted  by  Caravaggio  in  a  picture  in  the  dining- 
room,  a  copy  of  which  is  placed  above  it.  There  is  a  large  suit  near 
the  other  end  of  the  room,  that  appears,  from  its  immense  weight,  not 
to  have  been  worn ;  and  not  far  from  this  is  a  very  primitive  field- 
piece,  made  of  copper  bound  round  with  ropes,  over  which  a  composi- 
tion of  lime  was  put,  cased  in  leather. 

The  Turkish  and  Moorish  arms  are  few,  and  not  remarkable  for 
beauty,  which  is  singular  in  a  place  so  long  at  war  with  the  Osmanlis 
and  the  Moors.  The  library  was  founded  in  1790  by  the  Bailli  de 
Tencin,  who  presented  the  public  wTith  9700  volumes.  It  contains 
many  curious  and  old  works,  and  is  composed  of  the  private  col- 
lections of  the  knights,  who  were  obliged  to  bequeath  their  books  to 
this  public  institution.  Here  are  deposited  some  antiques  of  various 
kinds  found  in  Malta  and  Gozo  ;  among  which  are  a  parallel  Greek 
and  Punic  inscription,  several  strange  headless  figures  from  Crendi, 
two  coffins  of  terra- cotta,  and  a  few  other  objects  of  various  styles 
and  epochs. 

Of  St.  John's  Church  observe  the  floor,  where  the  arms  of  all  the 
grand  masters  are  inlaid  in  various  coloured  marbles.  They  have 
been  very  useful  in  heraldry. 

The  tapestry  of  this  church  is  also  very  fine.  It  is  put  up  at  the 
fete  of  St.  John,  and  continues  to  be  exposed  to  public  view  for 
several  days  before  and  after  that  ceremony.  The  silver  railing  in 
the  chapel  of  the  Madonna,  at  the  east  end.  is  said  to  have  owed  its 
preservation,  at  the  time  of  the  French  occupation  of  the  island,  to 
the  paint  that  then  concealed  the  valuable  material  of  which  it  is 
made. 

In  one  of  the  side  chapels  is  a  picture  by  Michael  Angelo  Cara- 
vaggio, representing  the  beheading  of  St.  John  :  a  good  painting, 
but  badly  preserved.  It  is  said  that  the  artist  made  this  a  present 
to  the  order,  on  condition  of  being  created  a  knight  of  Malta,  in 


INTRODUCTION. 


xvii 


consequence  of  the  following  occurrence  : — One  of  the  knights  having 
offended  the  artist,  the  latter  challenged  him  to  single  combat,  and 
satisfaction  being  refused,  on  the  plea  of  his  not  being  worthy  to 
meet  his  antagonist  in  a  duel,  Caravaggio  sought  to  obtain  a  posi- 
tion which  should  entitle  him  to  this  right.  He  therefore  applied 
to  the  grand  master,  in  the  hopes  of  obtaining  the  rank  of  knight ; 
which  was  granted,  on  condition  of  his  painting  this  picture.  It  was 
done,  he  became  a  knight,  and  fought  his  duel ;  but  in  order  to  diminish 
as  much  as  possible  the  value  of  a  work  which  the  pride  of  a  member 
of  the  order  had  condemned  him  to  execute,  he  painted  the  picture  on 
cotton  instead  of  canvas,  whence  its  decayed  state,  and  the  difficulty 
of  its  restoration.  Such  is  the  story  at  Malta,  the  truth  of  which  may 
be  doubted ;  though  the  most  important  point  is  true,  that  he  painted 
the  picture. 

In  the  crypts  below  the  cathedral  are  the  tombs  of  some  of  the  grand 
masters. 

The  principal  objects  in  the  vicinity  of  Valetta  and  in  the  country 
are  the  ruins  near  Crendi,  or  Cased  Crendi ;  the  hollow  called  the  Devil's 
Punchbowl,  or  Makluba  ;  St.  Paul's  Buy  ;  Citta  Vecchia  and  the  Cata- 
combs ;  the  Garden  of  Boschetto ;  the  Governor's  Villa  of  San  Antonio ; 
the  Grotto  of  Calypso  ;  and  the  Aqueduct  built  by  the  Grand  Master 
Vignacourt  in  1610. 

The  ruins  near  Casal  Crendi,  excavated  by  order  of  the  governor, 
Sir  Henry  Bouverie,  in  1839-40,  are  about  twenty  minutes'  walk 
from  that  village,  and  are  called  Hagar  Keem,  "  the  upright  stone  :" 
— a  name  which  has  been  very  improperly  written  Khem,  and  has 
been  erroneously  supposed  to  bear  some  relation  to  Egypt,  or  the 
land  of  Ham  (Khem).    They  consist  of  several  apartments  of  various 
sizes,  irregularly  placed  within  one  common  enclosure,  mostly  con- 
nected with  each  other  by  passages  or  doorways.    The  rooms  are 
either  oval,  or  have  one  end  of  semicircular  form  ;  and  their  walls 
\  are  composed  of  large  stones  placed  upright  in  the  ground.  The 
principal  entrance  is  on  the  S.S.E.    A  short  passage  leads  from  it 
I  into  a  small  court,  in  which,  on  the  left-hand  side,  is  a  small  altar 
1  ornamented  with  a  rude  attempt  at  sculpture,  representing  a  plant 
growing  from  a  flower-pot ;  and  near  it  is  a  flat  stone  like  a  seat, 
above  which  are  engraved  on  an  upright  block  two  volutes,  protruding 
j  on  either  side  of  an  oval  body.    This  as  well  as  the  altar  may  be  of 
later  date  than  the  ortholithic  masonry,  and  it  is  worthy  of  remark 
that  the  volute  ornament  is  exactly  the  same  as  that  placed  beneath 
the  feet  of  the  Phoenician  Venus,  Astarte,  whose  statue  may,  therefore, 
I  have  stood  on  the  slab  above.    That  the  Phoenicians,  a  people  so 
j  renowned  as  builders,  should  have  erected  these  rude  monuments  is 
I  lot  probable  ;  but  there  may  have  been  sufficient  connexion  between 
,he  religion  of  their  Punic  *  colonists  and  that  of  the  founders  of  Hagar 
Keem  to  induce  the  Phoenicians,  or  the  Carthaginians,  to  add  this 
jmblem  of  their  goddess  ;  and  the  horizontal  courses  of  masonry  found 
)Ccasionally  here,  and  at  similar  ruins  in  Gozo,  which  are  evidently 

*  Pceni,  Phoenician,  and  Punic,  have  the  same  meaning,  and  signify,  like  Adamic,  Edoniito, 
i  [emyarite,  Aamaric  (Abyssinian),  red;  Carthaginian,  like  Sidonian  and  Tyrian,  being  from 
I  he  city. 


xviii 


INTRODUCTION. 


later  additions,  may  be  attributed  to  the  same  people.  There  are  not 
other  signs  of  sculpture ;  but  a  peculiar  kind  of  ornament  is  common 
on  these  and  all  the  principal  members  of  the  building,  consisting  of 
round  holes  punctured  all  over  the  face  of  the  stones,  extending  little 
deeper  than  the  surface. 

On  either  side  of  this  court  is  a  semicircular  chamber  ;  and  after 
passing  on  through  a  door  in  a  line  with  the  main  entrance,  you  come 
to  a  second  court,  at  the  upper  end  of  which,  to  the  right,  is  the  prin- 
cipal sanctuary.    It  is  of  semicircular  form,  and  the  upper  part  of  its 
walls  is  built  of  stones  placed  in  horizontal  courses,  put  together  with  ■ 
care,  and  breaking  joint;  evidently  of  a  later  period  than  the  small 
original  sanctuary  which  it  encloses,  and  which  is  formed  of  rude  f 
blocks  placed  upright  in  a  circle,  with  an  entrance  corresponding  to  | 
that  of  the  larger  external  sanctuary.    All  the  stones  have  been  punc-  j 
tured  in  the  manner  above  mentioned. 

On  the  left  of  this  second  court  are  two  large  stone  altars  ;  one  on 
each  side  of  a  door  leading  to  a  small  apartment,  connected  with  which  I 
is  another  little  chamber,  also  containing  an  altar.    There  are  four  more 
apartments  at  this  (south-west)  end  of  the  ruins;  and  in  the  outer  ! 
wall  of  circuit  are  some  very  large  stones  placed  upright,  about  15  ft.  . 
high  above  the  ground.    A  stone  of  similar  size  stands  near  the  sane- 
tuary  to  the  north-east,  and  another  of  still  larger  dimensions  is  placed  \ 
horizontally  a.  little  to  the  east  of  the  main  entrance.    Mr.  Ehind 
found,  on  the  summit  of  one  of  these  upright  stones,  a  fiat-bottomed 
basin  3  ft.  8  by  1  and  10  inches  deep,  hollowed  out  by  the  hand  of 
man. 

About  120  ft.  to  the  north  of  these  ruins  are  other  semicircular 
enclosures,  made  with  stones  placed  upright  in  the  ground ;  and  about 
a  mile  to  the  south,  near  the  sea,  are  some  ruins  similar  to  the  Hagar 
Keeni,  which  are  also  deserving  of  examination. 

In  the  same  excursion  may  be  included  a  visit  to  Makluba,  and  even  I 
to  the  cave  called  Ghar  Hassan  on  the  sea-coast  to  the  south-east  of  | 
Crendi. 

Other  ruins,  similar  to,  though  much  smaller  than,  those  of  Crendi, 
are  found  close  to  Valetta,  at  the  Coradino,  near  Captain  Spenser's 
monument  and  the  new  tank.  f 

With  regard  to  the  date  of  these  peculiar  structures,  and  the  people 
by  whom  they  were  built,  it  would  be  rash  to  offer  any  opinion.  In 
Britain  they  would  be  considered  Druidical,  but  there  is  nothing  to 
guide  us  respecting  their  history,  and  the  small  headless  figures  dis- 
covered there  (now  preserved  in  the  Government  library  at  Valetta)  in 
no  way  aid  in  solving  the  question. 

In  Gozo  is  another  ruin  called  Torre  dei  Giganti,  "  the  Giants'  Tower," 
inland  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  island,  which  is  on  a  grander  scale  than 
the  ruins  of  Crendi,  though  of  similar  construction,  and  evidently  the  L 
work  of  the  same  people. 

Eowing  and  sailing  boats  go  over  to  Gozo  from  Valetta  daily,  and  L 
sometimes  a  small  yacht  may  be  hired  for  the  occasion,  which  is  cleaner1  fa 
and  more  comfortable. 


INTRODUCTION. 


xix 


Valetta  has  a  small  theatre,  where  Italian  operas  are  performed 
during  the  season.  Many  public  and  private  balls  are  also  given,  par- 
ticularly in  the  winter. 

d.  Things  that  should  be  bought  in  England  for  the  Nile 

JOUENEY. 

It  is  not  absolutely  necessary  now  for  the  intending  traveller  in 
Egypt  to  provide  himself  before  leaving  England  with  anything  more 
than  he  would  take  for  an  ordinary  journey.  There  are  shops  at 
Alexandria  and  Cairo  which  will  supply  his  every  want  more  or  less 
effectively  and  expensively.  But  at  the  same  time  there  are  certain 
things  which,  though  they  could  be  procured  in  Egypt,  can  certainly 
be  bought  better  and  cheaper  in  Europe.    These  are  : — 


Guns. 

Gunpowder. 

Cartridges,  and  all  shooting  appliances. 
Thermometer,  aneroid  barometer,  and  all 

instruments. 
Field-glasses,  or  telescope, 
j  Measuring-tape. 

j  Writing,  drawing,  and  painting  materials. 

|  Magnesium  wire.  Very  necessary  for  pro- 

I  perly  seeing  tombs  and  excavated  tem- 
ples,without  doing  the  injury  to  the  sculp- 
tures and  paintings  that  torches  cause. 

;  Saddle  and  bridle,  for  Syria  and  Greece.  A 
lady  will  not  only  require  a  side-saddle 
for  the  Syrian  journey,  but  also  for  the 
many  excursions  that  are  to  be  made  on 
donkey-back  up  the  Nile. 

I  Clothes.    See  Preliminary  Information,  e. 

9  Mosquito  net. 

1  Medicine.   Very  convenient  cases,  varying 
in  size  and  price,  can  be  obtained  at 
Savory  and  Moore's.    See  Preliminary 
8     Information,  /. 

Books.    There  is  a  very  good  and  well- 
5     stocked  bookseller's  at  Alexandria  and 
[     Cairo,  Robertson  and  Co.,  where  the 
( j    traveller  can  procure  any  book  he  may 
have  forgotten  to  bring  from  England. 
The  following  list  comprises  some  of  the 
1      best  known  and  most  modern  works  on 
t ,    Egypt  :— 

u  [  List  of  Books. 

&  5  Rawlinson's  Herodotus,  vol.  ii. 

Wilkinson's  Ancient  Egyptians. 
i(j !  Lane's  Modem  Egyptians. 

Sharp's  History  of  Egypt. 

Mariette's  Apercu  ge'ne'rale  de  l'Histoire 
d'Egypte. 


Diodorus.  Book  I. 
Strabo.    Book  17. 

Bunsen's  Egypt's  Place  in  Universal  His- 
tory. 

Kenrick's  Ancient  History  of  Egypt.  1872. 
*  Mariette's  Itineraire  de  la  Haute  Egypte. 
Piazzi  Smyth's  Our  Inheritance  in  the 

Great  Pyramid. 
Lady  DuiF-Gordon's  Letters  from  Egypt. 
Lane's  Arabian  Nights. 
Kinglake's  Eothen. 
Warburton's  Crescent  and  the  Cross. 
Lord  Lindsay's  Letters  from  Egypt  and 

the  Holy  Land. 
About's  Le  Fellah. 
Hopley's  Under  Egyptian  Palms. 
Prime's  Boat  Life  in  Egypt  and  Nubia. 
Curzon's  Monasteries  of  the  Levant. 
Smith's  Attractions  of  the  Nile. 
Eden's  Nile  without  a  Dragoman.  1871. 
Beaufort's  Egyptian  Sepulchres  and  Syrian 

Shrines. 
Stanley's  Sinai  and  Palestine. 
Macgregor's  Rob  Roy  on  the  Nile  and  the 

Jordan.  1871. 
Russell's  Diary  in  the  East. 
Irby  and  Mangles'  Travels  in  Egypt,  &c. 
Didier's  Cinq  Cents  Lieues  sur  le  Nil. 
Hoskins' Winter  in  Upper  and  Lower  Egypt  . 
Curtis's  Nile  Notes  of  a  Howadji. 
Martineau's  Eastern  Life. 
Zincke's  Egypt  of  the  Pharaohs  and  the 

Kedive.  1872. 
Shelley's  Birds  of  Egypt.  1873. 

Articles  of  food.  Nothing  need  absolutely 
be  procured  in  England,  as  all  that  can 
be  wanted  is  to  be  found  at  Alexandria 
or  Cairo  ;  but  for  those  who  are  very 


XX 


INTRODUCTION. 


particular  as  to  the  quality  of  what 
they  eat  and  drink,  and  who  have  time 
to  make  their  preparations  beforehand, 
the  following  list  of  things  to  be  bought 
in  Europe  is  suggested  : — 
Tea. — Wine  :  light  Bordeaux  or  Rhine 
wines  are  the  best. — Brandy. — Butter  in 
jars.  —  Jams.  —  Pre-erved  vegetables.  — 
Salad  oil.  —  Tongues.  —  Hams.  —  Currie 
powder.  —  Liebig's  Extractum  Carnis. — 
Biscuits.  — Paraffin  candles. 

But  it  must  be  remembered  that  if  the 
traveller  intends  to  pat  himself  entirely 


into  the  hands  of  a  dragoman,  everything 
except  wine  and  spirits  will  be  provided 
for  him.  Full  particulars  as  to  what  is 
required  for  those  who  intend  to  cater  for 
themselves  are  given  under  Sect.  III., 
Voyage  up  the  Nile. 

All  heavy  goods  can  be  sent  at  a  small 
expense  either  by  Southampton  or  Liver- 
pool. 

In  London,  Messrs.  IVI'Cracken,  of 
Cannon  Street,  are  amongst  the  principal 
Agents  for  forwarding  Parcels  to  Alex- 
andria and  Cairo. 


HANDBOOK 

FOB 

TRAVELLERS  IN  EGYPT. 


SECTION  I. 
,  EGYPT. 


Preliminary  Information. 

a.  General  Remarks  on  Sanitary  State  of  Country.  — b.  Temperature. —  c.  The 
Seasons. — d.  Diseases  for  which  Climate  is  Beneficial. — e.  Clothing  and 
Mode  of  Life. — f.  Medicines,  and  Treatment  of  Slight  Ailments  incident  to 
the  Country. — g.  Presents. — h.  Passport.— i.  Coinage. — k.  Weights  and  Mea- 
sures.—  1.  Population  and  Revenue — m.  Reigning  Family  and  Mode  of 
Government. — n.  Chronological  Table  of  Egyptian  Dynasties  and  Kings. — 
o.  List  of  Caliphs  and  Sultans  of  Egypt. — p.  Certain  Points  requiring 
Examination.  —  q.  English  and  Arabic  Vocabulary. 


ROUTE  PAGE 

1.  Alexandria    to  Rosetta,  by- 

land  —  Canopus  —  AbooJcir 
Bay   101 

2.  Kosetta  to  Atfeh  and  Cairo, 

by  the  Nile    104 

3.  Alexandria  to  Cairo,  by  land, 

through  the  Delta    ..     ..  104 


ROUTE  PAGE 

4.  Alexandria  to  Cairo,  by  the 

Western  Bank— Embabeh  104 

5.  Alexandria  to  Atfeh  and  Cairo, 

by  the  Canal  and  the  Nile  105 

6.  Alexandria  to  Cairo,  by  the 

Eailroad  —  Damanhoor  — 
Kafr  -  ez  -  Zyat  —  Tantah 
— Benha  ( Athribis)  . .     ..  Ill 


a.  General  Remarks  on  Sanitary  State  of  Country  * 

The  climate  of  Egypt  is  remarkably  dry  and  salubrious,  and  although  the 
mortality  amongst  the  inhabitants  is  great,  it  can  easily  be  accounted  for  apart 
from  the  climate.  Through  the  ignorance,  superstition,  and  filthiness  of  the 
natives,  there  is  an  excessive  infant  mortality,  and  the  death-rate  amongst  the 


*  The  information  contained  under  the  headings  a,  b,  c,  has  been  supplied  by  Dr.  Grant, 
resident  physician  at  Cairo. 

[Egypf]  b 


2 


a.  SANITARY  CONDITION.  b.  TEMPERATURE.  Sect.  I. 


youug  and  adult  Egyptians  is  greatly  increased  by  the  privations,  hard  work, 
and  exposure  they  have  to  endure.  Besides  this,  a  great  number  of  the  poor 
die  for  want  of  medical  care  and  advice,  which  the  Government  does  not 
supply  them  with,  unless  in  the  hospitals,  of  which  the  natives  have  a  deep- 
seated  dread.  They  prefer  to  die  at  their  homes,  surrounded  by  their  friends, 
rather  than  enter  a  hospital.  For  these  and  other  reasons  the  deaths  far 
exceed  the  births  :  hence  the  native  population  must  be  dying  out. 

But  through  the  civilized  measures  that  are  being  introduced  by  the  present 
ruler,  this  state  of  matters  will  in  time  take  quite  a  different  course.  Except 
the  Delta  and  sea-coast  towns,  the  country  is  quite  exempt  from  low  fevers 
and  diseases  of  the  chest.  Ophthalmia,  diarrhoea,  dysentery,  and  affections 
of  the  liver  are  the  principal  endemic  complaints.  Only  two  or  three  months  of 
the  year  can  be  called  unhealthy,  and  that  not  to  any  great  degree  ;  but  about 
every  ten  years  a  severe  epidemic  sweeps  over  the  country  and  depopulates 
whole  districts.  Formerly  it  used  to  be  "  the  plague,"  but  in  later  years  it 
has  taken  the  type  of  cholera,  which  up  to  the  present  date  would  find  a 
favourable  nidus  for  propagation  in  the  pestiferous  houses  of  the  towns  and  in 
the  personal  dirtiness  of  the  fellaheen.  When  an  epidemic  breaks  out,  it 
generally  rage3  for  three  or  four  months ;  all  business  is  suspended,  and 
Europeans  and  others  flee  the  country,  to  return  again  after  the  danger  is 
past.  Occasionally,  also,  murrain  is  prevalent  as  an  epidemic  among  the 
cattle,  and  vast  numbers  of  them  are  destroyed  by  it.  An  extremely  low  Nile 
is  apt  to  produce  disease  both  in  man  and  beast :  thus,  cholera  and  murrain  may 
both  exist  together,  as  in  1865. 

b.  Temperature. 

The  Egyptian  climate  is  more  uniform  than  that  of  any  other  place  on  the 
globe.  Still  it  varies  considerably  thiough  the  different  parts  of  the  country. 
The  whole  of  Middle  and  Upper  Egypt  is  characterized  by  great  dryness  and 
clearness  of  the  atmosphere,  while  the  Delta  enjoys  a  much  cooler  and  damper 
climate.  Certain  localities  are  having  their  climates  noticeably  modified  by 
new  and  extensive  irrigation,  by  the  cultivation  of  large  tracts  of  previously 
sterile  land,  and  by  the  growth  of  trees.  The  immense  surface  of  water  now 
exposed  by  the  Suez  Canal  to  the  influence  of  a  tropical  sun  must  produce 
local  disturbances  of  the  atmosphere,  while  the  northerly  winds,  that  blow  for 
about  eight  months  in  the  year,  as  they  pass  over  the  Canal  district,  will  carry 
along  with  them  a  considerable  amount  of  moisture,  which,  combined  with  that 
arising  from  the  annual  overflow  of  the  Nile,  would  lead  us  to  expect  still 
milder  summers  but  damper  winters  in  Middle  and  Lower  Egypt. 

The  mean  annual  temperature  at  Cairo  is  about  71°  F.  From  the  peculiar 
dryness  of  the  atmosphere  it  is  rendered  more  susceptible  of  sudden  changes  of 
temperature ;  but  the  fact  of  its  dryness  prevents  the  injurious  effects  that 
often  result  from  such  sudden  changes.  The  thermometer  often  indicates  a 
variation  of  12°  F.  between  morning  and  mid-day,  and  as  much  between  mid- 
day and  evening.  The  early  morning  is  invariably  cool,  but  after  two  or  three 
hours  the  sun's  warmth  is  speedily  communicated  to  the  atmosphere,  which 
continues  warm  till  near  sunset,  when  it  rapidly  cools,  and  if  there  be  any 
moisture  in  the  air  it  now  appears  as  dew  which  has  fallen  on  the  ground  by 
half  an  hour  after  sunset.  Although  the  thermometer  falls  suddenly  about 
sunset,  it  soon  rises  again  from  the  radiation  of  the  heat  absorbed  by  the  earth 
during  the  day.  Towards  morning  it  falls  again,  to  rise  with  the  return  of 
the  sun. 

The  thermometer  seldom  falls  to  40°  F.  at  Cairo,  but  it  is  frequently  lower 
on  the  Nile.  The  coldest  months  in  the  year  are  December  and  January,  and 
the  hottest  are  August  and  September,  but  even  then  it  is  cool  in  the  shade. 


Egypt. 


C.  THE  SEASONS. 


3 


The  humidity  of  the  atmosphere  is  principally  controlled  by  the  rise  and  fall 
of  the  Nile.  Fogs  prevail  during  the  first  two  months  of  the  receding  of  the 
waters.  Evening  fogs  descend  very  quickly  as  the  sun  goes  down,  and  are  as 
quickly  deposited  after  the  sun  has  set,  leaving  the  sky  clear  and  the  air  as 
fresh  as  after  a  good  shower.  Morning  fogs  are  soon  dispelled  by  the  heat  of 
the  sun,  and  then  follows  the  clear  beautiful  day. 

On  the  desert  the  air  is  always  dry  and  bracing,  and  much  cooler  than  that 
over  cultivated  land.  Dews  at  night  are  common  in  the  early  and  later  parts 
of  the  year,  but  exposure  to  them  is  not  attended  with  any  risk.  During 
winter  the  nights  are  piercingly  cold  on  the  desert.  The  moonlight  nights 
are  singularly  brilliant,  but  when  there  is  no  moon  the  darkness  that  envelopes 
the  earth  seems  so  thick  that  you  can  almost  feel  it,  while  the  sky  above  is 
quite  clear. 

c.  The  Seasons. 

There  are  but  two  seasons  in  the  year — Summer  and  Winter.  The  summer 
extends  from  April  to  the  end  of  September.  It  is  ushered  in  by  strong  equi- 
noctial winds,  which  are  at  first  cool ;  but  they  soon  give  place  to  the  hot  south 
wind,  or  khamaseen,  so  called  from  blowing  at  intervals  during  a  period  of  50 
days.  This  wind  is  very  peculiar,  and  may  be  thus  described.  It  is  preceded 
by  an  unusual  stillness  of  the  atmosphere,  and,  as  it  approaches,  the  air  assumes 
a  dusky  yellow  hue  from  being  laden  with  impalpable  dust,  through  which  the 
sun  shines  obscurely,  and  gradually  becomes  quite  concealed.  Electric  influ- 
ences accompany  this  wind,  so  that,  notwithstanding  the  excessive  heat,  one 
feels  excited  rather  than  depressed  by  it.  The  respiration  is  quickened,  and 
the  skin  becomes  quite  dry  and  shrunk ;  and  sometimes  a  prickly  sensation  is 
felt  all  over  the  body.  This  wind  blows  generally  for  three  days  in  succession, 
with  intervals  of  four  or  five  days.  It  sometimes  lasts  from  ten  to  twelve  days 
continuously,  and  if  blowing  from  the  south-east  is  not  only  very  destructive 
to  vegetation,  but  exhausting  to  the  animal  organism.  The  khamaseens  are 
not  so  severe  as  formerly,  and  they  always  cease  about  the  middle  of  May ; 
northerly  winds  then  set  in  and  blow  almost  constantly  till  November,  when 
for  two  or  three  weeks  easterly  winds  prevail. 

A  north  wind  blowing  constantly  during  the  summer  months  modifies  the 
heat  considerably.  After  the  harvest  in  June,  the  country  becomes  an  arid- 
looking  waste;  everything  appears  burned  up.  and  the  ground  is  dry  and 
cracked  in  every  direction.  During  May  and  June  the  Nile  remains  at  its 
lowest,  but  by  the  end  of  June  it  begins  to  rise,  and  continues  to  increase  till 
the  middle  of  September.  Before  it  has  reached  its  height  all  the  canals  are 
filled,  and  the  water  is  admitted  into  the  fields.  Such  a  surface  of  water 
materially  alters  Ihe  temperature,  and  light  dews  now  occur  about  sunset,  all 
through  the  lower  country.  As  the  river  falls,  leaving  the  land  wet  and 
exposed  to  the  action  of  the  sun,  exhalations  arise,  which  render  the  Delta 
somewhat  unhealthy ;  the  prevailing  diseases  then  being  ophthalmia,  dysentery, 
diarrhoea,  and  ague.  By  the  middle  of  November  the  river  has  retired  within 
its  banks ;  and,  except  at  this  particular  time,  the  atmosphere  is  remarkably 
free  from  humidity.  The  average  summer  temperature  is  about  85°  F. :  the 
mornings  and  nights  throughout  the  whole  summer  being  always  pleasantly 
cool. 

The  winter  begins  in  October  and  ends  in  March.  It  is  so  genial  and 
uniform  as  to  prove  a  great  attraction  to  invalids,  who  find  here  a  winter 
climate  unsurpassed  by  that  of  any  other  country  in  the  world.  "  Boat  life  on 
the  Nile  is  the  most  enjoyable  of  all  restoratives  for  the  sick,  and  for  lovers  of 
all  that  is  luxurious  in  travel,  of  all  that  is  glorious  in  memory,  of  the  grand, 
the  beautiful,  the  picturesque,  and  the  strange,  Egyptian  travel  is  the  per- 


4 


d.  DISEASES  BENEFITED  BY  CLIMATE. 


Sect.  I. 


faction  of  life."  The  atmosphere  continues  to  be  comparatively  dry  till  the 
middle  of  November,  when  there  is  an  appreciable  amount  of  humidity  arising 
from  the  land  left  wet  by  the  Nile.  The  dews  at  night  and  in  the  morning 
are  now  sometimes  quite  heavy,  but  they  are  of  short  duration,  and  by  the  end 
of  December  they  more  or  less  disappear,  and  the  air  regains  its  former  dryness, 
though  there  are  occasional  showers.  Kain  seldom  falls  in  Upper  Egypt ;  but 
on  the  Delta  and  along  the  Mediterranean  Coast  it  is  not  at  all  uncommon  at 
this  season.  About  Alexandria  there  would  be  on  an  average  13  rainy  days 
during  the  winter.  At  Cairo,  five  or  six  showers  would  be  the  average,  and 
these  not  at  all  heavy.  In  winter,  as  in  summer,  "great  changes  of  tempera- 
ture take  place  in  the  24  hours  owing  to  the  general  dryness  and  clearness  of 
the  atmosphere,  which  favour  rapid  evaporation  during  the  day  and  radiation 
of  heat  during  the  night."  At  Cairo  the  thermometer  rarely  falls  under  the 
freezing-point,  yet  ice  is  occasionally  seen  there.  Snow  is  unknown ;  but  in 
Upper  Egypt  and  on  the  Delta,  hail  and  thunder-storms  sometimes  occur  with 
great  violence,  and  do  much  injury;  the  hailstones  being  frequently  as  large 
as  a  pigeon's  egg. 

North  winds  prevail  in  December,  January,  and  February,  and  they  are  often 
piercingly  cold. 

As  you  ascend  the  Nile  (which  by  the  middle  of  November  has  fallen  one 
half,  and  continues  decreasing  till  middle  of  May),  the  weather  becomes 
warmer  and  the  atmosphere  drier,  so  that  Upper  and  Middle  Egypt  are  more 
healthy  than  the  lower  country  or  Delta. 

The  mean  winter  temperature  at  Cairo  is  about  58°  F.  The  season  ends 
with  boisterous  southerly  winds  and  dust  storms,  which  begin  to  blow  about 
the  latter  part  of  March,  and  continue  for  one,  two,  or  three  days  at  a  time 
till  the  proper  khamaseen  sets  in. 

d.  Diseases  for  which  Climate  is  Beneficial. 

The  following  very  trustworthy  and  judicious  remarks  are  from  Dr.  Patter- 
son's book,  called  Egypt  and  the  Nile,  a  little  work  which  every  invalid  would 
do  well  to  procure,  in  the  absence  of  any  exhaustive  medical  treatise  on  the 
climate  of  Egypt,  a  thing  much  needed  :  — 

"  Phthisical  and  bronchial  affections,  chronic  diseases  of  the  mucous  mem- 
branes, congestive  diseases  of  the  abdominal  viscera,  nervous  exhaustion, 
debilitated  circulation  from  progressive  disease  of  the  heart,  and  especially 
that  form  attending  advancing  years,  scrofulous  diseases  of  every  kind,  and 
struma  in  its  various  manifestations,  are  the  diseases  in  which  a  most  marked 
improvement  has  been  observed  from  a  residence  in  Egypt.  In  the  early  stage 
of  phthisis,  hereditary  or  acquired,  indicated  by  general  delicacy  of  consti- 
tution, a  prolonged  residence  in  Egypt  is  generally  attended  with  the  best 
results  ;  but  the  patient  should  spend  two  or  three  winters  at  least.  In  that 
form  of  early  phthisis  where  much  bronchial  irritation  exists,  the  stimulating 
effect  of  the  dry  air  on  the  irritable  mucous  membranes  of  the  trachea  and 
bronchi  is  sometimes  great  for  the  first  few  days  after  arrival,  but  it  soon 
wears  off.  Cases  of  this  kind  should  not  come  straight  on  to  Cairo,  but  spend 
a  few  days  in  Alexandria ;  they  may  then  safely  proceed  on  their  Nile  journey. 
Under  such  favourable  conditions  of  atmosphere,  the  effect  of  a  comparatively 
high  temperature,  and  a  peculiar,  not  to  be  described — stimulating,  yet  balmy 
— influence  in  the  geneial  functions  of  the  body,  this  climate  may  be,  often  is, 
of  great  service  in  the  more  advanced  stages  of  pulmonary  phthisis.  It  may 
succeed  for  a  time,  and  I  believe  does,  in  arresting  the  progress  of  suppurative 
tubercle;  yet  the  effects  of  a  long  journey,  the  frequent  changes  of  diet,  and 
the  want  of  many  of  the  personal  comforts  and  attentions  to  which  such 


Egypt. 


d.  DISEASES  BENEFITED  BY  CLIMATE. 


5 


patients  have  been  accustomed,  cause  me  strongly  to  impress  a  careful  consi- 
deration before  advising  them  to  come  to  Egypt,  and  especially  to  go  up  the 
Nile.  If  it  be  desirable  that  such  cases  should  come,  let  them  be  advised  to 
remain  in  Cairo  for  a  time,  where  they  can  lead  a  quiet,  regular,  and  vege- 
tative sort  of  life ;  then,  should  they  improve,  they  can  try  the  Nile.  As  a 
rule,  the  Nile-boat  life  is  not  adapted  to  such  cases,  unless  they  proceed  under 
very  favourable  conditions  of  attendance  and  companionship ;  otherwise  the 
fatigue  and  excitement  attending  the  preparations  and  details  of  the  Nile 
voyage  irritates  and  weakens  them.  They  are  far  away  from  medical  advice, 
and,  from  debility,  are  seldom  in  a  condition  to  take  the  amount  of  exercise 
requisite  to  keep  their  functions  in  order.  The  invalid  in  an  incipient  state  of 
consumption  can,  by  regulating  his  movements,  command  an  almost  uniform 
condition  of  daily  climate  for  several  months  :  first,  by  a  short  stay  in  Cairo  ; 
then,  by  following  the  seasons,  he  may  proceed  up  the  Nile  until  he  reaches  a 
climate  where  the  heat  is  just  sufficient  to  allow  him  to  spend  much  of  the 
day  in  the  open  air,  and  have  regular  exercise,  without  being  much  fatigued. 
He  can  then  drop  gradually  down  the  Nile  towards  Cairo,  keeping  nearly  the 
same  temperature  all  the  way.  If  he  reaches  Cairo  late  in  March,  or  even  a 
little  earlier,  he  will  then  find  a  condition  of  climate  such  as  is,  probably, 
found  in  no  other  place,  in  which  he  can  remain  a  few  weeks.  About  the 
middle  of  April  the  mid-day  temperature  begins  to  be  felt  a  little  too  warm 
for  a  debilitated  system,  and  the  chance  of  being  surprised  by  the  hot  winds 
renders  it  advisable  to  depart.  A  short  stay  in  Alexandria  will  then  be  found 
beneficial,  as  the  air  is  several  degrees  cooler  than  that  of  Cairo,  the 

humidity  not  too  great,  and  the  early  hot  winds  are  little  felt  Chronic 

bronchitis,  with  or  without  much  secretion  of  bronchial  mucus,  chronic 
affections  of  the  larynx  and  trachea,  nearly  all  derive  benefit.  .  .  .  Pure 
asthmatic  affections  follow  their  usual  vagaries  here,  as  elsewhere.  Some  are 
benefited,  others  not  at  all.  Patients  of  this  class,  however,  when  residing  in 
Egypt,  are  favourably  situated  as  regards  the  facility  for  change.  They  are 
within  access  of  four  modifications  of  climate — Alexandria,  Cairo,  Suez,  and 
Ismailia — so  that  when  one  does  not  gdve  relief,  another  may  be  tried.  There 
are  also  the  Nile  and  the  desert.    The  latter,  however,  is  seldom  available, 

except  under  circumstances  unfavourable  to  debilitated  states  of  system  

The  Egyptian  climate,  by  allowing  such  great  freedom  for  open-air  exercise, 
and  exposure  to  the  tonic  action  of  sun-light,  has  a  marked  influence  in 
modifying  the  ill-effects  arising  from  a  scrofulous  state  of  system.    Few  of  the 

sufferers  from  this  disease,  from  colder  latitudes,  go  away  unbenefited  

Diseases  of  rheumatic  and  gouty  origin  are  often  benefited,  when  the  patient 
will  lead  the  life  he  ought  to  do  ;  but  this  class  of  invalid  seldom  does  so.  .  .  . 
To  the  overworked  teacher  and  student,  the  care-burdened  merchant  and  man 
of  business,  and  those  subjected  to  a  hard  daily  routine,  which  has  broken  down 
their  stamina,  and  induced  a  highly  excited  state  of  nervous  system ;  the  con- 
firmed dyspeptic  and  hypochondriacal  invalid ;  the  depressed  and  anxious- 
minded  ;  the  nervous  and  hysterical  female ; — to  all  these  the  Egyptian 
climate  may  be  beneficial.  In  a  country  where  the  manners  and  habits  of 
life  are  so  different  from  what  obtains  in  European  countries,  pleasant  and 
varied  objects  of  attention,  which  strike  the  imagination  and  keep  the  mind 
employed,  tend  much  to  improve  the  depressed  morale  and  morbidly  anxious 
mind  of  the  invalid.  The  bright  and  sunny  sky  is  in  itself  an  incentive  to 
cheerfulness  and  pleasure,  which,  combined  with  the  amount  of  healthy 
open-air  exercise  necessary  to  attain  the  enjoyment  of  sight-seeing,  cannot 
fail  to  produce  favourable  results  whenever  that  is  possible.  Indeed,  in  all 
cases  where  a  dry  and  bracing  air,  bright  sunshine,  freedom  from  rain  and 
atmospheric  impurities,  are  the  desiderata,  the  Egyptian  winter  climate  claims 
an  important,  if  not  the  most  important,  place." 


6 


e.  CLOTHING  AND  MODE  OF  LIFE. 


Sect.  I. 


To  these  last  remarks  may  well  be  added  those  of  one  of  the  latest  writers 
on  Nile  life,  himself  an  invalid.  Mr.  Frederic  Eden,  in  his  Nile  without  a 
Dragoman,  says : — "  I  cannot  make  an  end  without  saying  once  more  that  the 
climate  of  Upper  Egypt,  in  the  winter,  is  as  enjoyable  as  I  believe  any  on 
earth  can  be  ;  that  of  the  monotony  experienced  by  some  travellers  we  found 
none ;  and  that,  to  a  sick  man,  the  life  led  on  the  Nile  is  as  agreeable  as  it  is 
health- giving.  To  be  absolutely  free  from  any  care,  but  that  perversely 
carried  with  you ;  to  be  absent  from  the  hurry,  bustle,  and  activity  of  home 
daily  life,  witii  enough  to  occupy  and  distract,  and  nothing  to  fatigue  the 
brain ;  with  air  as  balmy  as  it  is  soft,  appetite-giving  and  sleep-compelling  ; 
with  sun  to  warm  by  day,  and  freshness  by  night  to  string  and  brace  the 
nerves ;  with  all  temptation  to  live  in  the  open  air,  and  cabins  to  retire  to, 
literally  under  the  foot,  whenever  rest  or  quiet  be  desired ; — every  aid  is 
given  to  weary  nature  striving  to  recover  her  lost  powers.  And  of  all  the 
many  places  to  which,  seeking  for  health,  I  have  been  sent  by  doctors,  by 
friends  recommended,  or  by  fancy  prompted,  I  know  of  none  to  be  compared  to 
the  Nile,  either  for  the  enjoyment  it  affords,  or  the  chances  of  recovery  it 
offers." 

e.  Clothing  and  Mode  op  Life. 

Invalids  coming  to  Egypt  for  the  winter  should  be  well  provided  with  warm 
clothing,  and  should  always  wear  flannel  next  the  skin.  Two  tweed  suits,  one 
of  lighter  texture  than  the  other,  form  the  best  outfit  for  the  ordinary  traveller: 
and  on  the  Nile  voyage  he  will  find  flannel  shirts  the  best  both  for  health  and 
convenience  of  washing.  A  broad  belt  round  the  waist  is  thought  to  be  a 
useful  precaution  ;  perhaps  the  best  thing  of  its  kind  is  the  Syrian  silk  scarf 
so  much  used  by  the  natives.  The  head  should  be  well  protected  :  for  this 
purpose  the  best  head-dress  is  a  common  felt  wide-awake,  with  a  turban  of  white 
muslin  wound  round  it.  Some  prefer  a  pith  helmet,  as  it  shelters  the  eyes 
more.  The  red  tarboosh  with  which  travellers  so  often  delight  to  adorn 
themselves,  even  when  worn,  as  it  should  be,  with  the  linen  cap  or  takeea 
underneath,  affords  little  or  no  protection  to  those  unaccustomed  to  an 
Egyptian  sun :  and  it  may  be  remembered  with  advantage  that  the  wearing 
of  a  tarboosh  by  an  European  carries  with  it  rather  an  air  of  assumption,  as  it 
presupposes  him  in  the  employ  of  the  Egyptian  Government.  It  is  true  that 
it  is  worn  by  many  of  the  shopkeeping  and  lower-class  Europeans,  but  no 
respectable  European  resident  in  the  country  would  think  of  appearing  in  it 
in  public,  unless  he  were  an  employe  of  the  government  of  the  Khedive. 
Brown  leather  boots  and  shoes  will  be  found  the  most  useful  up  the  Nile. 
Ladies  would  find  Wellington  boots  of  brown  leather  a  great  convenience. 
Coloured  glass  spectacles  with  gauze  sides  afford  great  relief  to  the  eye  from 
the  glare  of  the  sun,  and  a  blue  or  green  veil  is  often  useful  for  the  game 
purpose. 

In  winter  it  is  unnecessary  to  make  any  change  in  the  mode  of  living  from 
that  usually  adopted  in  Europe ;  and  most  persons  may  eat  whatever  they 
are  accustomed  to  in  other  countries.  It  is,  however,  better  to  avoid  much 
wine  or  spirits,  as  they  tend  to  heat  the  blood,  and  cause  the  hot  weather  to  be 
more  sensibly  felt ;  and  some  will  find  that  fish  (chiefly  those  without  scales), 
eggs,  and  unboiled  milk,  do  not  always  agree  with  them.  Bathing  in  the 
Nile  is  by  no  means  prejudicial  in  the  morning  and  evening ;  and,  except  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  sandbanks,  there  is  no  fear  of  crocodiles.  Fruit  and 
vegetables,  when  the  former  are  not  eaten  to  excess  and  the  latter  are  properly 
cooked,  are  wholesome  and  cooling,  and  mutton  is  better  than  beef.  The  fish 
of  the  Nile  are  not  very  good ;  the  booltee  and  kisher  are  perhaps  the  best. 
Light  Bordeaux  and  Bhine  wines  are  the  most  wholesome;  beer  requires 
strong  exercise.    "  The  Nile  water,  when  well  filtered,  is  soft  and  pure,  and 


Egypt. 


f.  MEDICINES  AND  SLIGHT  AILMENTS. 


7 


may  be  safely  used.  With  some  it  may  at  first  disagree,  and  have  a  tendency 
to  induce  diarrhoea,  and  until  this  is  overcome  it  should  be  tempered  with  a 
little  good  brandy."  Care  should  be  taken  never  to  sleep  in  a  draught :  and 
invalids  should  avoid  bedrooms  on  the  ground-floor.  A  warm  great-coat  and 
rugs  will  often  be  found  needful  in  Egypt  during  the  winter,  as  the  evenings, 
especially  on  the  Nile,  are  often  very  cold. 

/.  Medicines,  and  Tkeatment  op  Slight  Ailments  incident  to 
the  Country. 

Travellers  who  intend  going  up  the  Nile  had  better  be  provided  with  a 
small  medicine  chest,  containing  *blue  pills,  calomel,  *rhubarb  pills,  *Dover's 
powder,  *Gregory's  powder,  *James's  fever  powder,  *carbolic  acid,  *laudanum, 
*sulphate  of  quinine,  diluted  sulphuric  acid,  *sweet  spirits  of  nitre,  chloro- 
dyne,  *sulphate  of  zinc,  nitrate  of  silver,  *seidlitz  powders,  cream  of  tartar, 
ipecacuanha,  essence  of  peppermint,  essence  of  ginger,  blistering  plaster, 
*sticking  plaster,  *lint,  *  arnica.  Those  marked  with  an  asterisk  are  the 
most  useful.  The  following  directions,  chiefly  from  Dr.  Patterson's  book, 
for  the  treatment  of  ailments  incident  to  the  climate,  will  be  found  of 
service.  Headache  and  biliary  disturbance  is  often  brought  on  by  exposure 
to  the  sun.  It  is  best  treated  by  a  smart  purgative,  and  by  bathing  the 
head  copiously  with  cold  water,  while  the  feet  are  kept  in  hot  water,  to 
which  a  tea-spoonful  of  common  mustard  may  be  added.  If  very  severe, 
8  or  10  leeches  should  be  applied  to  the  temples.  In  simple  diarrhoea 
take  a  blue  pill,  and  after  three  hours  5  grains  of  Dover's  powder,  which 
may  be  repeated,  if  need  be,  at  the  same  interval ;  or  a  small  table-spoonful 
of  castor-oil,  with  10  drops  of  laudanum,  or  3  grains  of  Dover's  powder. 
In  severer  cases  of  diarrhoea,  take  15  drops  of  diluted  sulphuric  acid  in  a 
small  wine-glass  of  water  every  half  hour,  till  four  doses  have  been  given ; 
and  if  then  no  effect  is  produced,  take  Dover's  powder  as  above.  For 
dysentery,  the  best  treatment  is  first  a  blue  pill,  and  after  three  hours  a  table- 
spoonful  of  the  following  mixture,  to  be  repeated  every  hour,  or  two  hours, 
according  to  the  severity  of  the  symptoms : — castor  oil,  2  table-spoonfuls ; 
whites  of  4  eggs ;  2  wine-glassfuls  of  water  to  be  added  gradually,  and  beaten 
up  with  the  above ;  a  little  powdered  gum  arabic  may  be  usefully  added  to 
this  mixture.  In  all  cases  of  diarrhoea  and  dysentery,  a  rice  diet  is  the  best  ; 
and  the  drink  should  be  rice-water,  or  toast-and-water,  or  the  whites  of  a  few 
eggs  beaten  up  with  water.  A  grain  of  quinine  a  day  is  a  very  convenient 
tonic  after  the  attack  is  over.  Ophthalmia  begins  by  a  slight  redness  and 
itching  of  the  eyelids,  and  feeling  of  grittiness  in  the  eyes,  as  though  sand 
had  got  into  them,  accompanied  after  a  time  by  a  viscid  matter  causing  the 
eyelids  to  adhere  together.  The  best  simple  remedies  are  constant  sponging 
of  the  eyes  with  tepid  water  and  milk,  or  simple  tepid  (never  cold)  water,  taking 
care  to  wipe  them  quite  dry  afterwards,  avoidance  of  light,  wearing  a  shade,  and 
dropping  between  the  eyelids  three  times  a  day  a  few  drops  of  a  wash  containing 
from  5  to  6  grains  of  sulphate  of  zinc  in  a  large  table-spoonful  of  water,  or,  still 
better,  rose-water.  A  slight  purgative  and  low  diet  is  also  necessary.  In  very 
severe  forms  of  this  complaint,  it  may  be  necessary  to  have  recourse  to  more 
severe  measures,  such  as  leeches,  and  the  use  of  a  strong  collyrium  containing 
from  5  to  8  grains  of  nitrate  of  silver  in  1  oz.  of  water,  or  rose-water.  Simply 
bathing'  the  eye  with  warm  water  will  often  remove  an  irritation  which,  if 
neglected,  might  end  in  ophthalmia.  In  all  cases  of  sickness,  one  piece  of 
advice  should  be  borne  in  mind  alike  by  the  physician  and  the  patient.  Use 
all  medicines  sparingly,  especially  the  stronger  purgatives.  "  Many  invalids 
partly  nullify  the  good  effect  of  change  of  climate,  by  continually  dosing  them- 
selves with  physic,  aud  keeping  their  organs  in  a  constant  state  of  irritation." 


8 


g.  PRESENTS.  Jl.  PASSPORT.  Z.  COINAGE.  Sect.  I. 


g.  '  Presents. 

With  regard  to  presents  in  Egypt,  it  may  be  laid  down  as  a  general  rule  that 
they  are  quite  unnecessary ;  which  was  not  the  case  in  former  times.  But  it 
will  sometimes  happen  that  the  civilities  of  a  Sheykh  Belled,  or  even  of  a  Turkish 
governor,  require  some  return;  in  which  case  some  English  gunpowder,  a 
watch,  or  a  telescope  for  the  latter,  and  a  white  shawl  and  tarboosh,  or  an 
amber  mouth-piece  for  the  former,  are,  generally  speaking,  more  than  they 
have  any  reason  to  expect.  And  although,  on  those  occasions  when  their 
politeness  arises  from  the  hope  of  reward,  they  may  be  disappointed  in  their 
expectations,  yet  they  would  only  consider  greater  presents  proofs  of  greater 
ignorance  in  the  person  who  made  them.  But  in  all  cases  the  nature  of  a 
present  must  depend  on  the  service  performed,  and  also  upon  the  rank  of  both 
parties. 

h.  Passport. 

Though  no  passport  is  really  needed  in  Egypt,  it  is  demanded  on  landing  at 
Alexandria ;  and  it  is  therefore  advisable,  in  going  to  Egypt  as  to  every 
country,  to  be  provided  with  a  Foreign-Office  passport. 

t.  Coinage. 

The  money  tables  for  Egypt,  if  put  into  the  form  used  in  school  arithmetics, 
would  be  as  follows  : — 

40  paras  make  1  piastre, 
500  piastres  make  1  purse  ; 

and  happy  would  it  be  for  the  traveller  if  all  his  money  transactions  in  the 
country  could  be  based  on  such  a  simple  formula  .  but  unfortunately  there  are 
nearly  as  many  foreign  coinages  legally  current  in'  Egypt  as  there  are  foreign 
consuls  exercising  jurisdiction,  and  the  result  in  both  cases  is  eminently  un- 
satisfactory. Before  endeavouring  to  guide  the  traveller  through  this  pecuniary 
labyrinth  by  means  of  a  table  showing  the  comparative  value  of  the  different 
coins  met  with,  it  must  be  remarked,  with  regard  to  Egyptian  money  itself,  that 
piastres  have  two  values — tariff  and  current :  the  tariff  value  is  the  standard 
one,  and  is  used  in  all  the  government  offices,  by  bankers  in  their  accounts,  and 
in  the  lists  of  fares  for  the  railways  and  telegraphs ;  the  current  value  is  con- 
tinually changing,  precisely  as  the  value  of  paper  money  fluctuates  as  compared 
with  gold,  but  with  this  difference,  that  there  is  no  paper  money  nor  anything 
else  to  represent  the  current  piastre.  All  the  petty  commerce  of  Egypt  at  the 
markets  and  in  the  bazaars  is  earned  on  in  current  piastres,  and  consequently 
whenever  the  traveller  is  told  the  price  of  anything  in  piastres,  it  is  current 
piastres  that  are  meant.  It  may  be  taken  as  a  general  rule  that  the  current 
piastre  is  half  the  value  of  the  tariff  piastre,  therefore  the  two  silver  Egyptian 
pieces  most  commonly  met  with  represent  respectively  J  a  piastre  and  1  piastre 
tariff,  or  1  piastre  and  2  piastres  current :  there  is  but  one  coin  to  represent 
the  two  values.  Those  who  wish  to  study  the  subject  of  Egyptian  exchanges, 
and  the  conversion  of  current  into  tariff  piastres,  should  purchase  the  Egyptian 
Commercial  Calculating  Tables,  published  by  Messrs.  Eobertson  &  Co.,  of 
Alexandria.  The  following  is  a  table  of  the  principal  coins  found  in  circu- 
lation in  Egypt,  with  their  approximate  value  in  Egyptian,  English,  and 
French  currency.  The  Egyptian  currency  is  given  in  current  piastres.  It 
will  be  easy  for  the  traveller  to  recollect  that,  as  a  rule,  half  the  number  of 
current  piastres  represent  the  tariff  value. 


Egypt. 


I.  COINAGE. 


9 


Name  of  coin  in 
Arabic. 

Coin. 

Egyptian 
currency. 

English 
currency. 

French 
currency. 

Pias. 

Paras. 

£.    s.  d. 

TV 

rrancs.  cents. 

Guinee    . . 

Sovereign 

195 

0 

1     0  0 

25  0 

Noos- guinee  .. 

Half-sovereign 

97 

20 

0  10  0 

12  50 

Shilling  .. 

Shilling  

9 

30 

0  10 

1  25 

Binto      . . 

Napoleon 

155 

0 

0  16  0 

20  0 

Noos-binto 

Half-napoleon 

77 

0 

0    8  0 

10  0 

Tarali  or  Eeyal 

5-franc  piece 

38 

20 

0    4  0 

5  0 

Franc 

7 

20 

0    0  10 

1  0 

Eoobee 

18 

0 

0    2  0 
at  hotels  and 
shops, 

0    1  10 

at  British 
Post  Office  and 

Telegraph. 

2  50 

except  at 
French  Post 
Office,  where 

subject  to 
same  reduc- 
tion as  at 
British . 

Noos-roobee 

Half-rupee 

9 

0  ] 

Same  difference  in  value  in 

Kebba-roobee 

Quarter-rupee 

4 

20  / 

proportion  as  rupee. 

Eouble 

30 

„  1 
0 

0    3  0 

4  0 

25-kopeck  piece 

7 

20 

0    0  10 

1  0 

"  Sebaeen  "    . . 

10-kreuzer      piece,  J 
called  a  "sebaeen"! 

1 

30 

j  Four  generally  go  to  the 
1    franc,  and  five  to  the 
;    shilling,  though  in  re- 

from  its  being  worth  [ 

j    ality  the  franc  is  worth 

70  paras. 

j    20  paras  more,  and  the 

'    shilling  one  piastre  more. 

Medjidieh 

Turkish  dollar 

36 

0 

0    4  0 

5  0 

Noos-medj  idieh 

Turkish  |-dollar 

18 

o 

0    2  0 

2  50 

Shilling  ..  .. 

Turkish  shilling    . . 

9 

0  10 

1  25 

Tarali  or  Eeyal 

Egyptian  dollar 
Egyptian  ^--dollar 

40 

I 

0    4  0 

5  0 

Noos  -  tarali  or 

20 

0 

0    2  0 

2  50 

-Keyal 

Shilling  .. 

Egyptian  shilling 

10 

0 

0  10 

2  50 

Groosh,  geersh-pl 

Egyptian  silver  pi-| 
astre   j 

2 

0 

0    0  2± 

0  25 

Egyptian  silver  J-i 
piastre        ..     ..  / 

I 

o 

0    0  1J 

Ashareen  fo'dda 

Egyptian  copper  20- 1 

0 

20 

Asharah  fudda 

para  piece   . .     . .  \ 

Do.  do.  10-para  piece 

0 

10 

Khamsah  fudda 

Do.  do.  5-para  piece 

0 

5 

There  will  now  and  then  be  found  some  other  coins  in  circulation.  The 
above  table  will  perhaps  be  of  some  assistance  to  the  traveller,  in  enabling  him 
to  form  an  approximate  estimate  of  the  value  of  the  motley  handful  of  change 
which  will  be  so  often  tendered  to  him  in  the  shops  of  Alexandria  and  Cairo. 
Both  Turkish  and  Egyptian  gold  coins  are  sometimes  met  with,  but  rarely :  the 
Turkish  sovereign  is  worth  about  18  shillings,  the  Egyptian  about  20  shillings 
and  sixpence.  There  are  also  half  sovereigns,  and  four  and  one  shilling  pieces. 
When  drawing  money  from  a  banker,  English  sovereigns,  or  napoleons,  had 
better  be  taken.  The  rate  of  exchange  will  be  calculated  in  tariff  piastres, 
which  vary  from  97  4  par  to  94  for  the  sovereign,  and  from  77  to  74|  for  the 
napoleon.  Alike  on  letters  of  credit  and  on  circular  notes  the  bankers,  by 
means  of  the  exchange  and  their  commission,  will  often  manage  to  charge  from 
Is  to  2  per  cent.,  though  1  at  the  utmost  is  all  that  should,  unless  the  exchange 

b  3 


10 


h.  WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES. 


Sect.  I. 


is  very  low,  be  demanded.  The  traveller  should  certainly  resist  the  charge  of 
2  per  cent.,  and  if  it  is  persisted  in,  go  to  some  other  banker.  It  makes  very 
little,  or  indeed  no  difference,  whether  sovereigns  or  napoleons  are  taken.  For 
all  practical  purposes  the  sovereign  may  be  reckoned  at  25  francs  (rather  less 
than  its  value),  and  the  napoleon  16  shillings  (rather  more  than  its  value). 
English  people  will  probably  prefer  the  sovereign,  and  their  contract  with  the 
dragoman  will  usually  be  made  out  in  that  coin.  In  the  European  shops  at 
Alexandria  and  Cairo  the  prices  will  be  named  according  to  the  nationality  of 
the  shopkeeper ;  and  in  the  native  shops  to  which  travellers  usually  resort  the 
price  is  asked  nearly  always  in  sovereigns  (Arabice,  guinee),  napoleons  (Arabic^, 
binto),  shillings  (same  word),  or  francs  (same  word).  The  hotel  bills  will  be 
made  out  either  in  English  or  French  money.  Before  starting  up  the  Nile,  the 
traveller  should  provide  himself  with  some  small  change  for  purchases,  &c. 
This  should  be  taken  in  Turkish  dollars,  1  and  2  piastre  silver  pieces,  and  5, 
10,  and  20  para  copper  pieces.  The  bankers  will  procure  this  change  for  him, 
or  he  can  get  it  for  himself  at  a  money-changer's.  Donkey-boys  and  others 
will  often  be  found  anxious  to  exchange  10  and  8  rupees  for  a  sovereign  and 
a  napoleon  respectively.  Of  course  if  the  traveller  only  uses  his  rupees  where 
they  pass  current  for  2  shillings  each,  this  involves  no  loss  to  him  ;  but  if  he 
presents  them  where  they  are  only  reckoned  at  Is.  10d.,  or  at  their  value  in 
piastres,  he  will  realise  that  he  has  lost  about  eighteenpence  by  the  transaction, 
since  while,  e.  g.,  the  sovereign  would  be  counted  at  195  piastres,  the  10  rupees 
would  only  represent  180. 


Jc.  "Weights  and  Measukes. 

8   Mitkal  make  1  Okeea  (wokeea)  or  Arab  oz. 

12    Okeea  —  1  Rotl  or  pound  (about  1  lb.  2  oz.  8  dwt.  Troy). 

2f  Kotl     —  1  Oka  or  Wukka. 

100  to  110  Kotl  1  Kantar  (about  98f  avoirdupois). 

108    Rotl      —  1  Kantar  for  coffee. 

102    Rotl      —  1  Kantar  for  pepper,  &c. 

120    Rotl       —  1  Kantar  for  cotton. 

150   Rotl       —  1  Kantar  for  gums,  &c. 


For  Gold,  Gums,  &c. 


make 


4    Kunik  (Grains) 
64    Grains  or  16  Keerat  — 

14  Derhm,  or  24  Keerat  — 


12  Derhm 


12 
150 


Okeea 
Rotl 


1  Keerat  (Carat)  or  Kharoobeh. 
1  Derhm  (47|  to  49  grains  English). 
1  Mitkal  (from  about  1   drachm  to  72  grs. 
English). 

/  1  Oke'ea  or  oz.  (from  571 I  to  576  grs.  Eng- 
~\  lish). 

—  1  Rotl  or  pound. 

—  1  Kantar. 


Measures  of  Length. 

Fitr,  or  span  with  forefinger  and  thumb. 

Slribr,  longest  span  with  little  finger  and  thumb. 

Kubdeh,  human  fist,  with  the  thumb  erect. 

1  Drah  beledee,  or  cubit,  equal  to  22  to  22§  inches  English. 

1  Drah  Stambdolee  equal  to  26  to  26|  inches  English. 

1  Drab  Hindazee  (for  cloth,  &c.)  equal  to  about  25  inches  English. 

2  Bah  (braces)  equal  to  1  Kassobeh  or  11  A,  feet. 


Egypt.         I.  population,  &c. — m.  reigning  family. 


11 


Land  Measures. 
22  (formerly  24)  Kharo'obeh  or  Kubdeh  make 


13|  Kassobeh  or  rods 

24   Keerat,  or  333  Kassobeh 


In  Lower  Egypt. 
9  Kuddab  make  1  Melweh. 
4  Kuddab   —    1  Koob. 
2  Koob        —    1  Kayleb. 
4  Eoob        —    1  Wavbeb. 
24  Koob        —    1  Ardeb. 


1  Kassobeb,  equal  to 
from  11  ft.  4^  in. 
to  11  ft.  11  in. 
(  Englisb. 

—  1  Keerat. 

—  1  Feddan  or  acre. 

Corn  Measure. 

In  Upper  Egypt 
4  Roftow  make  1  Mid. 

3  Koob  —    1  Mid. 

!1  Ardeb,  or 
nearly  5  Eng. 
bushels. 


8  Mid  or 
6  Waybeh 


I.  Population. — Revenue. 

The  total  population  of  the  countries  under  Egyptian  rule  may  be  estimated 
at  about  7,000,000,  of  whom  about  5,000,000  belong  to  Egypt  proper.  These 
5,000,000  may  be  thus  divided  :— 

Fellaheen  Arabs         ..    4,000,000    Turks    ..       ..       ..        ..  30,000 

Copts   500,000    Europeans    85,000 

Bedaween  Arabs         ..      300,000    Armenians,  Jews,  Levantines,  &c.  85,000 

According  to  the  Budget  presented  to  the  Assembly  of  Delegates  in  July, 
1871,  for  the  Coptic  year  1588  (Sept.  11,  1871,  to  Sept.  10,  1872),  the  amount 
of  the  Public  Revenue  for  that  year  is  reckoned  at  7,694,166?.,  of  which 
4,639,658?.  is  derived  from  the  land-tax.  The  expenses  for  the  same  period 
are  calculated  at  6,638,462?.,  the  two  largest  items  being  675,216?.  for  the 
tribute,  and  717,948?.  for  the  army. 

m.  Reigning  Family — Mode  of  G-oveenment. 

The  following  table  will  show  the  principal  male  members  of  Mohammed 
Ali's  family  down  to  the  present  time  : — 

Mohammed  Ali  Pasha. 


Ibraheem  Pasha, 
2nd  Viceroy. 


Toossoon  Pasha. 

Abbas  Pasha, 
3rd  Viceroy. 


Said  Pasha, 
4th  Viceroy. 

Toossoon  Pasha. 


Haleem  Pasha. 


Achmet  Pasha 
(dead). 


Ismail  Pasha, 
present  Khedive. 


Mustapha  Pasha. 


Ibraheem  Achmet 
Pasha.  Bey. 


Mohammed   Hussein   Hassan   Ibraheem  Osmau 
Towfik  Pasha.  Pasha.     Pasha.      Pasha,  Bey. 

and  others. 

The  succession  formerly  went  to  the  oldest  member  of  the  family,  but  in 
1866  this  custom  was  abolished,  and  the  succession  is  now  hereditary  in  a 
direct  line  from  father  to  son. 

Mohammed  Ali,  the  founder  of  the  present  dynasty,  was  born  at  Cavala  in 
Roumelia,  in  1768.  In  1806  he  was  made  Viceroy  of  Egypt  by  the  Porte.  In 
184S  he  was  attacked  with  a  mental  ailment,  and  died  in  1849.  Besides  the 
sons  mentioned  in  the  above  table,  he  had  several  other  children,  of  whom 


12 


ft.  CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE. 


Sect.  I. 


the  best  known  are  Ismail  Pasha,  burnt  alive  during  an  expedition  to  Sennaar, 
and  Nuzleh  Hanem,  married  to  Mohammed  Bey  Defterdar. 

Ibraheem  Pasha,  Mohammed  Ali's  eldest  son  by  adoption,  was  born  in 
1789,  and  succeeded  Ids  father  in  the  viceroyalty  in  1848,  when  the  latter 
became  incapable  of  governing,  but  died  four  months  after  his  accession.  He 
was  succeeded  by  his  nephew  Abbas  Pasha,  who  reigned  till  1854.  The  throne 
then  devolved  on  Abbas  Pasha's  uncle,  Said  Pasha,  the  4th  son  of  Mahommed 
Ali,  born  in  1822.  To  him  succeeded,  in  1863,  his  nephew,  the  present 
sovereign,  Ismail  Pasha,  2nd  son  of  Ibraheem  Pasha,  born  in  1830.  The 
eldest  son,  Achmet  Pasha,  was  drowned  in  the  Nile  in  1856.  According  to 
the  old  system  of  succession  the  next  heir  would  be  Mustapha  Pasha,  the  3rd 
son,  but  in  accordance  with  the  new  law,  Ismail  Pasha's  eldest  son,  Moham- 
med. Towfik  Pasha  is  to  succeed  him.  In  1868  the  title  of  Viceroy  was  ex- 
changed for  the  higher  one  of  Khidewi,  commonly  called  Khedive — a  Persian 
title,  of  which  it  is  difficult  to  determine  the  exact  signification  and  value. 
The  Khedive  is  always  addressed  as  "  His  Highness." 

Although  nominaily  owing  allegiance  to  the  Sultan  as  his  suzerain,  the 
Khedive  is  in  many  respects  practically  independent.  The  payment  of  a  con- 
tinually increasing  tribute,  now  amounting  to  more  than  half  a  million,  has 
enabled  him  to  purchase  a  release  from  many  of  the  restrictions  under  which 
he  laboured.  The  army,  which  is  limited  to  15,000  men,  amounts  in  reality, 
owing  to  the  adoption  of  the  short-service  system,  to  4  or  5  times  that 
number.  The  revenues  are  entirely  at  the  disposal  of  the  Khedive ;  and  he 
can  now  levy  taxes  and  contract  loans  without  the  authorisation  of  the  Porte. 
The  Khedive  is  assisted  in  the  government  by  ministers  appointed  by  himself, 
and  removable  at  will.  The  most  important  posts  are  those  of  the  Ministers 
of  the  Interior,  Foreign  Affairs,  and  Finance.  There  is  an  Assembly  of 
Delegates,  which  meets  every  summer  at  Cairo  to  discuss  matters  in  connection 
with  the  internal  administration  of  the  various  towns  and  provinces. 

n.  Chronological  Table  op  Egyptian  Dynasties  and  Kings. 

Any  chronological  table  of  the  Kings  of  Egypt  must  necessarily  be  given  with 
great  reserve.  There  can  be  no  certainty  before  the  reign  of»Psammetichus  I., 
665  B.C.  The  enormous  number  of  years  required  by  the  only  ancient  authority 
extant,  the  lists  of  Manetho,  has  caused  many  authors  to  consider  some  of  the 
dynasties  given  by  him  as  not  successive  but  contemporaneous.  Eecent  dis- 
coveries, however,  seem  to  show  that  the  dynasties  he  gives  a  list  of  did  succeed 
one  another,  though  it  is  possible  there  may  have  been  others  reigning  at  the 
same  time  in  different  parts  of  Egypt,  which  are  considered  by  him  a3  illegiti- 
mate, and  therefore  left  unnoticed.  This  does  not,  however,  throw  much  light 
on  the  chronological  question,  and  some  who  agree  in  considering  Manetho's 
dynasties  as,  with  one  or  two  exceptions,  successive,  recoil  from  accepting  the 
enormous  total  to  which  the  addition  of  the  duration  assigned  by  him  to  each 
dynasty  amounts. 

The  following  Table  may  help  the  traveller  in  Egypt  to  form  some  idea  of 
the  dynasties  and  their  dates  according  to  the  different  methods.  The  1st 
column  shows  the  date  of  each  dynasty,  according  to  the  system  of  those  who 
support  the  idea  of  many  of  Manetho's  dynasties  being  contemporaneous  :  the 
2nd  gives  the  number  of  the  dynasty,  and  the  3rd  its  name :  the  4th  the  most 
noted  kings  of  that  dynasty  :  the  5th  and  6th  show  the  date,  according  to  those 
who  think  that  Manetho's  dynasties  are,  as  a  rule,  successive,  but  differ  as  to  the 
duration  to  be  allotted  to  each— the  5th  being  the  date  according  to  Bunsen's 
method,  who  assigns  the  least  number  of  years,  and  the  6th,  the  date  according 
to  M.  Mariette,  who  hesitatingly  accepts  Manetho's  own  figures:  the  7th  con- 
tains a  short  notice  of  any  remarkable  events.  All  authorities  agree  in  con- 
sidering the  dynasties  subsequent  to  the  XVIIth  as  successive ;  and  after  the 
XXIst  dynasty  the  differences  in  the  dates  are  inappreciable. 


Egypt. 


71.  CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE 


13 


Events,  &c. 

The  first  known  Egyptian   king  and 
founder  of  Memphis. 

Great  Pyramid  of  Geezeh  built. 
Second      do.  do. 
Third        do.  do. 

Tomb  of  Tih  at  Sakkarah. 

• 

Date  according  to  suc- 
cessive method. 

Mariette. 

B.C. 

5004 
4751 
4449 
4235 

3951 
3703 
3500 

3358 
3249 
3064 

Bunsen.  | 

B.C. 

3623 

3433 
3209 

3054 
2947 
2925 

2925 

Most  noted  Kings. 

Menes. 

Shoofoo  (Cheops). 

Shafra  (Chephren). 

Menkeoora  (Myce- 
rinus). 

Pepi  (Apappus). 

Name  of  Dynasty. 

Thinite  (Abydus). 
do. 
Memphite. 
do. 

Elephantine. 
Memphite. 
do. 
do. 

Heracleopolite 
(Ahnasieh). 
do. 

Theban. 

No. 
of 

Dynasty. 

M  ti  s  e         >  p  g  g  y  m  a 

Date 
according 
to  Poole, 
Wilkinson, 
and  others. 

B.C. 

2700 
2450 
2650 

2450 

2450 

2200 

1800? 

1800? 

2200 

1800 

2200 

14 


W.  CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE. 


Sect.  I. 


Events,  &c. 

Flourishing  period  of  Egyptian  history. 
Date  of  the  Obelisk  of  Heliopolis,  Tombs  of 
Beni  Hassan,  the  Labyrinth,  Lake  Moeris,  &c. 

Abraham  visits  Egypt  somewhere  between 
2900  and  2000  B.C. 

Joseph  in  Egypt  somewhere  between  2800 
and  1800  B.C. 

Conquers  and  expels  Hyksos,  and  founds 
a  powerful  dynasty. 

Egyptian  dominions  greatly  extended. 
Sister  of  Thothmes  II.  and  III. 

cesslve  method. 

Mariette. 

B.C. 

3064 

2851 
2398 
2214 

1703 

Bunsen. 

B.C. 

2781 
2634 

2547 
2287 
1776 
1625 

•  • 

Most  noted  Kings. 

Osirtasen  I. 
Osirtasen  III. 
Amenemha  III. 

Amosis. 
Amunoph  I. 

Thothmes  I. 

Thothmes  II. 

Amunnoohet  or 
Hatasoo. 

Name  of  Dynasty. 

Theban. 

do. 

Xoite. 

Hyksos  or  Shep- 
herds, 
do. 

do. 

Theban. 
The  period  of 
200  to  250  years 
during  which  this 
dynasty  ruled 
Egypt,  was  one  of 
the  most  glorious 
and  most  brilliant 
in  Egyptian  his- 
tory.   The  power 
and  magnificence 
of  its  kings  is  at- 
tested by  the  nu- 

No. 
of 

Dynasty. 

XII. 

XIII. 
XIV. 
XV. 
XVI. 
XVII. 
XVIII. 

Date 
according 
to  Poole, 
Wilkinson, 
and  others. 

B.C. 

2080 

1900? 

2080 

2080 

2080 

2080 

1520 

Egypt. 


n.  CHEONOLOGICAL  TABLE. 


15 


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W.  CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE. 


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Egypt. 


71.  CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE. 


17 


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18 


71.  CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE. 


Sect.  I. 


Events. 


122    Visit  of  Adrian  to  Egypt ;  and  again  a.d.  130. 
297    Taking  of  Alexandria  by  Diocletian. 

325     Council  of  Nicaea  in  reign  of  Constantine.    Athanasius  and  Arius. 
379     Edict  of  Theodosius.    Destruction  of  the  Temple  of  Sarapis. 
622    Conquest  of  Egypt  by  Amer  (miscalled  Amrou).     (See  Table  of 
Caliphs.) 

1517     Conquest  of  Egypt  by  the  Turks  under  Sultan  Selim. 
1763    Rebellion  of  Ali  Bey. 

1798    Invasion  of  Egypt  by  the  French.    Discovery  of  Rosetta  Stone. 

1801     Expelled  by  the  English. 

1806    Mohammed  Ali  made  Pasha  of  Egypt. 

1818     Mohammed  Ali  imbecile ;  succeeded  by  his  son,  Ibraheem  Pasha, 

who  died  after  2  months'  reign.    Accession  of  Abbas  Pacha. 
1849    Mohammed  Ali  died ;  August  2nd. 
1854     Death  of  Abbas  Pasha.    Accession  of  Said  Pacha. 
1859  1  Commencement  of  Suez  Canal. 
1863  ,  Death  of  Said  Pacha.    Accession  of  Ismail  Pacha. 

1868  J  Receives  the  title  of  Khidewi,  or  Khedive. 

1869  ;  Opening  of  Suez  Canal,  Nov.  19th. 


24 


n.  LIST  OF  KINGS. 


Sect.  I. 


Egypt 


0.  THE  CALIPHS  AND  SULTANS. 


27 


o. — List  of  the  Caliphs  and  Scltans  of  Egypt. 


The  frequent  mention  of  these  Kings,  particularly  in  describing  the  monu- 
ments of  Cairo,  and  the  necessity  of  knowing  at  least  when  they  reigned, 
may  give  value  to  this  Chronological  Table. 


Ommiades,  or 
Ammawe'Sh. 

Events  during  their  Reign. 

Began  to 
reign. 

A.D. 

Aboo  Bukr,  or  Aboo 

Invasion  of  Syria  commenced. 

632 

Bekr  (e'  Sadeek). 

Omar  (ebn  el  Knut- 

Conquest  of  Persia,  Syria,  and  b.gypt. 

634 

tab,  or  Khattab). 

A'mer,  or  Amr  (ebn  el  As)  enters  Egypt 
in  June,  638. 

Othman. 

Conquest  of  Africa  begun. 

644 

A'li  (or  Alee),  and 

Ali  in  Arabia  reigns  till  661  ;   and  El 

656 

Moawieh  I. 

Hassan,    his    son,    nominally  succeeds 
him,  and  having  reigned  six  months 
abdicated,  a.d.  661.    Death  of  Hassan, 
670.    Moawieh  in  Egypt  and  Syria. 

House  of  Ammaveeh  (Ommiades) , 

Moawieh  I. 

Alone.     Fruitless   attack   on  Constanti- 
nople by  the  Saracens, 

661 

Tezeed  I. 

His  son.    Hossayn  killed  at  Kerbela. 

680 

Jloawien  11. 

His  son. 

[Abdallah,  son  of  Zobayr,  reigned  nine 
years  in  the  Hegaz  (Arabia),  from  64 

684 

to  73  a.h.,  or  684  to  693  a.d.*] 

Merawan  T. 

684 

Abd  el  Melek. 

His  son.    Conquest  of  Africa  completed. 
Abd  el  Azdez,  his  brother,  made  a  kilo- 
meter at  Helwan.     In    76    a.h.  first 
Arab  coinage.     The  oldest  coin  found 
is  of  79  a.h.  (699  .a.d.)  ;  it  is  a  silver 
Der'hem.    The  oldest  gold  deendrs  are 
of  the  years  91  and  92  a.h. 

684 

El  Weleed  L 

His  son.    Conquest  of  Spain,  710.  First 
invasion  of  India  by  the  Moslems. 

705 

Soolayman. 

His  brother.    Second  failure  before  Con- 

714 

stantinople.    Was  the  first  who  founded 
a  Kilometer  at  the  Isle  of  Roda. 

Omar  IT. 

Son  of  Abd  el  Azeez. 

717 

Yezeed  IT. 

Son  of  Abd  el  Me'lek. 

750 

Hesham. 

His  brother.   Defeat  of  Abd  e'  Rahman  in 
France,  by  Charles  Martel,  732. 

<  24 

El  Weleed  II. 

Son  of  Zeze'ed. 

743 

Yezeed  III. 

His  son. 

744 

Ibrahim. 

His  brother. 

744 

Merawan  II. 

Grandson  of  Merawan  I.,  killed  at  Aboose'er, 

744 

a  town   belonging   to  the  Fyodm  in 

to 

Egypt. 

749 

*  The  Hegira,  or  Moslem  era,  begins  622  a.d.,  dating  from  the  "flight"  of  the  prophet  from 
Mecca.  To  reduce  any  year  of  the  Hegira  to  our  own,  we  have  only  to  add  622  to  the  given 
year,  and  deduct  3  for  every  hundred,  or  1  for  every  33;  e.g.  1233  +  622=1855  ;  then  for  the  12u0 
deduct  36,  and  1  for  the  33=37,  leaves  1818  a.d. 

C2 


28 


0.  ABBASIDES.  TOOLOOXIDES,  AGLEBITES.  Sect.  I. 


o 

5  bp 
bf.'S 

A.X). 

755 

800 
to 
811 

oan), 
nded 

and 
but 

Contemporary  Dynasties, 

Established  the  Ommiade  dy- 
nasty at  Cordova  in  Spain  ;  an 
example  followed  by  the  House 
of  Ali,  the  Edrissites  of  Mau- 
ritania, and  the  Aglebites  and 
Fatemites  of  Eastern  Africa. 

A'jlehite  Dynasty  in  Afrioa, 

Governor  of  Africa.   1  hrows  otr 
his  allegianoe  to  the  Caliphs. 
Regular  troops  first  introduced 
by  him. 

ill  the  year  a.d.  900.    I£ayrawan  (Cair 
f  Tunis,  was  their  capital.    It  was  fou 

by  the  Fowiitem  or  Fatemite  Dynasty. 

brahim  el  Agl»'b,  Ahmed  ebn  o'  Tooloon, 
".son,"  should  properly  be  written  ben ; 
i  Egypt)  ebn  is  used. 

Abd  e'  Rahman. 

Aglebeeh,  or 

Ibrahim  ebn*  (or 
ben)    el  A'gleb 
(or  Akleb). 

This  Dynasty  rules  1 
70  miles  south  c 
a.d.  670. 

This  is  followed  in  910 

*  In  these  names,  I 
others,  the  word  ebn, 
in  speaking  (at  least  ii 

Began  to 
reign.  . 

A.D. 

749 
754 

775 

785 
786 

809 
813 

842? 

5 

tv 
o 

■■§  s 

|.S 
*1 

£<; 

o 

His  brother.  Bagdad  is  founded 
by  Munsoor,  and  becomes  the 
seat  of  empire.  Under  these 
Caliphs,  astronomy  and  other 
sciences  were  particularly  en- 
curaged. 

His  son. 

His  son. 

His  son.  The  hero  of  Arabian 
tales,  the  "ally"  of  Charle- 
magne, and  the  dread  of  the 
Romans.  The  Edrissites  found 
the  kingdom  of  Faz  (Fez). 

His  son. 

Son  of  Haro(5n.    A  great  en- 
courager  of  arts  and  sciences, 
particularly   astronomy.  By 
his  order  Greek  authors  were 
translated  into  Arabic.  Mea- 
sures a  degree  of  the  meridian. 
His  brother.    War  with  Theo- 
philus.  Turkish  guards  taken 
into  the  service  of  the  Caliphs. 
Decline  of  the  Caliphate. 

F/  Seffah,  Aboo  1' 
Abbas,  Abdallah. 

El  Munsoor,  Aboo 
Gafer,  Abdallah. 

El  Mahdee  Mo- 
hammed. 

El  Hadee  Moosa. 

Harodne'  Rasheed, 
or  E' Rasheed  11  a- 
ro6n. 

El  Amedn  Moham- 
med. 

El  Mamodn  Abdal- 
lah. 

(Ibrahim,  son  of 
El  Mahdee,  his 
competitor  from 
817  to  818). 

El  Mautussim  bil- 
ldh,  Mohammed. 

Egypt. 


O.  ABBASIDES.  TOGLOONIDES.  AGLEBITES. 


29 


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30 


O.  ABBASIBES. — FATEMITES. 


Sect.  I. 


°  ©  IB 

"as  p) 
S3 

B  c 


bo 


O  bp 
02 


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s 

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8  H£ 


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2&  o 


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Egypt. 


O.  ABB  ASIDES.  AKHSHEEB  DYNASTY. 


31 


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32 


0.   ABBASIDES.  FOWATEM. 


Sect.  I. 


CD  I- 


<5*1 

o  ^ 

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3  ^ 


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S3  * 


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Egypt 


Oi  ABBASIDES. — FOWATEM. 


33 


Hill 

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^  £  ^  S3  o3 
P        31  in 


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34 


0.  AIOOBITE  SULTANS  OF  EGYPT. 


Sect.  I. 


s  e 


S  00 


J4.&8 

£         83  . 

rH  ^ 


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^  ~       ^<<-  «5fi  N  rtg 

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Egypt 


0.  AIOOBITE  SULTANS  OF  EGYPT. 


35 


^ 


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0        r;  = 

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2  3  ^  £  m 

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36 


0.  MEMLOOK  SULTANS. 


Sect.  I. 


&5  S 


G  to 

e3  eJ 

~  O 

O  c3 

a  0) 


O  2  O  -2  £  c8  M 

S3  e3  bfi  SsD  •  ^  ."3 

^HW.S  o  2  £ 

J?  2  »  ^  05 

o  -<->  ^  A  o 

'  'a  o  v  ^  «  c 

„  a>  >  a)  ft'd  c 


cs3  -2 


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a  2  '3 


o 


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03 


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c3  J '  «  ^)  ^ 


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70  Cj 


<!  cp 

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^  rO 

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Egypt. 


0.  MEMLOOK  SULTANS. 


37 


into 

3CUS, 

th  of 
pital 
6. 

.ere) 

Tar- 

o3  03  «  °°  <J 

a> 

>■» 

.O 

9-80  sends  an 
,  and  recovers 
3  Egypt  since  t 
ers.  Founds  t' 
^rostan  in  Cai 
n.    Takes  Ak 
the  Christian; 
other. 

igain  overrun 
1295-6. 

« -c  2  ^  »  a  ^ 

Syri 
tar 

11 

§>3 


s  ° 

e8  £ 


>■>  o3 


CO       I  FTj 

t5  w>  >L 

53W  £» 

03 


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38 


0.  MEMLOOK  SULTANS. 


Sect.  I. 


A.D. 

1309 

1310 

1341 

1341 

1342 

1342 
1345 

1345 

1348 
1351 

1354 

* 

Baharite  Memlook  Kings. 

Agriculture  and  the  arts  encou- 
raged. 

His  son. 

His  brother. 

His  brother. 

His  brother. 
His  brother. 

His  brother. 
His  brother. 

Built  the  mosk  of  Sultan  Hassan 
in  Cairo. 

El  MedefFur,  or 
el  Mozuffer, 
Rookn-e'  deen, 
Baybers,  e'  Ga- 
shenke'er,  elMun- 
sdoree. 

E'  Naser  Moham- 
med, Ebn  Ka- 
ladon  (restored 
again). 

El  Munsoor  Aboo 
Bekr. 

El    Ashraf  Ke- 
gels. 

E'  Naser  Shahab 
e'deen,  Ahmed. 

E'  Saleh  Ismdil. 

El  ^  Kamel  Sha- 
ban. 

El  MedufFer  (or 
Mezuffer)  Ha- 
gee. 

E'  Naser  Hassan. 
E'  Sdleh,  Salah— 
e'deen. 

E'  Naser  Hassan 
(restored). 

e 
< 

1302 

1341 
1341 

Abbasdeh  in  Egypt. 

His  son.  Abdicated,  and  was 
banished  to  Koos  by  Naser 
Mohammed,  who  crowned  El 
Wathek  as  the  new  caliph. 

Deposed  by  Naser  at  his  death. 

Son  of  Mostukfee. 

El  Mostukfee  bil- 
Idh  Soolayman. 

El  Wathek  billah, 
Ibrahim. 

El    Hakem  be 
Omr  Illah,  Ah- 
med. 

Egypt. 


0.  MEMLOOK  SULTANS. 


39 


a 

1361 
1363 

1377 
1381 
to  1382 

iase'eh), 
1382 

1399 

Borgeeh,  or  Circassian  Meniloolcs. 

Son  of  Hagee,  the  son  of  Ka- 
ladon. 

The  first  who  ordered  the  She- 
reefs,  or  descendants  of  the  Pro- 
phet, to  wear  green  turbans. 
In  1365  Peter   de  Lusignan, 
King  of  Cyprus,  besieges  Alex- 
andria and  fails. 

Deposed 

ik  el  Borgeeh,  e'  Gerdhseh  (or  Token 
ian  or  Borgite  Meinlooh  Kings. 

Marches  into  Syria,  and  twice 
repulses  the  Tartars  under  Tee- 
moorlang,  or  Teemdor  (Tamer- 
lane or  Timur),  in  1393-4. 

His  son. 

The  governor  of  Syria  having  re- 
belled, Furreg  marches  against 
him,  takes  him  prisoner,  and 
puts  him  to  death,  1399-1400. 

The  Tartars  again  invade  Syria  : 
Furreg  marches  against  them, 
but  is  defeated,  and  returns  to 
Egypt,  1400-1. 

He  recovers  Syria,  1405-6. 

El  Munsoor  Mo- 
hammed. 

El  Ashraf  Shaban. 
(A  great-grand- 
son of  Kaladon.) 

El  Munsoor  Ali. 
E'  Saleh  Hagee. 

Dowlet  el  Memala 
Circast 

E'  Zdher  Bcrkdok. 
E'  Ndser  Furreg. 

A.I). 

1352 

1362 

1378 
1378 

1384 
1387 

s. 

J 

1 

1 

< 

His  brother. 

His  son,  deposed  in 

Deposed  after  one  month. 

Restored,   and   deposed  again 
after  six  years. 

Restored  in  1387,  and  reigned 
till  1390. 

El  Mautuddid  bil- 
lilh,  Aboo  Bekr. 

Allah,  Moham- 
med. 

El  Mautussim  Za- 
kareeh. 

El  Motawukkel. 

El  Wdthek  billah, 
Omar. 

El  Mautussim  Za- 
kareeh. 

0.  MEMLOOK  SULTANS. 


Sect.  I. 


A.D. 

CD        CO        CN                                   rH                   <M             00  OOCOCO 
O        O  — i                        <N(N<MCq             CO-  COi^iO 

Tt<           T*<                                  r)<           ^<           T)*           T*                                                        ^  ^ 

Borgeeh,  or  Circassian  Memlooks. 

Reigns  forty-seven  days. 

The  para  was,  until  this  reign, 
of  a  drachm's  weight  of  silver, 
and  Moaiud  coined,  instead  of 
it,  the  modutdee,  now  corrupted 
into  maydee. 

Attacks  Cyprus,  and,  taking  John 
III.  prisoner,  enforces  the  regu- 
lar payment  of  tribute,  1423-4. 

et  e'  Nazereen. 

El  Munsoor  Abd 

el  Azeez. 
E'  Naser  Furreg 

(restored).* 
El  Moaiud,  Aboo 

1'  Nusr,  Shekh. 

El  Meduffer  Ah- 
med. 

E'  Zaher,  Aboo  '1 
Futteh,  Tatr. 

E'  Saleh  Moham- 
med. 

El  Ashraf,  Bursa- 
bai,  or  Borosbai. 

Abd    el  Azeez, 

Aboo  T  Mahasin, 

Yoosef. 
E'    Zaher  Gek- 

meh. 
El  Munsoor  Oth- 

man. 
El  Ashraf  Eenal. 

'  possession,  of  the  Noozli 

< 

1390 
1406 

to 
1413 

1413 
1442 
1452 

a  MS.  in  mj 

Abbaseeh  in  Egypt. 

Restored  again  and  died  in  1406. 

His  son,  deposed  by  Moaiud 
Shekh, in  1413,  and  imprisoned 
at  Alexandria  till  his  death. 

His  brother. 
His  brother. 

His  brother ;  deposed  by  El 
Ashraf  Eenal,  in  1455,  and 
exiled  to  Alexandria. 

*  According  to 

E  Motawukkel. 
El  Mostain  billah, 

Aboo  '1  Fodl,  el 

Abbas. 

El  Mautuddid  bil- 
lah aboo  '1  Fet-h, 
Daood. 

El  Mostukfee  bil- 
lah, Soolayman. 

El  Kaiem  be-omr- 
Illah,  Hamza. 

Egypt. 


0.  MEMLOOK  SULTANS. 


41 


XD  CO 


OH 

"it 

or  o 


S  c 


a  u 


h  e  ®  £ 
i  tod  o 


§ ~ *-*  ^  $ 

0  r^i  -73  a     as  is 

g  r^  §  a  c 

„  o  i3 

****** 


45  £ 


.2  .rt 

*  ?  I  M  , 

d  *>  h  s  2 

rcs  .g  o  g 


M. 


a  a  a 

XfjL 


°  '5 

5s 


M         1  S 

a>   .  »  rd  .  J  _a 
S  -3  ^  Ja  "  § 


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V  N    S  £        S  l<! 


— 1  is  ffl 

W  ^  W 


^2 

bo  o  m 
a  oxs 


S^3  ^3 

S  «  -H 


b  Oh 

1  'en 


U      SO  C 


42 


0.  MEML00K  SULTANS. 


Sect.  I. 


3   O  B 

£3  88 


u>  — 


g  ^  «  ^  « 

1  -111! 

g  »  AO 

2  vg    S  * 


»  fi       *»  ^  W 


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§  c3  0) 
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bo  w  a)  a>      a  2 


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W-JJ 

rB  " 


a  . 


«  a  u  2  «  >>d  "3 
g  «  ^  .~  ^  ^  .s      a  g 

£3  «I  -2  -g  .2  ©  w  a  ° 
^  «  <3  j»  ^  £rG^  eg 


B  o 


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2* 


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S     -.^  jy?  O  ^   0)  C  2 

E  t3  S3 

»      ^  —  g  fl  ^  ^ 

B  O  B  C  o  a 

5  eS  eg  05  B 

«8  c  K  w  O  'S 


03 


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ft-5  W  2  -43  c  W  "S 


Egypt. 


p.  POINTS  REQUIRING  EXAMINATION. 


43 


p.  Certain  Points  requiring  Examination. 

The  attention  of  those  who  are  induced  to  make  researches  might  be  usefully 
directed  to  the  following  points.  The  additions  in  italics  show  what  has  been 
done  lately  towards  their  elucidation  : — 

1.  Alexandria. — Ascertain  the  sites  of  the  buildings  of  the  old  city.  Something 

has  been  done  towards  this,  but.  the  result  has  not  been  such  as  to  lead  to  the 
hope  of  there  being  much  to  find. 

2.  Canopic  branch. — Ascertain  the  site  of  Naucratis,  Anthylla,  and  Archandra, 

and  the  course  of  the  Canopic  branch. 

3.  Sais. — Excavate,  and  make  a  plan  of  Sais :  at  least  look  for  the  temple  of 

Neith.  Excavations  have  been  made  at  Sais  by  M.  Mariette,  but  only  to 
reveal  more  completely  its  utter  state  of  ruin. 

4.  Delta. — Examine  the  sites  of  the  ruined  towns  in  the  Delta.    Look  for  their 

name  in  the  hieroglyphics,  and  for  Greek  inscriptions ;  but  particularly 
for  duplicates  of  the  Rosetta  Stone.  Look  at  Fort  Julian  below  Rosetta 
for  the  upper  part  of  that  stone.  A  trilingular  stone  is  said  to  be  at 
Menouf,  and  others  at  Tanta  and  Cairo.  Much  has  been  done,  and  much 
yet  remains  to  be  done,  in  the  Delta.  Another  trilingual  stone,  similar  to  the 
Rosetta  Stone,  has  been  found  at  San :  it  is  in  the  Museum  at  Cairo  :  the 
British  Museum  has  a  cast.  Every  attempt  has  been  made  to  discover  the 
remainder  of  the  Rosetta  Stone,  but  without  success. 

5.  Heliopolis. — Excavate  (if  possible)  the  site  of  the  temple  of  Heliopolis  ;  and 

look  for  the  tombs  of  Heliopolis.  The  only  result^of  excavations  at  Heli- 
opolis by  M.  Mariette  have  been  the  discovery  of  the  foundations  of  tlie  other 
obelisk,  and  the  finding  at  Kafr  Gamors  of  a  part  of  the  Necropolis. 

6.  Pyramids. — Look  for  the  hieroglyphic  record  mentioned  in  the  Greek  in- 

scription in  honour  of  Balbillus,  found  before  the  Sphinx.  Not  yet 
found,  and  in  all  probability  finally  lost. 

7.  Memphis.— Make  a  plan  of  Memphis.    Excavate  about  the  Colossus  for  the 

temple.  Examine  the  mounds.  Those  at  the  nitre-works  are  modern. 
The  chief  results  of  M.  Mariette' s  examination  of  the  site  of  Memphis  have 
been — the  discovery  of  the  foundations  of  the  Temple  of  Phtah ;  of  a  small 
temple  of  Rameses  II.  on  the  borders  of  the  lake  ;  and  of  the  debris  of  another 
colossus.  The  objects  yielded  by  the  mounds  will  be  found  at  the  Cairo 
Museum. 

8.  Look  for  new  names  of  Memphite  kings,  about  the  pyramids,  Sakkarah,  and 

the  site  of  Memphis.  A  list  of  kings'  names,  commonly  called  the  Tablet  of 
Sakkarah,  has  been  found  at  Sakkarah  by  M.  Mariette. 

9.  Look  for  trilingular  stones  in  the  mosks  of  Cairo.    None  have  yet  been  found, 

but  they  may  exist.  Inscriptions  of  any  kind  found  at  Cairo  should  be  care- 
fully copied. 

10.  Onice.—  Excavate  the  mounds  of  Onice,  and  look  for  the  temple  built  by 

Onias.  No  systematic  excavations  have  been  made,  but  the  removal  of  nitrous 
soil  from  the  mounds  by  the  villagers  in  1871  laid  bare  some  very  interesting 
remains.  Some  specimens  of  what  was  found  are  in  the  British  Museum. 
There  is  little  doubt  that  the  site  of  the  city  of  Onias,  called  here  Onice,  is  at 
at  the  mounds  called  Tel-el-  Yahoodeh,  near  the  modern  village  of  Shibeen-el- 
Kanater,  a  station  on  the  railway  between  Cairo  and  Zagazig,  about  20  miles 
from  the  former  place. 

11.  Ahnasieh. — Ascertain  the  hieroglyphic  name  of  Ahnasieh  (Heracleopolis). 

According  to  M.  Mariette,  the  hieroplyphic  name  is  Sooten-see-nen. 

12.  At  Dayr  Aboo  Honnes,  S.  of  Antinoe,  examine  the  Convent  in  the  village, 

which  is  said  to  be  of  early  time.    The  Convent  is  destroyed. 

13.  Metdhara. — Copy  kings'  names  at  the  tombs  of  Metdhara,  and  columns 

with  full-blown  lotus  capitals.  The  kings'  names  at  Metdhara  have  been 
copied  and  published  by  Lepsius. 


44 


p.  POINTS  REQUIRING  EXAMINATION. 


Sect.  I. 


14.  Hermopolitana  and  Thebaica  Phylace. — Look  for  tombs  in  the  neighbourhood. 

15.  Ekhnrdm. — Look  for  its  tombs.  Ascertain  the  hieroglyphio  name  of  the  goddess 

Thriphis.    Little  or  nothing  found  by  Lepsius  at  Eklimeem. 

16.  Thebes. — Copy  all  the  astronomical  ceilings  in  the  tomb  of  Memnon,  and 

other  tombs  of  the  kings ;  also  the  whole  series  of  the  sculptures  and 
hieroglyphics  of  one  entire  tomb.  Copies  have  been  made  and  published  by 
Lepsius. 

17.  Esneh. — Look  for  inner  chambers  of  the  temple  behind  the  portico.  Ex- 

amine the  old  Convent.  No  steps  could  be  taken  towards  clearing  out  the 
inner  chambers  of  the  temple  without  first  destroying  that  part  of  the  modern 
village  which  is  built  over  them.  The  convent  still  requires  examination,  and 
there  are  Coptic  inscriptions  to  be  copied. 

18.  Ascertain  what  town  stood  near  El  Kenan,  and  the  pyramid  of  Koola. 

19.  Edfoo. — Copy  the  great  hieroglyphic  inscription  of  79  columns.    Copied  and 

published. 

20.  Assoodn. — Look  for  early  Saracenic  buildings,  and  the  oldest  pointed  arches. 

21.  Oasis. — Ascertain  the  date  of  the  crude-brick  pointed  arch  given  by  Mr. 

Hoskins  at  Doosh. 

22.  Ethiopia. — Copy  the  names  and  sculptures  of  Upper  Ethiopia,  and  make 

a  list  of  Ethiopian  kings  according  to  their  succession,  and  ascertain 
their  dates. 

23.  Mount  Sinai. — Make  a  plan  of  the  temple  at  Sarabut  el  Khadem.    Made  by 

the  Ordnance  Survey. 

In  addition  to  what  may  yet  remain  to  be  done  in  any  of  the  above  points, 
the  following  subjects  may  be  mentioned  as  worthy  of  occupying  the  attention 
of  the  traveller : — 

1.  San. — Copy  all  the  fragments  of  inscriptions  on  the  numerous  blocks  of 

granite. 

2.  Lsthmus  of  Suez. — Follow  the  course  of  the  ancient  Pharaonic  canal,  and 

look  for  cuneiform  inscriptions. 

3.  Sdkkarah.  Pyramids. — Copy  the  whole  of  the  inscriptions  in  some  tomb  of 

the  Old  Empire  at  either  of  these  places :  this,  if  properly  and  com- 
pletely done,  would  be  of  great  service  to  science. 

4.  Old  Cairo. — Make  a  plan  of  the  old  Roman  fortress,  and  of  the  Coptic 

church  of  Sitt  Miriam,  known  as  El  Moallaka,  "  The  Suspended." 

5.  Asyoot. — Copy  the  great  hieroglyphic  inscription  on  the  right  of  the  entrance 

to  the  grotto  called  Stabl  Antar. 

6.  Abydos. — Try  and  re-construct  the  architectural  elements  of  the  small  brick 

pyramid  of  the  10th  and  13th  dynasties. 

7.  Copy  in  facsimile  the  Coptic  inscriptions  in  the  grottos  of  Kasr  Seyad,  on 

the  right  bank  of  the  Nile,  to  the  north  just  before  reaching  Keneh. 

8.  Thebes,    a.  Luxor. — Copy  the  poem  of  Pentaoor  on  the  base  of  the  pylon. 

b.  Medeenet  Haboo. — Copy  the  two  great  historical  inscriptions  on  the 
first  pylon  in  the  first  court  of  the  great  temple,  c.  Tombs  of  the  Kings. 
— Make  a  fac-simile  copy  in  the  two  colours,  black  and  red,  of  the 
roughly-drawn  figures  on  the  square  pillars  of  No.  17,  Belzoni's  tomb, 
d.  Earnak — Copy  the  two  lists,  containing  each  115  names  of  peoples 
vanquished  by  Thothmes  III.,  on  the  small  pylon  in  front  of  the  granite 
sanctuary. 

9.  Look  for  stelas  said  to  contain  the  names  of  the  kings  of  the  Xlth  dynasty, 

on  either  bank  of  the  river,  to  the  north  of  Gebel  Silsileh. 

10.  Copy  the  historical  inscriptions  on  the  rocks  of  the  island  of  Sehayl,  near 

Assooan. 

11.  Look  for  and  inquire  after  papyri  everywhere,  and  buy  them  at  any  price, 

but  be  careful  of  forgeries. 


Egypt 


q.  ENGLISH  AND  ARABIC  VOCABULARY. 


45 


It  should  be  added,  by  way  of  caution,  and  also  in  explanation  of  the  absence 
from  the  above  list  of  any  point  involving  excavation,  that  all  old  Egyptian 
remains  having  been  placed  by  the  Khedive  under  the  charge  of  M.  Mariette, 
no  private  individual  is  allowed  to  dig  or  excavate  anywhere  without  his  per- 
mission, and  the  exportation  of  objects  of  antiquity  from  the  country  is  strictly 
forbidden.    This  last  remark  applies  also  to  Coptic  and  Arab  antiquities. 

q.  English  and  Arabic  Vocabulary. 

In  introducing  this  imperfect  Vocabulary,  it  should  be  observed  that  it  is 
only  intended  for  a  person  travelling  in  Egypt,  to  which  the  dialect  followed 
particularly  belongs.  The  English  pronunciation,  as  much  as  possible,  has 
been  kept  in  view,  the  mode  of  spelling  being  guided  by  the  sound  of  a  word, 
rather  than  by  its  Arabic  orthography,  consequently  a  p  has  been  now  and 
then  introduced,  which  letter  does  not  exist  in  Arabic,  but  which  nevertheless 
comes  near  to  the  pronunciation  in  certain  words.  It  has  also  been  thought 
better  to  double  some  of  the  consonants,  in  order  to  point  out  more  clearly 
that  greater  stress  is  to  be  put  on  those  letters,  rather  than  follow  the 
orthography  of  the  Arabic,  where  one  only  was  used.  He,  his,  him,  at  the 
end  of  words,  should  properly  be  written  with  an  h  ;  but  it  is  here  merely 
expressed  as  pronounced,  with  oo.  For  the  verbs  the  second  singular  of  the 
imperative  has  been  preferred,  which  in  an  Arabic  vocabulary  for  general 
use  is  better  than  the  third  person  singular  of  the  perfect  tense  (though  this 
gives  the  root),  or  than  the  infinitive  (musder).  Those  in  Italics  are  either 
derived  from,  have  been  the  origin  of,  or  bear  analogy  to,  a  European  or 
other  foreign  word. 

It  may  also  be  observed,  that  there  have  sometimes  been  introduced  words 
used  only  by  the  Arabs  (of  the  desert),  and  some  of  the  common  expressions 
of  the  people,  in  order  that  these  (when  of  frequent  occurrence)  might  not  be 
unknown  to  a  traveller;  but  in  general  the  first  and  second  words  are  the 
most  used.  The  four  kinds  of  Arabic  are  the  ammee,  vulgar  or  jargon  ;  ddrig, 
common  parlance  ;  Idghaicee,  literal ;  and  ndhwee,  grammatical. 

Pronunciation. 

The  a,  as  in  father ;  ay,  as  in  may  ;  a  or  a,  very  broad,  and  frequently  nasal. 

E,  as  in  end  ;  ee,  as  in  seek  ;  eeh,  nearly  as  in  the  Italian  mie. 

Ai  and  ei,  as  in  German,  or  as  y  in  my ;  but  ai  rather  broader.  A  single  e, 
at  the  end  of  words,  as  in  Doge,  stroke,  &c. 

/,  as  in  is.  /,  as  in  English,  but  for  it  I  have  almost  always  used  g.  Indeed 
in  Lower  Egypt  the  g  (gim),  which  should  be  soft,  like  our  j,  is  made  hard,  and 
pronounced  as  if  followed  by  a  short  i,  like  the  Italian  word  Ghiaccio ;  but 
whatever  letter  it  precedes  or  follows,  it  should  properly  be  pronounced  soft. 
For  the  ghain,  however,  I  use  gh,  a  hard  guttural  sound.    Dj  as/. 

H,  as  our  h ;  and  h  with  a  dot,  a  very  hard  aspirate. 

K,  as  in  kill. 

For  the  kaf,  or  gaf,  I  have  used  1c  with  a  dot,  or  line,  below  it.  Its  sound 
is  very  nearly  that  of  a  hard  g,  almost  guttural,  and  much  harder  than  our  c, 
in  cough.  Indeed  it  is  frequently  pronounced  so  like  a  g  that  I  have  sometimes 
used  that  letter  for  it. 

Kh,  as  the  German  ch  and  Greek  %■>  Dut  mucn  more  guttural. 

0,  as  in  on,  unless  followed  by  w. 

0  as  in  go  ;  5  and  6,  rather  broader;  oo  as  in  moon ;  oic,  as  in  cow. 
R  is  always  to  be  distinctly  pronounced,  as  well  as  the  h  in  ah ;  this  h  is  fre- 
quently as  hard  as  ch  in  loch. 


46 


q.  ENGLISH  AND  ARABIC  VOCABULARY. 


Sect.  I. 


S,  and  sh,  as  in  English  ;  but  s,  a  hard  and  rather  guttural  sound. 

T,  as  in  English  ;  and  with  a  dot,  t,  very  hard,  almost  as  if  preceded  by  u. 
Dth  is  like  our  th  in  that. 

Z7,  as  in  bud:  qu,  as  in  English,  when  followed  by  another  vowel:  as  quiyis,  or 
quetis,  "pretty." 

Z,  as  in  yes  at  the  commencement,  and  as  in  my  in  the  middle  of  syllables. 
Before  words  beginning  with  t,  th,  g,  d,  dth,  r,  z,  s,  sh,  and  n,  the  /  of  the 
article  el  is  ellipsed,  and  the  e  alone  pronounced  ;  thus  el  shemdl  reads  e'  shemdl, 
the  left,  or  with  the  consonant  doubled,  esh-shemdl ;  e'  ras,  or  er-rds,  the  head. 
The  doubled  consonant,  indeed,  is  nearer  the  pronunciation. 

Words  within  a  parenthesis  are  either  uncommonly  used,  as  hhobs,  hisra,  for 
"  bread,"  or  are  intended,  when  similar  to  the  one  before,  to  show  the  pronun- 
ciation, as  makasheh  (magasheh),  a  "  broom  ;  "  though  the  two  words  are  often 
only  separated  by  or,  and  a  comma.    Some  give  another  meaning. 

I  ought  to  observe  that  the  difference  of  letters,  as  the  two  h's,  fs,  and  others, 
is  not  always  marked,  but  those  only  which  I  have  thought  of  most  importance, 
and  in  some  words  only  here  and  there,  to  show  their  orthography. 


ENGLISH  AND  ARABIC  VOCABULARY. 


Able 

About 
Above 
Absurdity 
Abundance 
Abuse,  v. 
Abuse,  s. 


kader. 

howalayn. 

fok,  or  foke. 

mus'khera. 

zeeadeh. 

ish'tem. 

sheteemeh. 


Abusive   lan-  id. 
guage 

By  accident ;  see  ghusbinanee  (i 


By  force 
Accounts,  or 

reckoning 
Add  up 
Adore 

Advantage,  pro 

fit 
Afraid 
I  am  afraid 
After 

Afterwards 

Again 

Age 

His  age 

Agent 

Long  ago 

Agree,  v. 

A  pledge,  earnest,arboo 
in  an  agree- 
ment 

"We  agreed  to 
gether 

Air 

Alabaster 
Alive 


spite  of  myself), 
hesab. 

eg'ma. 
abed. 

fyda,  or  fdideh, 

nef'fa. 
kheif  (khyf). 
ana  kheif,  a-khaf. 
bad. 

ba'den,  bad-zalik. 
kummum,  kummum 
om'r.      [noba,  tanee. 
om'roo. 
wekeel. 
zemdn. 
ittef'fuk. 


tteffuk'na  weeabad. 


how'a,  or  how'eh. 
mar-mor,  boorfee'r. 
hei,  saheh  (awake). 


All,  collectively 
All 

All  together 

At  all 
Allow,  v. 
Almond 
Aloe 

Alphabet 
Also 

Alter,  v. 

Altitude 

Alum 

Always 

Amber 

America 


Amuse,  v. 
Anchor 
Ancient 
The  ancients 
And 

Et  caetera 

Angel 

Anger 

To  be  angry 

Angle 
Animal 
Ankle 
Annoy,  v. 


gimleh,  gemmeean. 
kool,  koolloo,  pi. 

kool-loohom. 
koolloo  weeabad, 

kolloohom  sow'a. 
wasel. 
khal'lee. 
loz,  or  loze. 
subbara. 
ab'ged. 

la'kher,  gazalik, 

aidun. 
gheier. 
ertifali. 
sheb. 

de'iman,  or  dyman. 
kahraman. 

Yenlcee  dodneea  (Turk- 
ish, i.  e.  the  New 
World). 

itwun'nes. 

mur'seh,  helb. 

kadeem,  anteeka. 

e'  nas  el  kadeem. 

oo. 

oo  ghayr  zalika. 
maldk,  pi.  maleiikeh. 
kahr,  ghudb,  zemk, 

homk. 
ez'muk,  ugh'dub, 

inham'mek. 
zow'yeh. 
hywiin. 
kholkhaL 
iz'al. 


Egypt 


q.  ENGLISH  AND  ARABIC  VOCABULARY. 


47 


Annoyed 
Another 

Answer 
Answer,  v. 
You  are  answer- 
able for 
Ant 

Antimony 


Ape 

Apostle 
Apparel 

It  appears 

Appetite 

Apple 

Love  apple  (to- 
mato) 

Custard,  apple 

Apricot  (fresh 
or  dry) 

 dried  sheet 

of, 

Arabic 

In  Arabic 

Arab  (i.  e.  of  the 
desert) 

Arch,  bridge 

Architect 

The  ark  of  Noah 

Arm  (of  man) 
Arms  (weapons) 
Arrange,  v. 
Arrangement 
Art,  skill 
Artichoke 
As 

Be,  or  I  am, 

ashamed. 
Ashes 
Ass 
Ask,  v. 
Ask  for,  v. 
Assist,  v. 
At 

Avaricious 
Awake,  v.  a. 

 ,  v.  n. 

Awl 


zalan. 

wahed  tanee,  wahed 

ghayroo. 
gowab  (jowab). 
rood,  or  roodd. 
elzemak. 

nem'el,  or  neml. 
kohl  (for  the  eyes ) 

Ezek.    xxiii.    40 ; 

2  Kings,  ix.  30. 
kird,     pi.  kordod 

(gordod). 
rossool. 

lips   (libs),  hedodm, 

how^ig. 
bain,  or  byin. 
nefs. 
teffah. 

bedingan-kdta. 

kish'teh. 
mishmish. 

kumredeen  (kumr- 

eddeen). 
A'rabee. 
bil  A'rabee. 
Beddowee,  pi.  Arab  * 

(Shekh  -  el  -  Arab, 

an  Arab  chief), 
kantara. 
mehendez. 
sefeenet  saydna 

Nodeh. 
drah. 

sillah,  soollah. 

sullah,  sul-lah. 

tusle'eh. 

sun'na. 

khar-shdof. 

zay. 

astayhee,  akhtishee. 

roomad. 

homar. 

essal,  saal. 

etloob. 

sad,  saad. 

fee,  and. 

tumma'. 

saheh. 

as'her. 

mukh'ruz. 


Awning  (of  a  esh'eh,  tenda  (Hal.). 

boat,  &c.) 

Axe,  or  hatchet  bal'ta. 

Pickaxe  fas,  tooree  (Coptic). 


Back 

Back  stream, 

eddy 
Bad  (see  Good) 

A  bag 

Bald 

Ball 

Balsam 

Banana 

Bank  of  a  river 

Barber 

Bark,  v. 

Bark,  s. 

Barley 

Barrel 

Basket 

  (of  palm 

sticks) 

"Wicker  

Basin 
Bat  (bird) 
Bath 
Bathe,  v. 
Battle 
Bead 

Beads,  string  of, 
carried  by  the 
Moslems 

Beans 

Bear,  support,  v. 

Bear,  put  up 

with,  v. 
The  bearer 
The  bearer  of 

this  letter 
A  bear 
Beard 
His  beard 
Beat,  v. 
A  beating 
Beau,  dandy 
Beauty 
Beautiful 
Because 
Become 
Bed 

Bedstead 


dahr,  kuffa'. 
shaymeh,  sheemeh. 

raMee,  wahesh, 

moosh-  ty'eb. 
kees,  or  keese. 
ak'ra. 
ko'ra. 
belisdn. 
moz  (moze). 
gerf,  shut, 
mezayin,  mezayn. 
habhab. 
kishr  (gishr). 
shayeer. 
burmeel. 
muk'taf,  kdffah. 
kafFass. 

me-shenneh. 
tusht,  or  tisht. 
watwat,  pi.  wataweet 
ham  mam. 
istahamma. 
harb,  shemmata. 
kharras,  hab 
sib'ha. 


fool. 

is'ned ;   (raise)  er'fa 

(see  Carry), 
istah'mel. 

rafa. 

rd,fa  haza  e'gowab. 

dib'-h. 
dagn,  dakn. 
dakneo. 
id'rob  (drub). 
derb,  hal'ka,  kut'leh. 
shellebee,  fun'garee. 
queiasa,  koueiasa. 
quei-is,  quiyis. 
seb'bub,  beseb'bub. 
ib'ka  (ib'ga). 
fersh,  fursh. 


*  Beddowee  and  Arab  have  the  same  meaning ;  one  is  generally  singular,  the  other  plural : 
thus,  "  that  is  an  Arab,"  "  da  Beddowee ;  "  those  are  Arabs,"  '■  d61  Arab." 


48 


q.  ENGLISH  AND  ARABIC  VOCABULARY. 


Sect.  I. 


Bee 

Hive-bee 
Beef 

Beetle 

Before  (time) 
Before  (place) 
Beg,  v.. 
Beggar 

The  beginning 

Behind 

Believe,  v. 

I  do  not  believe 

Bell 
Belly 

This  belongs  to 
me 

Below  (see 
Under)  . 
A  bench 
Bend,  v. 
Bent  (crooked) 
Berry 
Besides 

 ,  except 

The  best 
Better 

You  had  better 

do  so 
A  bet 
Betray,  v. 
Between 
Beyond 

Bible 
Big 

Bill,  account 
Bird,  small 

 ,  large 

Bit,  piece 

 of  a  horse 

Bite,  v. 

Bitter 

Black 


Blade 
Blanket 
Blind 
Blood 
Blow,  v. 
A  blow 


daboor  (dabboor). 

nahl,  nah-1. 

lahm  bukkar,  lahm 

khishn.  [fus. 
goran,  or  joran,  khon- 
kub'lee. 
kod-dam. 
ish'-hat. 
shahat. 

el  owel,  el  as'sel,  assl, 

el  ebtidah. 
warra,  min  kuffah. 
sed'dek. 

ana  ma  aseddek'shee 
or  lem  aseddek. 

gilgil,  nakoos. 

batn,  or  botn. 

deh  betaee,  /.  dee  be- 
tatee  (betahtee  is 
used,  hit  is  vulgar}. 

tah-t. 

mus'taba. 
et'nee,  inten'nee. 
metnee  (maoog). 
hab. 

ghayr,  khelaf. 
ilia,  il\ 
el  ah'san. 
ah'san,  a-khayr. 
ah'san  tamel  keddee. 

rah  an  eh. 

khoon. 

bayn. 

bad,  warra  {i.e.  be- 
hind), 
towrat. 
kebeer. 
hesab. 
asfoor. 
tayr. 
het'teh. 
legam. 
odd,  or  add. 
morr. 

as'wed,  /.  soda  or 
so'deh ;  az'rek 
(blue,  or  jet  black). 

siilah. 

heram,  buttaneeh. 
amian  (see  Eye), 
dum. 

um'fookh. 

derb;  on  the  face, 
buff  (English,  cuff). 


Blue  (see  Co- 
lours) 
Light  blue 

Sky-blue 
Blunt 

A  wild  boar 
A  board 
Boat 

Boat,  ship 
Boatman 

Body 
Boil,  v. 

Boiled  (water) 

 (meat) 

Bone 
Book 
Boot 
Border 

 of  cloth, 

selvage 
Born 

Borne,  raised 

Borrow 

Both 


Bottle 

 ,  square 

 ,  earthen, 

for  water 
Bottom,   of  a 

box,  &c. 
Bow 

Bow  and  arrows 

Bowl 

Box 

Small  box 


Boy 

Brain 

Brandy 

Brass 

Brave 
Bread 

Roll  of  bread 
Breadth 
 ,  extent 


az'rek,  koh'lee. 

genzaree,  scander- 

anee. 
semmawee. 
bard  (i.  e.  cold), 
haloof. 
loh. 

sefeeneh,  kyaseh, 

felookah,  san'dal. 
merkeb. 

nootee,  marakebee, 

tyfeh. 
gessed,  bed'dan. 
ighlee. 
mugh'lee. 
maslodk. 

adm,  adthm,  athm. 
ketab,  pi.  kodttub. 
gez'ma. 

harf,  terf  (turf), 
keenar. 

mowlodd. 
merfoda, 
sellef. 

el  ethneen,  wahed  oo 
e'tanee,  dee  oo  dee 
(*.  e.  this  and  that). 

kezas,  gezaz  (i.  e. 
glass). 

morub'ba. 

koolleh,   ddrak,  bar- 
dak  (Turkish), 
kar  (gar). 

kos  (koz). 
kos  oo  nishdb. 
kus'sah. 

senddok,  pi.  sena- 
deek. 

el'beh,  as  elbet 
e'neshok,  a  snuff- 
box. 

tcellet,  or  wullud 
(whence  valet) ;  Su- 
bee  (i.e.  chubby) 

mokh,  demagh. 

ar'rakay  (arakee). 

nahass-asfer,  esped- 
rayg. 

gedda. 

esh  (khobs,  ki'sra). 

rakeef  esh. 

ord. 


Egypt 


q.  ENGLISH  AND  ARABIC  VOCABULARY. 


49 


Break,  v. 
Broken 

Breakfast 

Breast 

Breath 

Bribe 

Brick 

Crude  brick 
Bride 
Bridge 
Bridle 

 of  a  camel 

Bright 

 shining 

 light  co- 
lour 
Bring,  v. 
Broad 

 extensive 

Broom 

Brother 
His  brother 

Brother-in-law 

Brush 

Buckle 

Buffalo 

Buffoon 

Bug 

Build 

A  building 
Bull 

Burden,  or  load 

of  camels 
Buried 
Burn,  v. 
Burnt 
Bury,  v. 
Business 
Busy 
But,  adv. 
Butter 

 ,  fresh 

Buy,  v. 
By,  pr. 


Cabbage 

Cabin 

 ,  inner 

Cable,  rope 
Cairo 


Cake 
[.Egypt.-] 


ek'ser. 

maksoor;   cut  (as  a 

rope),  muktoda. 
fotoor. 
siidr  (sidr). 
neffes  (nef'fess). 
berteel. 

kaleb,  toob  ali'mar. 

toob'ny. 

arodseh. 

kan'tara. 

soor'ra. 

rus'n  (russen) 

mendwer. 

lama — it  is,  yilma. 

maftdok. 

aat,  geeb. 

areed. 

wasa. 

me-kasheh  (pro- 
nounced mag^sheh). 
akh. 

akhdo  ;  my — akhdoia 

(akhdoya). 
neseeb. 
foor'sheh. 
ebze'em,  bezeem. 
gamdos  (jamdos). 
Sootaree. 
buk  (Engl.  bug). 
eb'nee. 

benai,  binaieh. 

tor  or  tore  (taunts). 
hem'leh. 

madfodn. 

ah'rek.  keed. 

mahrook. 

id'fen. 

shoghl. 

mashghodl. 

laken,  likm,  likan. 

semn,  me's-lee. 

zib'deh. 

ish'teree. 

be  (by  kindness,  bil 
mardof). 

krodmb. 

mak'at  (mag'at). 

khaz'neh. 

habl  (cable). 

Musr,  Misr,  Musr  e) 

Kaherah. 
kahk  (cake). 


Calamity 
Calculate,  v. 
Calico  (from 

Calicut) 
Caliph 
Call,  v. 
It  is  called 
What  is  it 

called  ? 
"What  is  his 

name  ? 
A  calm 

Camel  (see  Ship) 

 ,  female 

 ,  young 

male 
 ,  young  fe- 
male 
Camp 

Camphor 
I  can 
I  cannot 
Candle 


Candlestick 
Cannon 
Cap,  red 

 ,  white 

Capacious 
Captain  (of  a 

boat) 
Caravan 
Care 

Take  care 
Take  care  of 
I  don't  care 

 about  it 

(or  him) 
Careful 
Carpenter 
Carpet 

■  ,  large 

Carrion 
Carry,  lift,  v. 

 ,  raise 

Carry  away,  v. 
Cart,  carriage 
Cartridge 
Case  (etui) 
Cat 

Catch,  v. 

 in  the  hand 


dur'rer,  azeeh. 

ah'seb. 

buf'teh. 

Khaleefeh. 

en'da,  kellem,  nadem. 

es'moo,  ikoolahoo. 

es'moo  ay?  esh  es'- 
moo ? 

es'moo  ay  ?  esh  es' 
moo  ? 

ghaleenee. 

gem'mel,  pi.  genial. 

naka  (nakeh). 

kadot  (gadot). 

buk'kara. 

or' dee  (whence 

horde  ?). 
kafdor. 
ana  ak'der. 
ma-akder-shee. 
shem'ma. 

shemma  skander- 

anee. 
shemmadan. 
mad'feh. 
tarboosh, 
takeea  (takeeh). 
wasa. 
ryis,  reis. 

kaf'leh. 

igtehad. 

o'-a,  ah'seb 

ah'fuz,  istah'rus. 

ana  malee. 

ana  malee  oo  maloo. 

waee 

negar  (nujjaV). 
segadeh  (fr.  seged, 

"to  pray.") 
keleem,  boossat. 
fatees,  fate'ese. 
sheel,  ayn;  erfa. 

sheel,  wod'dee. 
arabeeh,  araba. 
rem'ieh,  tame'ereh, 
zerf,  bayt,  elbeh,  hok. 
Jcott  (gott,  f.  gotta)  ■ 

bissays ;  biss. 
el'hak. 
el'koof. 

D 


50 


q.  ENGLISH  AND  AEABIC  VOCABULARY. 


Sect.  I. 


Cattle  baheem,  bookar. 

Cauliflower  karnabeet. 

The  cause  e'sebbub. 

A  cave  niaghara. 

Ceiling  sukf. 

The  centre  el  woost  (middle). 

Cerastes  snake  hei  bil  koroon. 

Certainly  malodm,  malodmak, 

helbe't  we  laboob. 

Chain  sil'sileh,  pi.  selasil. 

Chair,  stool  koor'see,  pi.  karasee. 

Chamber  o'da,  pi.  o'ad. 

Chance,  good  bukht,  nuse'eb,  rizh 

fortune  (risk,  risque). 

Charcoal  fah'm.  [lah. 

Charity  has  aneh,  sow-ab,  lil- 

A  charm  hegab. 

Chase,  v.  istad. 

Chase,  s.  sayd. 

Cheap  ra-khees. 

Cheat,  v.  ghushm,  ghush'-im, 

Cheek  khud.  [ghish. 

Cheese  gibn. 
Cherrystick  pipe  shehook  kerays. 

Child,  boy  wulled. 

Children  welad. 
Choke,  strangle,  v.  itkhinnik. 

Choose,  v.  nuk'kee  (nug'gee). 

Christian  nusrdnee*,   pi.  Kas- 

sara  (Nazarene). 

Church  keneeseh. 

Cinnamon  keer'feh  (i.  e,  bark). 

Circle  deira,  dyreh. 

Cistern  hod,  hode. 

Citadel  kala. 

City,  capital  medeeneh. 

Civet  zubbet,  zubbedeh. 

Civility  maroof. 

Clean,  v.  nadduf. 

 as  a  pipe  sel'lik. 

Clean,  adj.  nadeef- 

Clear  rei-ik,  ryek. 

Clever  shater. 

Cleverness  shut^ra. 

Cloak  bornoos. 

Close,  near  garei-ib  (gary-ib). 

Close,  v.  ik'fel. 

Closet  khaz'neh. 

Cloth  gooh  (see  Linen). 

Clouds  ghaym,  sahab. 

Clover  bersim'  (burseem). 

Coals  fahm     hag'gar  (i.e. 

"  stone  charcoal"). 

A  live  coal  bus'sa,  bussa-t-nar, 

Coarse,  rough  khishn.  [gumr. 

*  "  He  shall  be  called  a  Nazarene. 


Coast 

bur,  shet. 

Cobweb 

ankaboot. 

Cock 

deek   (Engl,  dicky- 

bird). 

Cock-roach 

sursar. 

Coffee 

kah'-weh. 

Raw  coffee 

bonn,  bon. 

Coffee-pot 

bukrag,  tennekeh 

(see  Cup). 

Coins 

gid'dat,  or  giddud. 

Cold 

bard. 

The  cold 

el   berd,   e'  suk'ka 

Collect,  v. 

lim.  [(sug'a). 

College 

mad'resee. 

Colour 

Ion  (lone),  pi.  elwan. 

shikl,  pi.  ashkal. 

Colours 

elwan,  ashkal. 

black 

as'wed,    az'rek  ;  /. 

soda,  zer'ka. 

white 

ab'iad,  /.  bay  da. 

red 

ah' mar,  /.  ham'ra. 

scarlet 

wer'dee. 

dark  red 

ah'mar  doodeh. 

purple-blue 

<5odee. 

purple 

men'oweesh. 

primrose 

bum'ba. 

peach 

khokh-ee. 

—  of  ashes 

roomadee. 

green 

dkhder,  /.  khadra. 

dark  blue 

az'rek,    /.  zer'ka, 

ko'hlee. 

light  blue 

genzaree,  skandera- 

nee. 

sky-blue 

semmawee. 

brown 

as'mar,  /.  sam'ra. 

light  brown 

kammoonee. 

yellow 

as'fer,  /.  saf'fra. 

orange 

portokdnee. 

spotted 

menuk'rush  (menug- 

rush),  munkodsh. 

dark  colour 

ghamuk. 

light 

muftdoh. 

Comb 

misht. 

Come,  v. 

ig'gee. 

Come  up,  v. 

et'la  fok  (foke). 

I  am  (he  is) 

ana  (hooa)  gei.  (gy). 

coming 

[taal. 

Come  here 

taal  hennee,  taal  gei, 

I  came 

ana  gayt. 

Common,  low 

watee. 

Compass 

boos'leh,  bayt-ebree. 

Compasses 

bee-kar. 

Complain,  v. 

ish'-kee. 

 of,  v. 

ishtek'ee. 

Composed  of 

mitruk'kib  min. 

Egypt. 


q.  ENGLISH  AND  ARABIC  VOCABULARY. 


51 


Consequently 
Consulate 
Consult,  v. 
Constantinople 
Continent,  land, 

shore 
Continue,  v. 
By  contract 
Convent 
Conversation 
Cook 
Cook,  v. 
Cooked  meat 
Cooked,  drest 
The  cool 
Coop,  for  poultry 
Copper 

A  copy  (of  book) 
Cord  (see  Rope) 
Cork,  of  a  bottle 
Corn 

Indian  corn,  or 

mayz 
Corn,  or  wheat 
Cornelian 
Corner 

Corner,  project- 
ins;,  of  a  moun- 
tain 

It  costs 

Cotton 

Cotton  stuff 

Gpver,  v. 

Cover 

Cough 

Count,  v. 

A  country 

The  country 

A  couple 

A  couple  and  a 
half 

Cousin 

 on  mother's 

side 
Cow 


Coward 

Cream 

Creator 

Creation 

A  crack,  fissure 

Cracked 

Crocodile 

Crooked 

Cross 


behay's  in  (since). 
bayt  el  Konsol. 
show'er  (show'wer). 
Stambdol,  Istambdol. 
bur  (burr). 

istamir,  ber'dak. 

mekowleh  (megdw- 

dayr.  [leh). 

hade'et. 

tabbakh. 

et'bookh. 

tabeekh. 

mestow'ee. 

e'  tarow'eh,  taraw'eh. 

kaf'fass. 

nahass. 

noos'kha,  nooskheh. 
habl,  hab'bel. 
ghutta  Lezdss. 
ghulleh. 
dodra  SMmee. 

kumh  (gumh). 
haggar-hakeeTc. 
rodk-n. 

koor'neh  (goorna). 


es  -wa. 

koton. 

kotneeh. 

ghuttee. 

ghutta. 

kohh,  sehl. 

ed,  ah-seb. 

belled,  ekle'm. 

el  khulla,  el  khala. 

goz,  ethneen  (two). 

goz  oo  ferd. 

ebn  am,  /.  bint  am. 
ebn  khal. 

bukkar,  bukkara,  pi. 

bookar,boogar  (Lat, 

Vacca). 
khowaf  (khowwaf). 
kish'teh. 
el  khaluk. 
khulk. 

shuck  (shug.) 
mashkook. 

temsali,p/.  temaseeh. 

ma6og. 

selceb. 


Cross,  out  of 

humour 
Crow 
Cruel 
Cruelty 
Cultivate,  v. 
Cunning,  artful 

Cup 

—  glass 
Coffee-cup 
Coffee-cup  stand 
Cure,  v. 

Becoming  cured 
It  is  cured 
Curious,  won- 
derful 
Curtain 
Custom-house 
Cushion 
Cut,  v. 

Cut  with  scis- 


zemkan,  zalan. 
ghorab. 

moh'zee,  hazee. 
azeeh,  azab. 
ez'ra,  i.  e.  sow. 
s^bab   hay'leh,  sa- 

hab  dubar'ra. 
soltaneeh. 

koba,   koobai,  koo- 
fingan.  [baieh. 
zerf. 

teieb  (ty-eb). 

iteeb. 

tab. 

age'eb,  ghareeb 

(strange), 
setarah. 
diwd.ii  [douane]. 
mekhud'deh. 
ek'ta. 
koo's. 


sors,  v. 
Cut,  part.  p. 
Cut  out,  as 

clothes,  v. 
The  cutting  out  e'  tufseel. 


muk-toda,  mekutta. 
fussel. 


Bagger 

—  large 

Damp,  a. 

Dance,  v. 

Dandy  (v.  Beau) 

Danger 

He  dares  not 

Let  him  dare  !  ) 

If  he  dares  J 

Dark 

Dates 

Date-tree,  palm 
Daughter 
Day 
to-day 
every  day 
in  days  of  old 
a  day's  jour- 
ney from 
hence 
from  the  day 
(or  time)  I 
came 
in  those  days 
now,  in  these 
days 


sekeen,  khdnger. 
gembeeh,  yatagdn,  or 

yatahan  (Turk.), 
taree. 

tarawa,  rotdobeh. 
er'kus. 

khof  («.  e.  fear), 
ma  isteggereesh. 

isteg'geree  ! 

ghamuk. 
bel'lah.' 
nakhl. 
bint. 

yom,  pi.  iyam,  nahr. 
el  yom,  e'  nahr  dee. 
kool-yom,  kooll-yd'm. 
aiam  e'zeman,  zeman. 
saffer      yom  min 
hen'nee. 

min  nahr  ma  gayfc, 
min  yom  in  gayt. 

(fee  or)  fil  aiam  dol. 
el  yom,  fee  haza  el 
wakt. 

d  2 


52 


q.  ENGLISH  AND  ARABIC  VOCABULARY. 


Sect  I. 


Sunday 
Monday 
Tuesday 
Wednesday 
Thursday 
Friday 
Saturday 
Dead,  s. 

Dead,  died,  a. 
Deaf 

Deal  plank 

A  great  deal 
Dear 

Dear,  in  price 
My  dear 
to  a  woman 


Death 
Debt 
Deceitful 
Deep 

The  Deluge 
Deny,  v. 
Derived  from 
Descend,  v. 
Descent 
The  desert 


Destiny 

The  Devil 

Dew 

Diamond 

Dictionary 

Die,  v. 

He  is  dying 

He  died 

Different 

Difficult 

Dig 

Diligence 

Dinner 

Directly 


el  had,  nahr  el  had. 

el  ethneen. 

e'thelat. 

el  e'rba. 

el  khamees. 

e'  godma. 

e'  sebt  (see  Morning), 
myit,     mei-it,  pi. 

myeteen. 
mat. 
at'trush. 

loh  -  bendookee  (i.  e. 
Venetian). 

keteer  kow'ee. 

ghalee,  azeez. 

ghalee. 

ya  habeebee. 

ya  habeebtee,  ya 
aynee,  ya  aynay, 
ya  aydonee,  i.  e. 
my  eye,  my  two 
eyes ;  ya  rdhee, 
my  soul. 

m6t. 

dayn. 

mukkar. 

ghareek,  ghoweet. 
e' toofan. 
in'kir,  unkdor. 
mooshtuk  min. 
in'zel. 
nezool. 

el  burreeh,  e'gebal, 
(i.  e.  the  moun- 
tains). 

neseeb. 

e'  Shaytdn,  el  Eble'es. 
nedda. 

fuss,  almas  (Turk.). 

kamdos. 

moot. 

bemdot. 

mat,  itwufTa. 

beshka,  beshkeh. 

saab,    war,  tekeel, 

kasee. 
faat,  ef'at. 
eg'tehad. 
ghudda. 

kawam ; — in  answer  to 

a  call,  hader ! 
wus'sukh. 
kur'ruf  (gurruf). 


Dirty 

Disgust  (to  sight 
or  taste) 

I  am  disgusted    ana  akruf  mm  oo. 
with  it  . 


Disposition 
Dispute,  v. 
A  great  distance 

Divide,  v. 
Divided 
Do 

1  have  nothing 
to  do  with  it. 

I  cannot  do 
without  it 

Doctor 

Dog 

Dollar  (coin) 
A  dome 

Door 
Dot 

Double,  v. 
Dove 
Ringdove 
Draw,  v. 

Draw  out  (as 

teeth) 
Drawing 

Drawers 

 ,  chest  of 

Dress 
Dress,  v. 
Drink,  v. 
Drive,  v. 
Dromedarist, 

courier 
Dromedary 
Drop,  v. 
A  drop 
Drown,  v. 
A  druggist 
Dry 

Dry,  v.  a. 
—  v.  n. 
Duck,  goose 
Dumb 
Dust 
Duty 

it  is  my  (his) 
duty 
Dwell,  v. 
Dye,  v. 
Dye,  dyer 

Eagle 


tubba. 

hanuk,  it-hanuk. 
meshwar  keeber, 

bayit. 
ek'sum. 

maksodm.  [wee), 
amel    (efaal,  sow'- 
ana  m^leesh  dawa 
boo. 

ma  astag'nash  (as- 

taknash)  an'oo. 
hakim  (hakeem), 
kelb. 

reeal-franza. 
koobbeh  (al  koobbeh, 

alcoba,  alcove}. 
bab  (see  Gate), 
nook'teh. 
et'nee. 
yemam. 
kim'ree. 

sow'er ;   ik'tub,  i.  e. 

write, 
ek'la  (eg'la). 

tassoweer,  sdora, 

ketabeh. 
lebass. 

beshtukh'ta  (Turk.). 

libs  (lips). 

el'bes. 

ish'rob. 

sook  (soog). 

haggan. 

heg'gin. 
nukked. 
nookteh. 

egh'-ruk,  gherrek. 

attar. 

nd-shef. 

in'-shef. 

nesh-ef. 

wiz. 

ekh'-rus. 
trob,  trab. 
wageb. 
wageb-alay. 

is'koon. 
es'boogh. 
sabagh,  sabbagh. 

kdol-e-wahed 

(every  one), 
akab,  okab. 


Egypt. 


q.  ENGLISH  AND  ARABIC  VOCABULARY. 


53 


widn. 

bed'ree,  bed'ree. 

ard. 

sberk. 

s£lhil,  sah'leh. 
kool,  akool. 
harf. 
sword,  had,  harf. 


Egypt 

Upper  Egypt 

Elbow 

Elephant 

Nothing  else, 
there  is  no- 
thing else 

Emerald 

Empty 

Empty,  v. 

The  end 

The  end,  its  end 

The  enemy 

English 

Enough 

It  is  enough 

Enquire,  v. 

Enter,  v. 

Entering 

Entire 

Entrails 

Envy 

Equal  to 

Equal  to  each 
other,  alike 

Escape,  v. 
he  escaped 
he  has  escaped 
with  his  life 

An  estate,  rented 

 property, 


Europe 

European  kings 
European  people 

English 

French 

A  Frenchman 

Germans 

a  German 

Russians 

a  Russian 

Italians 


bayd. 

Mus'ree,  belledee,  i.  e. 

of  the  country. 
Musr,  ard  Musr,  Misr. 
e'  Sa'eed. 
kdoa. 
feel. 

ma  feesh  hagee 
ghayroo  ;  lem  fe"e 
ha  shay  ghayrha. 

zoomoorrud. 

fargh. 

fer'regh. 

el  akher.  [kheroo. 
e'  terf,     ter'foo,  a- 
el  adoo,  addoo. 
Ingleez,  Inkleez. 
bess,  bizeeddeh. 
ik'feh,  yikfeh,  ikef- 
istuk'see.  [fee. 
id'khol,  khosh. 
dakhil. 

koolloo,  kameL 
mussareen. 
gheereh. 
kud,  ala  kud. 
kud-e-bad,  zaybad. 

et'fush,  yetfush. 
tufFush. 

omroo    toweel,  nef- 

fed  be  omroo. 
ard  (or  belled)  elti- 
milk.  [zam. 

Eurdpa,  beled  (bel- 
led) el  Frang. 

el  koronat  el  Frang. 

Frang,  Afrang. 

Inglees,  Inklees. 

Fransees. 
Fransowee. 

Nemsoweeh. 
Nemsowee. 

Mosko,  Moskoweeh. 
Moskow'ee. 

Italidni. 


Poland 

Hungary 

Greeks 

a  Greek 

Spain 
Even,  level, 

equal 
Even,  also 
Good  evening 

(see  Morning) 

The  evening 
Every 

On  every  side 
Every  one 

Every  where 

Every  moment 

Evident 

Evil 

Exaction 
Exactly 
Exactly  so 
Exactly  like  it 

For  example 
To  excavate 
Excavation 
Excellent 
Your  excellency 


Except,  adv. 

Exchange 

Excuse 

Excuse  me,  I 
beg  pardon 

Execute,  deca- 
pitate 

Expend,  v. 

Expense 

Expenses  (of  a 
house) 

Explain,  ex- 
pound 

An  extraordi- 
nary thing 

The  eye 

Eyeball 

Eyebrow 

Eyelash 


Lehh. 

Muggar. 

Erooam'. 
Roomee. 

Beled  el  An'daloos.  . 

mesow'wee  (mesa- 
wee). 

hat'ta. 

messekoom  bil  khayr 
sal  khayr,  sad  mes- 
sakoom. 

el  messa,  el  asheeh. 

kool. 

fee  kool-e'  nahia. 
kool-e-wahed,  kool- 

lohom  (all), 
fee  kool  -  e- matrah, 

fee  kool-e-dodneea. 
kool-e-saa. 
bein  (bain,  byin). 
radee. 
bal'sa. 

temam,  i.e.  perfect, 
bizdtoo. 

zayoo  sow'-a,  mitloo 

sow'-a,  bizatoo. 
mus'salen. 
efat,  faat. 
fat,  faat. 
azeem. 

genabak,  hadretak 
(your  presence), 
sadtak  ( —  high- 
ness), pi.  genah- 
koom,  hadratkoom, 
sadetkoom. 

ilia. 

bed-del,  gheier. 
heg'geh,  pi.  heg'geg, 
oz'r. 

ma    takhozndsh,  el 

afoo. 
dya,  deia,  dei-ya. 

deia  (dei-ya,  dy-ya). 

kool'feh. 

masrdof. 


fusser. 

shay  ageeb,  ageiib, 

shay  ghareeb. 
el  ayn,  pi.  el  aidon. 
habbet  el  ayn. 
hd-geb,  pi.  howagib. 
rimsh. 


54  q.  ENGLISH  AND  ARABIC  VOCABULARY.  Sect.  I. 


Eyelid 

kobbet  el  ayn. 

Fire,  live  coal 

bus'sa,  bus'set-nar, 

One-eyed 

awr,  ower. 

gumr,  jum'ra. 

Fire  a  gun 

id'rob  (or  syeb),  ben 

The  face 

el  wisih  (el  widj). 

dookeeh. 

Faded,shrivelled  dublan. 

The  first 

el  ow'-el,  el  owelanee. 

Faint,  v. 

dookh. 

When  first  I 

ow'el  ma  gayt. 

A  fair  price 

temn    halla1,  temn 

came 

menaseb. 

At  first 

ow'elen. 

Very  fair,  toler- 

menaseb. 

Fish 

semmuk. 

able 

Fisherman 

sy-dd,  semmak. 

Faith    (creed),  shahada. 

Flag 

bayrek,     bandiy  ra, 
s&n'gak. 

testimony  of 

"Fall  11 
X  till,  v. 

uka,  yodka. 

Flat 

mebuttut. 

I  alse 

keddab. 

Flax 

kettan. 

His  family 

alii  baytoo,  ahloo. 

Flea 

berghoot. 

I1  an 

merwaha. 

Flesh 

lahm. 

Far 

bay-it. 

Flint 

sowan. 

How  far  from 

kud-ay  min  hennee. 

Flour 

dakeelc. 

this? 

Flower 

zahr,  now^h. 

A  farce,  or  ab- 
surdity 

mus-khera. 

A  fly 

deban  (debban). 
menash'eh. 

Fly-flap 

A  fairy 

gin. 

Fly,  v. 

teer. 

Farrier 

beetar. 

Fog 

shabodr. 

Farther 

abbad,  abad. 

Fool 

magnodn. 

Fat,  a. 

semeen,  ghaleet. 

Foot 

kuddum  (gudm). 

Fat,  s. 

semn,  shahm,  dehn. 

Footstep 

at'ter  (attar). 

Father 

ab,  abdo,  abee. 

For 

me-shau,  ali-shan. 

Fatigue 

taab. 

Force 

ghusb  (ghusp) 

Fault 

zemb. 

By  force,  in  spite  ghusbinanoo,  ghusb 
of  him  a'lay. 

It  is  not  my 

ma'leesh  zemb,  maf- 

fault 

leesh  daw'a. 

Forehead 

kodreh. 

Do  me  the  fa- 

amel mardof, 

 ,  lower 

gebeen. 

vour,  kindness     amelni  el  mardof. 

part  of 

Favorisca  (Ital.)  tefod'thel,  tefod'del. 

Foreign 

barranee,  ghareeb. 

Fear 

khof,  khdfe. 

To  speak  in  a 

ertun :  subst.  rotan. 

A  feast 

azodmeh. 

foreign  language 

Feather 

reesh. 

Forget,  v. 

in'sa. 

Feel,  v. 

hassus. 

I  forgot 

ana  nesedt. 

Female 

netai,  neteieh,  nety, 

Do  not  forget 

ma  tinsash. 

Ferry-boat 

madeeh.  [odnseh. 

Forgive  me 

sud,  malesh. 

Field 

el  ghayt. 

Forgive,  v. 

se-m&h. 

Fig 

tin. 

Fork 

shdk  (shoke), 

Fight,  v. 

katel,  hareb. 

Formerly 

zeman. 

A  fight 

ketal,    harb,  shem- 

Good  fortune. 

bukht,  nesdeb,  risk. 

mata. 

Fountain 

feskeeh. 

File 

mub'red. 

A  fowl 

fur'-kher,  fardog. 

Fill,  v. 

em'la. 

Fox 

abool-hossayn,  tdleb. 

Find,  v. 

el'kah  (elga). 

Free 

horr. 

Finger 

suba  (sooba). 

Frenchman 

Franz owee,  pi.  Fran- 
zees.     Fran'gee  is 

Fore  finger 

e'  shaded. 

Middle  — 

suba  el  woostanee. 

a    corruption  of 

Fourth  — 

bayn  el  asaba. 

Francais ;  it  is  fre- 

Little — 

khansur,  khun'ser. 

quently  used  as  a      '  i 

It  is  finished 

khalas,  khd-les, 
khul'les,  khdlset,/. 

term  of  reproach,  i 
but  never  as  free-  f 

Fire 

nar. 

• 

man.  [ 

Egypt. 


q.  ENGLISH  AND  ARABIC  VOCABULARY. 


55 


Fresh,  new 
Fresh  (fruit) 
Fresh  water 

(sweet) 
Friend 


From 

Fruit 

Fuel 

Full 

Fur 

Further 

Gain  (profit) 
Gallop,  v. 
Game  (caccia) 
Garden 


Gardener 
  (who  irri- 
gates) 
Garlic 
Gate  (door) 

Gather  up,  v. 
Gazelle 
A  general 
Generosity 
He  is  generous 

Gentlemanly 

man 
Gently 

Get  up 
Gift 

Gilt 

Gimlet 
Gold 
Ginger 
Gipsy 
Gird,  v. 
Girl 
Give,  v. 
Glad 

To  be  glad,  v. 

Glass 

Globe 

Glove 

Glue 

Gnat 

Go,  v. 


gede'et. 

tar'ree ;  /.  tareeh. 
moie  helweh. 

saheb,  habeeb,  re- 
feek,  i.  e.  com- 
panion. 

min. 

fowakee 

wekeed. 

melan,  meMn. 

furweh. 

dbid. 

muk'seb. 

er'mah. 

sayd. 

ginnayneh,  bostan, 
pi  ginnein,  bus- 
sateen. 

genayndtee. 

kholee. 

torn. 

bab,    pi.    biban,  or 

abodb. 
lim. 

ghaz^l,  dubbee. 
sdree-dsker  (sarasker). 
kar'rem. 

eedoo  maftodh,  i.  e. 

his  hand  is  open, 
ragel    lateef,  ragel 

zereef. 
be-shw5'-esh,  dla 

mahlak. 
koom. 

hadeeh,  bak-shdesh, 

(bakshish) 
medahab,  mutlee  be 

daliab. 
bereemeh. 
ddhab,  dthdhab. 
genzabeel. 
ghug'ger. 

haz'zem,  it-haz'zem. 
bint. 

id'dee,  a/tee. 
ferhan. 

dfrah,  or  effrah. 

kezdiss. 

kdra. 

shurab  (i.  e.  stocking). 

gher'reh. 

namods. 

rooh. 


Go,  get  away,  v. 
Go  in,  v. 
Gone 
Going 
Going  in,  p. 
Going  in,  s. 
I  am  going 
He  is  gone 
I  went 
Go  out,  v. 
Do  not  go  out 
Goat 
She  goat 
Kid 

God  (our  Lord) 
A  god  or  deity 


Good 

Good,  excellent 

Good  for  no- 
thing 

Pretty  good,  fair 

Goose 

Gossip,  v. 

Governor,  -ment 

The  government 

Gradual,  little 
by  little 

A  grain 

—  weight 

Grand 

Granite 

Grass 

Gratis 

Gratitude 

A  grave 

Grease 

Great 

Greek 

Ancient  Greek 
Grieved  (it  has) 
Grind,  v. 
A  mortar 
Grind    (in  a 

mill),  v. 
Groom 
Grotto 
The  ground 
A  guard 
Guard   of  a 

sword 
Guard,  v. 
By  guess 
A  guide 


im'shee,  foot, 
id'khool,  hosh'. 
rah. 
ryeh. 
da'khel. 
dokhdol. 
ana  rye. 
hooa  rah. 

ana  rdht.  fbar'ra. 
ekh'roog,  etla,  etla 
la-tetla,  ma  tetlash 
may-zeh.  [bar'ra. 
an'zeh. 
giddee. 

Allah  (e'  rob'boona). 

Illah,  as  la  illah  31' 
Allah,  "  there  is  no 
deity  but  God." 

teieb,  tyeb,  meleeh. 

madan  {%.  e.  a  mine). 

battal,  ma  es'wash 
hageh. 

menaseb. 

wiz. 

dur'dish. 
hakem,  hokmeh. 
el  bayleek,  el  wese'eh. 
shwo'ya  be  shwo'ya. 

hab. 
kumh. 

azeem.  [nite). 
haggar  aswan  (i.e.  sye- 
hashlsh. 
bellesh. 

ma'refet  e'  gemeel. 
todrbeh,  pi.  todrob. 
ziffr. 

kebeer,  pi.  koobar. 
Hoomee,  borrowed 

from  Romanus. 
Yoondnee,  i.e.  Ionian, 
hazeen  (sab  alay). 
is-han. 

mus-han,  hon  (hone), 
lt-han. 

sy-is,  sens, 
ma-ghara. 
el  ard. 

ghuffeer,pj.  ghutFara. 
bur'shuk. 

istah'rus. 

be  tekhmeen. 

khebeeree. 


56 


q.  ENGLISH  AND  ARABIC  VOCABULARY. 


Sect.  I. 


He  is  not  guilty  ma  lodsh  zemb. 


Gum 
Gun 


Gunpowder 
Gust  of  wind 
Gypsum 

Hair 

Half 

In  halves 

Halt,  v. 

Hammer,  axe 

A  hand 

Handful 

Handkerchief 

Hand,  v. 

Happen 

Happened 

Happy 

Harbour 

Hard 

Hare,  rabbit 
Harm 

To  do  harm,  v. 
There  is  no  harm 

(see  Never 

mind) 
In  haste 
A  hat 
Hatchet 
Hate,  v. 
I  have 
Have  you? 
Hawk 
Hay 
He,  it 
Head 
Heal,  v. 
Heap 
Hear,  v. 
Heart 
Heat,  v. 
Heat,  s. 
Heaven 
— ,  paradise 
Heavy 
Hebrew 
The  heel 
Height 
High  ground 
Hell 
Herbs 
Here 


sumgh. 
bendookeeh  (being  ori- 
ginally brought 
from  Venice  by  the 
Arabs),  barodt. 
baroot. 

shurd  (pi.  shoro<5d). 
gips  (gibs). 

shar. 

noos,  noosf. 
noosayn. 

wuk'kuf  (wugguf ). 
kadodm. 
eed,  yed. 
keb'sheh. 

mandeel,  mahrama. 
now'e'L 

eg'ra,  yig'ra,  ye  seer, 
gerra,  sar. 
fer-han,  mabsodt. 
mer'seh,  scdla. 
gamed,  yabes. 
er'neb.  [rer. 
dur'rer,  dordora,  zur* 
door,  iddor. 
ma  feesh  durrer. 


kawam,  belaggel. 

bornayta  (from  Ital.). 

bal'ta,  kadodm. 

ek'rah,  yek'rah. 

an'dee. 

an'dak  ? 

sukr. 

drees. 

hoda,  (she — )  heea. 
ras,  demagh. 
iteeb. 

kom  (kome). 

es'-ma. 

kulb. 

sa'khen,  ham'mee. 
har,  sokhneeh,  ham'- 
semma.  [moo. 
gen'neh. 
tekeel. 

Jlebrdnee,  Yahoodee. 
el  kab. 

el-oo,  elloo,  ertifah. 
elwaieh. 
gehen'nem. 
ha-sheesh,  khoddr. 
hennee,  hen'i. 


Here  it  (he)  is    a-hd,  a-hd  hennee. 
Come  here         taal  hennee. 
Hereafter  min  de'lwakt,  min  el« 

yom,  min-oo-rye. 
Hide,  v.  khub'bee. 
Hidden  mistakhub'bee. 
High  aalee. 
Hill  kom,  gebel  (gebbel). 

Hinder,  v.  (stop)  hosh. 
Hire,  s.  kerree,  ar'ruk,  dgera; 

v.  ek'ree. 

His  beta-oo  ;  betahtoo, 

fern. 

Hoard  up,  v.  howish. 
Hold,  v.  im'sek. 
Hole  kherk. 


Bored,  pierced  makhrook. 


Hollow 
His  home 
At  home 
Honest  man 
Honey  ("white," 

or  "  of  bees  ") 
Hook  (fish)  sunnara. 
Hooks  (and  eyes)  khobshat. 
Hooka  sheesheh, 
(Turk.), 
— —  snake         ly,  lei. 
I  hope,  or  please  Inshallah. 

God 


fargh. 
baytoo. 
fil  bayt. 
ragel  mazbodt. 
assal  ab'iad,  assal  eT 
nahl. 


narkileh 


Horn 
Horse 
Horses 

Mare 

Colt 
Horseman 
Hot 

 weather 

House 

Hour 

How 

How  do  you  do  ? 


[kun. 
mes'- 


hom ;  pi.  kordon. 
hossan. 
khayl. 
farras. 
mdh'r. 

khy-al,  fa-res. 
hdmee,  sdkhn. 
har. 

bayt,  men'zel, 
saa. 
kayf. 

kayfak,  zayak,  kayf- 
el-kayf,  tyebeen. 
insaneeh. 

shekleban  (sheg-le- 

ban),  khab'bas. 
rotdobeh,  taraweh. 

(neddeh). 
meea,  maia. 
meetayn. 


Human 

Humbug,  pre- 
varicator 

Humidity 
— (dew) 

Hundred 
Two  hundred 

Three  hundred  todlte-meea. 
Hungry  gaya'n,  jay  an. 

Hunt,  v.  seed,  istad,  et-rood 

e'sayd. 

Hunter  §yad,  ghunnas,  boar- 

dee,  with  gun. 


Egypt- 


q.  ENGLISH  AND  ARABIC  VOCABULARY. 


57 


In   order    that  leg'leh    ma  tekser- 
you  may  not     shee  khatroo. 
hurt  his  feel- 
ings, or  dis- 
appoint him 

Husbandman      fel-lah  ;  pi.  fellaheen. 


Husband 
Hyena 

X 

Jackal 
Jar 

Javelin 
Ice 

Identical 

Idle 

Idol 

Jealousy 
Jerusalem 


Jessamine 
In  jest 
Jew 

Ancient  Jews 
If 

Ignorant,  novice 
111,  a. 

Illness 

I  imagine,  v. 

It  is  impossible 

In,  within 

Incense 

Income 

Indeed 

Indigo 

Infidel 

Ingratitude 

Ink 

Inkstand 
Inquire,  v. 
Inside 
 ,  s. 

Insolence  (of 

language) 
For  instance 
Instead 
Instrument 

 tools 

Interpret,  v. 
Interpreter 


goz,  zoge. 
dob'h,  dobbh. 

ana. 
taleb. 

jar'ra,  kiddreh. 
har'beh,  khisht. 
telg. 
bizatoo. 
tum'bal,  battal. 
sdora,  mas-khdota, 
sun'num  (su'nm). 
gheereh. 

el  Kotts,  el  Kods, 
"the  Holy"  ((7a- 
dytis). 

yesmeen. 

bil  dehek ;  see  Joke. 
Yahoodee. 
Beni  Izraeel. 
in-kan,  izakdn,  l'zza, 

lo-kan,  mut'tama. 
gha-sheem. 
meshow'esh,  aian, 

ai-yan,  daeef. 
tashoweesh. 
tekhmeenee,  ana 

azoon. 
ma  yoomkin'sh,  la 

yoomkin  ebeden. 
gooa;  at 7  fee. 
bokhar. 
erad. 
hatta. 

neeleh.  [fere'en. 
kdfer,  pi.  koofar,  ka- 
khusseeh,  khussdseh. 
heb'r,  hebber. 
dowai,  dowaieh. 
saal,  es'saal. 
gooa,  fee  kulb. 
el  kulb. 

toolt  e'  lissan,  kootr 

el  kald,m. 
mus'salen. 
bedal. 

doolab,  i.  e.  machine, 
ed'deh. 

ter'gem  (translate). 
tergiman,  toorgiman. 


Intestines 
Intoxicated 
Intrigue,  plot 
Intriguer 

Joke 

Journey 
Joy 
Joyful 
Iron 

Irrigate,  v. 
Is  there  ?  there  ii 
There  is  not 
Island 
Judge 
Its  juice 
Just 

Just  now 

Keep,  take  care 
of 

Keep,  hold,  v. 
Kettle 
Key 
Kick,  v. 
Kidney 
Kill,  v. 
Killed 
Kind,  s. 
Kind,  a. 
Kindle,  v. 
King 
Kingdom 
Kiss 
Kitchen 
Kite,  miluus 
Knee 
Knave 
Knife 

Penknife 
Knot 
Know,  v. 
I  do  not  know 

Knowledge 

Ladder 
Lady 

Lake,  pond,  pool 
Lame 
Lamp 
Lance 
Land 
Lantern 
Large 


mussareen. 
sakran. 
fit'neh,  khabs. 
fettan,  khabbas. 

iayb,  mus-khera,  day- 
saffer.  [hek,  mezh. 
ferrah. 

fer'han,  mabsdot. 

hacleet. 

is'kee. 

fee. 

ma  feesh. 
gezeereh. 
kadee. 
mdietoo. 
hakeek,  sedeek. 
tow,  tou. 

istah'rus,  ahrfod,  ah' 
fuz. 

im'sek,  hosh  {stop). 

buk'rag. 

muftah. 

er'fus. 

kaylweh,  kilweh. 
mow'et,  mow'wet. 
mat,  myit. 
gens. 

sd,hab  mardof,  hine'iin. 

keed  (geed). 

melek(mellek),soltdn. 

mem'lekeh. 

bos'sa. 

mud'bakh. 

hedy  (hedei). 

rook'beh. 

ebn  haram. 

sekeen ;  pi.  sekakeen. 

matweh. 

ok'deh. 

aref. 

ma  ar^fshee,  ma  maish 

khabber. 
mayrefeh,  mayrefeh. 

taab. 
sil'lem. 

sit,  sit'teh  (mistress). 

beer'keh. 

a'rug. 

kandeel,  mus'rag. 
hdrbeh. 

ard,  bur  (ppp.  to  sea), 
fandos, 

kebeer,  arced,  wasa. 
d  3 


58 


q.  ENGLISH  AND  ARABIC  VOCABULARY. 


Sect.  I. 


Lark 
The  last 
Last,  v. 
It  is  late 
Laugh,  v. 
Laughter 
Law,  justice 
Lay,  v. 
Lay,  v.  a. 
Lazy 
Lead,  s. 
Leaf  (of  book) 
Leap,  v. 
Learn,  v. 
Lease  (ofahouse) 
Leather 


Leather.common 

 morocco 

 Russia 

Leave,  s. 
Without  leave 
Leave,  v. 
Leaven 
Ledge 
Leech 
Leek 
Left,  a. 
Leg 
Lemon 

 (European 

kind) 
Lend,  v. 
Length 

Lengthen,  v.  n. 

 ■,  v.  a. 

Lentils 
Leopard 
Less 

Let  go,  or 
alone,  v. 
Letter 

 ,  epistle 

Level 
Level,  v. 
Liar 
Lie 

Liberate,  en- 
franchise, v. 
Liberated 
Life 
Lift,  v. 
Light,  a. 


koomba. 

el  a-kher,  el  akhranee. 

o'kut  keteer,istahmel. 

el  wakt  rah. 

it'-hak. 

dehek. 

shurra. 

er'koot. 

rukket. 

tum'bal. 

rossass. 

warakeh,  war'rak. 
noot  (nut), 
itaalem,  diem, 
o'gera,  kerree. 
gild  matbodk  (mat- 

boog),     "  tanned 

skin." 
gild  horr. 
sakhtian. 
thelateenee. 
ez'n,  egazeh. 
min  ghayr  egazeh. 
khal'lee,  foot, 
khummeer. 
soffa. 
aluk. 
korat. 

shemaL  yesdr. 
rigl. 

laymoon,  laymoon 

malh. 
laymoon  Addlia. 

iddee-sellef,  eslif. 

tool. 

it'wel. 

tow'el,  towwel. 
atz,  ads,  addus. 
nimr. 

as'gher,  akull. 
sy-eb,  khallee. 

harf,  pi.  hardof. 
maktdob,  gow'ab, 

warrakeh. 
mesow'wee. 
sow'wee. 
keddab. 
kidb. 
atuk. 

matook. 
om'r,  hya. 
sheel,  er'fa,  ayn. 
khafeef. 


Light  colour 
 ,  s. 

Light  the  candle 
Give  light  to,  v. 
Lightning 
As  you  like 


Like,  a. 

In  like  manner 

I  like  (it  pleases 

me) 
I  should  like 
Lime 

Lime  (fruit) 
Line,  or  mark 

Linen-cloth 
Linseed 
Lion 
Lip 

Listen,  v. 
Listen,  hear 
Listen  to,  take 

advice 
Little,  small 
Little,  not  much 
Live,  «. 
Liver 
Lizard 
Load 
Load,  v. 
Loaf  of  bread 
Lock 

  wooden 

Padlock 
Lock,  v. 
Lofty 
Long 
Look,  v. 
Loose,  a. 
Loosen,  v. 
At  liberty 
Lose,  v. 
Love 
Love,  v. 
Low 
Lupins 

Machine 

Mad 
Madam 

Magazine 

Maggot 


maftdoh. 
noor. 

wulla  e'  shem'ma. 
now'er,  nowwer. 
berk. 

ala  kayfak,  ala  me- 
zagak,  ala  kur- 
radak. 

zay,  mittel,  mitl,  kayf. 

gazalik  el  omr,  ga- 
thdlik. 

yagebnee. 

fee  khatree,  biddee. 
geer. 

laymo<5n  helw  (hel'oo). 
khot,    suttr    (of  a 

book), 
komash  kettan. 
bizr  kettan. 


shiffeh. 
sen'ned. 
es'ma. 
tow'wa. 

sogheer,  zwyer. 

shwoya. 

aesh,  esh. 

kib'deh. 

boorse,  sahleeh. 

hem'leh. 

ham'mel. 

rakeef  esh. 

kayloon. 

dob'beh. 

kufl. 

eVfel. 

dlee. 

toweel. 

shoof,  boss,  ondoor. 
waga. 

sy-eb,  hell  (see  Undo). 

mesyeb,  me-seieb. 

dy-ah,  deiah. 

hob. ' 

heb. 

Avatee. 

tirmes,  tur'mis  (Copt.). 

doolab. 

magnodn. 

sittee. 

hasel,  shon,  shdona, 

rnaklxzen. 
doot. 


Egypt 

Magic 

Male 

Female 

Make,  v. 
Made 
Mallet 
Man 

Mankind 

Manufactory 
Many 
Marble 
Mark,  v. 

Market 
Marrow 
Marry,  v. 
Mast 
Master 
Mat,  s. 

What's  the 
matter  ? 

 with  you  ? 

Matters 

 ,  things 

Mattrass 
Measure 

 of  length 

Meat 
Meet,  v. 
Medicine 
Memory 
Merchant 

Mercury 

Messenger 

Metals,  mine 

Middle 

Middle-sized 

Mighty,  abie 

Milk 

A  mill 
Press  mill 
Minaret 
"Never  mind 
A  mine 
Mine,  of  me 
Minute,  s. 

Mirror,  s. 
Mix,  v. 


q.  ENGLISH  AND  ARABIC  VOCABULARY. 


59 


sayher  (sayhr.) 
dthukker. 

nety-eh,  nety,  oon'- 

seh. 
aamel. 
mamdol. 
dokmak. 
ragel;  pi.  regal, 
insan,     beni  aiam 

(sons  of  Adam), 
wer'sheh. 
keteer. 
ro-kham. 
alem. 

alam  {see  Line), 
sook,  bazar. 
mokh. 

gow'-es,  zow'-eg. 

saree. 

sid,  seed. 

hasseereh  (hasse'era) ; 

pi.  hossor. 
khabbar  -  ay,  gerra 

ay. 
mdlak. 
omoor. 
asheeat. 
mar'taba. 
meezan. 
keeas. 
lahm. 
kabel. 

dow'-a,  dow'eh. 
fikr,  bal. 

tager,  hawagee,* 

mesebbub. 
zaybuk. 
syee,  sai. 
madan. 

icoost  (Eng.  waist). 

woostanee. 

kader. 

lub'ben  (lub'bun), 

hale'eb. 
tahoon. 
ma'sarah. 
madneh. 

See  Never  and  Harm, 
madan  ;  pi.  maadin. 
betaee;  /.  betahtee. 
dakeekeh :    pi.  da- 

ky-ik,  dagaiik. 
mirde'i,  mordi. 
ekh'let. 


Mixed 

Modest 

Moist 

Monastery 

Money 

Monkey 

Monk 

Month 


makhldot. 

mestayhee. 

taree  {see  Humidity). 

dayr. 

floos  (from  obolus?). 
nesnas. 

rahib ;  pi.  robbfln. 
shahr :  pi.  shoh6or, 
esh-hoor. 


Names  of  the 

1.  Moharrem. 

2.  Saffer. 

3.  Rebeeh  'l-owel. 

4.  Kebeeh  '1-a- 

kher. 

5.  Go6mad-owel 

6.  Goomad-akher 

7.  Reg'eb. 


Arabic  Months. 

8.  Shaban. 

9.  Ramaddn. 

10.  Showal. 

11.  El  Kadeh,  or 

Zul-kadeh. 

12.  El  Ho'g-h, 

or  Zul-Heg 
(Hag). 


Moon 
Moral,  a. 
Morning 

Dawn 

Sunrise 

Forenoon 

Midday 

Afternoon 

Sunset 

1§  hour  after 

sunset 
Evening 
Good  morning 

Morrow 

the  day  after 
A  mortar 
Mosk 


At  most,  at  the 

utmost 
Moth  (of  clothes) 
Mother 

 of  pearl 

My  (his)  mother 
Move,  v.  n. 

 ,  v.  a. 

Mountain 

Mount,  ascend,  r. 

 ,  ride,  v. 

Mouth 


kumr  (masc). 
mazbodt. 
soobh, sabah. 
feg_'r  (fegger). 
telat  e'sbems. 
da-hah. 
dohr. 
asser. 
mughreb. 
esh'a,  ash'a. 

messa,  ashe'eh. 
sabdl  khayr,  saba- 

koom  bel-khayr. 
bodkra,  baker, 
bad  bodkra. 
hone,  hon,  miis-han. 
gamah,  musged  (from 

se'ged,    "  to  bow 

down"), 
nahaitoo. 

kitteh. 
om. 

sudduf. 

ommee  (ommoo). 
haz. 

kow'wum. 

geb'el  (gebbel),  pi. 

gebal. 
et'la  foke  (fok). 
erkub. 

fom,  hannak  (han'ak). 


*  Hawagee,  a  Christian  :  Khowagee,  a  Moslem. 


60 

Much 

Mud 
Mug 
Musk 
Musquito 

 net 

You  must 
Mustard 
Mutton 
My 


My  son 

Iff  ail 

Nail,  v. 
Naked 
Name 
Napkin 

Narrow 
Nature,  the 

Creator 
Near 

Neat,  elegant 
It  is  necessary 
Neck 
Needle 

  packing 

Negro 

Neigh  (whinny)  v 
Neighbours 
Neither  (one 

nor  the  other) 
Net 
Never 

Never  mind,  v. 
New- 
News,  to  tell, 
Next 


Kick-name 

Night 

Nitre 

  refined 

No,  nor 
Noble,  prince 

North 
Nose 


q.  ENGLISH  AND  ARABIC  VOCABULARY. 


Sect.  I. 


keteer  (see  Quantity, 
and  What). 

teen,  wah-1,  wahal. 

kooz. 

misk. 

namdos. 

namooseeh. 

lazem. 

khar'del. 

lahm  danee. 

betaee  ;  betalitee, 
fern.,  as,  farras  be- 
tahtee,  my  mare. 

ebnee. 

mesmar. 
sum'mer. 
ariah. 
esm. 

mah'rama,  vulgarly 

foota. 
dyik,  dtheiik. 
el  khaluk. 

kary-ib  (garei-ib). 
zereef. 

lazem,  elzem. 
ruk'abeh  (rukkabeh). 
eb'ree,  pi.  o'bar. 
meselleh,  mayber. 
abd  ("  slave"),  ragel 

as'wed. 
hen'  (Jiinnire,  Lat.). 
geeran,  sing.  gar. 
wulla  wahed  wulla 

e'tanee. 
shebbekeh. 
eb'eden,  ebbeden. 
malesh,  ma  anndosh. 
gedeet,  gedeed. 
khabber  (kliabbar). 
e'tanee  (ettanee), 

alagemboo  (at 

its  side), 
nukb,  lakb. 
layl,  pi.  layal. 
sub'bukh. 
bardot  abiad. 
la,  wulla. 

emeer,  ameer,  pi. 

dmara. 
shemal,  bahree. 
monokheer,  unf. 


Not  moosh. 
Not  so  moosh  keddee,  maosh 

keza. 
ma  feesh  hageh. 
belesh. 

de'lwakt  [see  Day], 


Nothing,  none 
For  nothing 
Now 

A  great  number  keteer  kowee. 
Number,  v.        ahseb,  edd. 


The  Number, 

1,  wahed. 

2,  ethneen. 

3,  thelata. 

4,  er'ba. 

5,  khamsa. 

6,  sitteh,  sitt. 

7,  saba. 

8,  themanieh. 

9,  tesa  (tes'sa). 

10,  asherah. 

11,  hedasher. 

30,  thelateen. 
40,  erbaeen. 
50,  khamseen. 
60,  sitteen. 
70,  sabaeen. 
80,  themaneen. 
90,  tesaeen. 


.    El  Eddud. 

12,  ethndsher. 

13,  thelatasher. 

14,  erbatasher. 

15,  khamstasher. 

16,  sittasher. 

17,  sabatasher. 

18,  themantasher. 

19,  tesatasher. 

20,  ashereen. 

21,  wahed  oo  ashe- 
reen, etc. 

100,  meea  (see  Hun- 
dred). 

101,  meea  oo  wahed. 
120  meea  oo  ashe- 
reen. 

1000,  elf. 

1100,  elf  oo  meea. 


Nurse 
Nut 

Oar 

Oath 

The  ocean 

The  Mediterra- 
nean 

An  odd  one 

A  pair  and  an 
odd  one. 

Do  not  be  of- 
fended (hurt) 

Often,  many 
times 

Oil  of  olives 
Sweet  oil 

Lamp  oil 
Train  oil 


d&da  (Turk.),  mor- 
ben'dook.  [d'ah. 

mukdaf,  pi.  maka- 

deef. 
helfan,  yameen. 
el  bahr  el  malh,  el 

maleh. 
el  bahr  el  ab'iad,  i.  e. 

the  vjhite  sea. 
ferd,  furd. 
goz  oo  ferd. 

ma   takhodshee  ala 

khatrak. 
keteer    ndba,  kam 

no'ba!    (i.  e.  how 

many  times  !) 
zayt-zaytdon. 
zayt-ty-eb,*  zayt- 

helwa. 
seerig  f 
zayt-har.J 


*  From  the  kortum,  or  Carthamus  tinctorius. 
f  From  the  sinisim,  or  Sesamum  Orientate.  J  From  the  flax. 


Egypt. 


q.  ENGLISH  AND  ARABIC  VOCABULARY. 


61 


Lettuce  oil 
Old,  ancient 
Old  in  age 
On,  upon 
One 

The  very  one 
Once 
Onion 
Open,  v. 
Open,  p.  p. 
Opening 


Or 


Orange 
Order,  com- 
mand, v. 
Order,  s. 
Set  in  order,  v. 
In  order  that 
Origin 
Ostrich 
The  other 
Another 


Oven 

Over 

Overplus 

Over  and  above 

Overturn,  v. 

Overturned 

Overtake,  v. 

Our 

Out 

Outside 
Owl 

Owner 
Oxen 

Padlock 

Pail 
Pain 
Paint,  s. 
Paint,  dye,  v. 
A  pair 
Pale 

Palm,  date  tree 
Pane  (of  glass) 
Paper 

A  para  (coin) 
Parsley 


zayt-khuss. 
kadeem,  min  zeman. 


fdk. 

wahed ;  see  Numbers, 
bizatoo. 

noba  wahed,  marra 
busrsal.  [wahed. 
ef  tah. 
maftdoh. 

faVhah,  applied  also 
to  the  1st  chapter 
of  the  KorcCn. 

wulla,  ya,  ow ;  e.  g. 
either  this  or  none, 
ya  dee  ya  belesh. 

portdkan. 

aomdor,  omdor. 


woddub. 
leg'leh. 
as'sel,  assl. 
naam. 

e'tanee,  el  £-kher. 
willed  akher,  wahed 

ghayr,   wdhed  t£- 

nee,  ghayroo. 
foorn. 

fdke  (foke). 

zeeadeh. 

zyid. 

egh'leb. 

maghldob. 

el'hak. 

beta^ia,  beta-ndhna. 

barra. 

min  barra. 

muss^sa ;  (horned 

— )  bdoma. 
sahab. 

teeran ;  see  Bull, 
kufl. 

sutl,  dilweh. 

wgh'ga. 

bodia. 

es'boogh,  low'wen. 
goz,  ethneen. 
ab'iad,  as'fer. 
nakhl,  nd,kh-el. 
loh — kezas. 
war'ak ;    (leaf  of) 
warrakeh,  ferkh. 
fodda,  i.  e.  silver, 
bakddonis. 


Part,  piece 

Partridge 

Partner 

Party 

Pass,  v.  n. 

Paste 

Patch,  s. 

Patience 

Patient 

Be  patient 

He  is  patient 

Pay  money,  v. 

Peace,  pardon 

 cessation 

of  war 

We  have  made 
peace  with 
each  other. 

Pear 

 ,  prickly, 

or  Cactus. 
Peas 
Peasant 
Peel 
Pen 

Lead  pencil 
People 
Our  people 
Perfect 

 entire 

Perfidy 

Perhaps 

Persia 

Persian 

Person,  self 

A  piastre  (coin) 

Pickaxe;  see  Axe 

Pickles 

Picture 

A  piece 

Piece,  v. 

Pig 

Pigeon 

Pilgrim 

Pill 

Pin 

Pinch,  v. 

Pinch,  s. 

Pinchbeck  (me- 
tal) 

Pipe 

Pipe, 
piece 

Pistol 

A  pair  of  pistols 
A  single  pistol 


mouth- 


hetteh. 
hag'gel. 
shereek. 
gem/ma. 

foot ;  v.  a.  fow'wet, 
aseedeh,  ageen. 
roka,  roga. 
tdol-t-el-bal,  sabbr. 
saber. 

towrel  balak,  tisboor. 

rohoo  toweel. 

ed'fa  floos. 

aman. 

soolh. 

istullah'na  bad,  or 
— weea  bad. 

koomittree. 

tin  shok,  tin  serafen- 

dee. 
bisilleh. 
fellah, 
gild,  kishr. 
Mlam  (kullum). 
kalam,  rosass. 
nas,  gem'ma,  regal, 
gemma-etna, 
tern  am. 
saheh,  kameL 
khyana. 

yodmkin,  apsar  (db- 
dgem.  [sar). 
agemee,  Farsee. 
nefs. 

kirsh,  plur.  kroosh, 

toorshee. 
sdora,  tassoweer. 
het'teh,  kottah. 
fuss'el. 
khanzeer. 
ham^m. 
hag,  hag'gee. 
hab. 
dabdos. 
ek'roos,  egrus. 
goorse,  koors. 
tombdk  (Fr.). 

shebook.  ood. 

fom,  mub'sem  (mup- 

sem),  terkeebeh. 
taban'gia. 
goz  tabangiat. 
ferd. 


62 


q.  ENGLISH  AND  ARABIC  VOCABULARY. 


Sect.  I. 


A  pit 

What  a  pity ! 
A  place 

The  plague 
Plank,  pane  (of 

glass) 
Plate 
Play,  s. 
Play,  v. 
Plot 
Plough 
Ploughing 
Pluck  a  fowl,  v. 
Pluck,  pull  out, 

v. 

Plunder,  v. 
Plural 
Pocket 
Poetry 
Poison 
Point,  end 
Pole,  stick 
Pomegranate 
A  poor  man 
Potatoes 
Pottery 
A  pound 
Pour  out,  v. 

  throw 

away,  v. 
Powder 
Power 
Pray 

I  pray  you 
Prescribe,  v. 
Press,  v. 

 •,  squeeze,  v. 

Pretty 
Prevaricator 
Price  (see  What, 

and  Worth) 
Agree  about 

price  of 
Pride 
Prison 

It  is  probable 
Produce  of  the 

land 
Profit  (v.  gain) 
Property,  pos- 
sessions 
Prophet 
Prose 


beer. 

ya  khosara. 
mat'rah,  moda,  ma- 

kan,  mahal. 
el  koobbeh,  e'taoon. 
loh. 

sahan,  tub'buk,  han- 

leb  (layb).  [gar. 

illab. 

fit'neh. 

mahrat. 

hart. 

en'tif  el  fur-kher. 
en'tish. 

inhab,  nd-liah  (to  nab). 

gemma. 

gayb. 

shayr,  nusm. 

sim. 

turf. 

middree,  neboot. 
rooman. 

meske'en,  fekeer. 
kolkds  frangee. 
fokhar. 
rotl. 

soob,  koob. 
koob. 

trob ;  (gun — )  baroot. 
kodr  (kudr). 
sellee,  sullee. 
fee  ard'ak.* 
wussuf. 


aaser  (aser). 
kouei'is  (qui'yis). 
shekleban. 

tem'n  (temmen),sayr. 

uf'sel,  fussel. 

kobr  e'  nefs. 
habs,  hasel. 
ghaleben. 
khyrat  el  ard. 

milk. 

nebbee. 
nuthr,  nusr. 


Prosper,  v.  eflah. 

Provisions  zow^d,  akul  oo  sherb. 

Pull,  v.  shid. 

 out,  v. ;  pull  ek'la ;    eg'la  ;  see 

off  (clothes) 
Punishment 
Pure 

On  purpose 
Push,  v. 

Puss !  puss ! 
Put,  v. 

Put  away,  hide,  u.diss. 
Put  away,  part,  madsods. 
Putrify,  v.  affen. 
Pyramid  haram,  ahram. 


Pluck, 
azab. 
taher. 

bilanieh  ;   (in  a  bad 
liz.     [sense)  bilamed. 
biss!  biss! 
hot. 


Ik  quail 

What  quantity? 
Quarrel,  v. 
Stone  quarry 
A  quarter 
Quench  (fire),  v. 
Quince 
Quickly 

Quiet 

Race 

Raft 

Rag 

Rage 

Rain 

It  rains 

Raise,  v. 

Raised 

Ramrod 

Rank 

Rare,  strange 

A  rascal 

Rat 

Raw 

Razor 

Reach,  z. 

Read,  v. 

Ready 

Real 

Really,  truly 
The  reason 
Rebellious 
Receive  money 
Reckon,  v. 
Recollect,  v. 

(—ion) 
A  reed 


sooman  [much. 

kud-day,   i.  e.  how 

hanuk,  am  el  kalam. 

muk'ta-hag'gar. 

roob. 

itfee. 

safer'gel. 

kawam,  belaggel  (»'.  e, 

on  wheels),  yalla. 
saket. 

gens  (gense). 

ramoose  (ramoos). 

sharmoota,  khallaka. 

zemk,  kudb. 

mattar,  nuttur. 

be-un'tur. 

erfa,  sheel,  ayn. 

merfdoa. 

harbee,  kabbas. 

makam. 

ghareeb. 

ebn  haram. 

far. 

ny  (nye). 
moos. 

tool,  elhak. 

ek'ra. 

hader. 

saheh,  saduk. 

min  hak,  hakeeketen, 

e'  sebbub.  [hak'ka. 

aasee,  pi  aasi'i'n. 

ek'bud  floos. 

ah'seb. 

iftek'r. 

(fikr). 
boos. 


"  On  your  honour."   Used  to  deprecate  punishment,  and  on  other  pressing  occasions. 


Egypt. 


q.  ENGLISH  AND  ARABIC  VOCABULARY. 


63 


A  relation 
Relate,  tell,  r. 
Remember,  v. 
I  remember,  v. 
Remove  it  from 

hence 
It   is  removed 

from  place  to 

place 
Reply,  v. 
Reply,  s. 
Reside,  r. 
Return,  v. 

 ,  give  back,r. 

Rhinoceros  horn 
Ribs 
Rich 
Riches 
Rid,  v. 
Ride,  v. 
Riding,  s. 
A  rifle 
Right,  a. 
Right,  s. 
Right (hand) 
Rim 

Ring  (annulus) 
Finger  riDg 
Rinse,  v. 
Rinse  it  out 
Rise,  v. 
River 


Road 

Roast  meat 
Robber 
It  rocks 
It  rolls 
boatN 
Roof 
A  room 
Root 
Rope 

Hemp  rope 

Palm  

Rose 

Rose  water 

  otto  of 

Round,  a. 


(as 


Around 

Rouse,  r. 

Royal 

Rudder 


kareeb.  alii, 
ah'kee. 

khallee  fee  balak. 
fee  balee. 

un'guloo  min  hennee. 

itnug'gel  min  matrah 
ala  matrah. 

rood  (roodd). 

gawab. 

is'koon. 

er'ga. 

reg'ga. 

torn  kharteet. 
dulldoa. 

sheban,  ghunnee. 
ghunna  (ghena). 
khal'lus. 
er'kub. 

rokoob.  [khaneh. 
bendookdeh  shesh- 
ddghrec. 
hak  (el  hak). 
yemeen. 
harf,  soor. 
hallakah,  hallak. 
dib'leh;  see  Seal, 
musmus. 
miismusoo. 
koom  (goom) 
nahar;   bahr,   i.  e. 

ocean  (applied  to 

the  Kile). 
derb,  sikkah,  tareek. 
kebab, 
haramee. 
berook. 
itme'rga. 

sukf. 
oda. 

gidr.  gidder. 
habbel,  habl. 
habl  teel. 
habl  leef. 
werd. 

moie-werd. 
hetter  el  verd. 
medow'-er,  mekub- 
bub. 

ho-walayn,   deir  ma 

idoor. 
kow'em,  kovrvrcm. 
soltanee. 
duffeh. 


Ruins,  remains 

see  Temple 
Run,  v. 

Run,  as  a  liquid 
Rushes 

Russia  leather 
Rust 


benai  kadeem,  kha- 

ry-ib,  kharabeh. 
ig'geree. 
khor. 

soomar  (sumar). 
gild  thelateenee. 
suddeh. 


A  Sack  se&eebeh. 
Saddle  (of  horse)  serg. 

 (donkey)  berda. 

 (dromedary)ghabeet. 


-(camel) 


bajrs 


Sail,  s. 
Sailor 


witter,  howeeh 
ker,  basdor. 
khorg. 

killa,  komash 
mar^kebee. 


Sailor  (of  a  boat)  ndotee,  tyfa. 
For  his  sake       leg'leh  khatroo. 


shi- 


,  i.  e. 
[cloth. 


Salad 
for  Sale 
Salt,  a. 
Salt,  s. 
Salts 

The  same 
Sand 
Sandal 
Sandstone 
Sash,  girdle 
Saucer 
A  saw 
I  saw,  v. 


sdlata. 
lel-baya. 
maleh. 
melh. 

melh  Ingleez. 
bur'doo,  biza'too,  pi. 
ruml.  [burdohdm. 
nal. 

hagar  hettdn. 
hezam. 
tdsa. 
minshar. 

ana  shdoft ;  he  saw, 

hooa  shaf. 
kool. 

betkdol  ay. 


Say,  v. 

What  do  you 
say? 

Scabbard    (of   bayt  (e'sayf). 
sword) 

Scales  (large  — )meezan,  (kubbaneh). 
School 
Scissors 
Scold,  r. 
Scorpion 
Scribe 
Sea 

See,  v. 

A  seal 


muk'tub. 
mekuss. 

ha'nuk,  it-hanuk. 
ak-raba  (ag'raba). 
kateb. 

bahr,  bahr  el  malh, 

el  maleh. 
shoof;  I  see,  ana  sheif 

(shyfe).  beshdof. 
khatom  (worn   as  a 

 ■  impression  khitmeh.  [ring). 

Search,  v.  fettesh. 
Search  tefteesh. 


Four  Seasons. 


Winter 
Spring 


shittah. 
khareef. 


64 


q.  ENGLISH  AND  AEABIC  VOCABULAEY. 


Sect.  I. 


Summer 

sayf. 

demeereh. 

Sl!?ht  .9 

shoof  nudr. 

Autumn 

Silent  a. 

Scikut. 

Be  silent,  v. 

os'-kut  (os'koot). 

A  second  of  time 

zanee. 

Silver 

fod'da. 

The  second,  the 

e'tanee. 

Simple 

mokhtus'surah. 

other 

Single 

mooffrud  ferd. 

Secondly 

tanien. 

SlTlP"  7) 

ghun'nee. 

Seed 

bizr,  hab,  tekow'ee, 

mooffrud. 

ghulleh. 

Sir ! 

DCCUCC  .     DXLLX  • 

Seek  for 

dow'r  alay. 

Sister 

okht. 

Send,  v. 

Separate  one 

ebaat,  shaya,  ersel. 

My  sister 

okhtee. 

fur'red. 

His  sister 

okhtoo. 

from  the  other 

Sit,  v. 

o'-kut. 

Servant 

khuddcLm  subbee 

Size 

kobr. 

(lad), 
ikh'-dem. 

Skin,  s. 

gild. 

Serve,  v. 

Abater  skin 

keerbeh. 

Shade,  s. 

dooll,  dool,  dill,  zilL 

Sky,  heaven 

semma. 

Shadow 

kheeal. 

Slave 

abd,  khadem. 

Shame,  disgrace 

eb,  aeb. 

Female 

garreea  (jareea). 

Shave,  v. 
Sheep,  pi. 

ah-luk. 

Slaughter,  s. 

ketal. 

ghunnum. 

Sleep,  s. 

nom,  v.  nam. 

Ram 

khaxoof. 

"Pnf       ^Ippti  f} 

ny  em. 

Ewe 

nageh. 

Sleeping 

neim  (nvim). 
be-shwo'-esh, 

Sheet,  s. 

foota,  malya  (malaia). 

Slowly 

Shell 

wodda. 

Small,  see  Little 

sogheer. 

Shield 

dar'raka. 

Smell,  v. 

shem. 

Shine  v. 

ibrook. 

Smell  s. 

shem  reeh. 

Ship 

merkeb  ^ 

Sweet  smell 

reeh  (reht)  helwa. 

Shirt,  s. 

kamees  .  pi.  komsan. 

Blacksmith 

hadd<£t. 

Shoe 

merkoob,    pi.  mara- 

Smoke,  s. 

do-khan. 

keeb. 

Smoke,  v. 

ish 'rob  do-khan. 

Horseshoe 

nal. 

Smooth,  v. 

ef'red  ;  o.dj.  nam. 

Yellow  slipper 

TnTici"  mo? 

JJJLLOb,    Ili  CZi . 

Snail 

Xi<Xla£j\J   11    V  l\CLL<X£d\JLX\j  J. 

Shop 

dokan,  pi.  dekakin 

Snake 

taban,  han'nesh,  dood 

{see  Trader). 

Horned 

hei  bil-kordon. 

Short 

iici  slier. 

Small  shot 

rush. 

Snare* 

fukh. 

Shoulder 

kitf. 

Snuff 

nesho'k  (neshdke). 

Show,  v. 

wer'ree. 

Snuffers 

makuss  (mekuss)  — 
e'shem'ma. 

Show  me 

were  e  nee. 

Shut,  v. 

uk'-fel. 

So 

keddee,  keza. 

Shut  the  door 

rood  — ,  etrush  — , 

Soldier 

as-karee,  pi.  as^ker, 

ukfel  el  bab. 

Disciplined 

nizam.  [asker. 

Shut   bolt  the 

sook  el  bab. 

Some  of  it 

minoo,  minnoo. 
hageh,  shay. 

Something 

Shut,  p.  p. 

merdood,  matroosh, 

Some  few  things  bad  shay. 

maskdok,  makfool. 

Sometimes 

walied-wahed-ndba, 

Sick  {see  ill) 

meshow'ish,  aian. 

bad-okat. 

Sick,  to  be 

istuf'rugh. 

Son 

ebn,  welled. 

Side 

gemb. 

Song 

gho'na. 

Sieve 

ghorbal. 

Sorry 

hazeen  (saban). 

Silk 

harder. 

I  am  sorry,  v. 

isaab'alay. 

*  The  camel  is  sometimes  called  merkeb  (as  a  shoe  is  merkoob),  not  because  it  is  the  "Ship 
of  the  Desert,"  as  some  have  supposed,  but  because  merkeb  signifies  something  to  mount  upon 
(Fr.  monture),  so  that  the  ship  is  rather  the  camel  of  the  sea  than  the  converse,  and  the  Arabs 
had  camels  or  mojitures  before  they  had  ships  or  shoes. 


Egypt 


q.  ENGLISH  AND  ARABIC  VOCABULARY. 


65 


Sort,  s. 

gens,  shikl. 

Stopped,  closed 

masddod. 

Sound,  voice 

hess. 

Straight 

doghree. 

Sour,  acid 

ha-duk,  ha-mood. 
gendob,  kub'lee  (kib- 

String 

doobara. 

South 

Strong 

shedeet,  gow'ee. 

lee). 

Straw 

tibn. 

 wind 

now. 

Street 

derb,  sikkeh. 

Sow  (seed),  o. 

ez'ra. 

Stumble,  v. 

dhter. 

 (cloth),  v. 

khv-et. 

He  struck 

derreb  (see  Beat). 

Span 

shibr. 

Strike  a  light 

ek'da  (egda). 

Span  with  fore- 

fitr. 

Style 

kesm,  terteeb,  shikl. 
eftah  seeratoo,  eftah 

finger 
Speak    to  one 

Begin  the  sub- 

wessee (wussee). 

ject 

e' seer a. 

about,  bespeak 
Speak,  see  Talk. 

Such  a  one 

foolan  (felan). 

Suck,  v. 

mooss. 

Spear 

harbeh. 

Sugar 

sook'ker. 

Spend  (money) 

dy-a,  esref. 

Sun 

shems  (fern.). 

Spider 

ankaboot. 

The  sun  has  set 

e'shems  ghabet. 

 web 

ankabdot. 

Sulphur 

kabreet, 

Spill,  v. 

koob  (kubb). 

Summer 

sayf. 
es'ned. 

Spirit 

roh. 

Support,  v. 

A  spirit 

afreet,    pi.  afareet, 

He  supported 

sen'ned. 

ginnee,  pi.  gin. 

Supported,  p.  p. 

masnodd. 

A  good  spirit,  see  Angel. 

Suppose,  v. 

zoon'  (zoonn),  khum'- 

Split,  p.p. 

maflodk,  mushroom. 

men. 

It  gets  spoilt 

ms. 

Swell,  v. 

ydorem. 

It  is  quite  spoilt  tel'lef,  rah  khosara. 

Swollen 

warm. 

Spoon 

malaka. 

Swear,  testify,  v 

ish'had,  ahlif. 

Sportsman 

sy-ad. 

 at,  abuse,  v 

ish'tem. 

Square 

morub'bah,  morub'ba. 

Swallow,  v. 

eb'la. 

Stable,  s. 

stabl. 

Sweet 

hel'wa. 

Stand  up 

kdom  ala  haylak. 

Swim,  v. 

aom. 

Stand,  v.  1 
Stop  J 

yodkuf,  wukkuf. 

Sword 
Syria 

sayf. 
e'Sham. 

Star 

nigm  ;  pi.  nigodm. 

System 

terteeb,  nizanx, 

Statue 

mas-khdot. 

Stay,  wait,  v. 

us'boor. 

Table-cloth 

fodta  e'so'ffra. 

Steal,  v. 

esrook,  es'mk[to  sherfc]. 

Table 

soffra. 

Stealth,  s. 

seerkah. 

 ,  Turkish 

kodrsee. 

By  stealth 

bil-duss. 

Tack  (in  sailing)  id'rob  bdlta. 

Steel 

soolb. 

Tail 

dayl. 

A  steel  (for  flint)  zeenad. 

Tailor 

khyat,  terzee. 

Stick 

nebdot ;  assaia  (as- 
syeh),  shamrodkh. 

Take,  v. 

khod. 

Stick  of  palm 

Take  away,  v. 

sheel. 

gereet. 

Take  in,  cheat 

ghush,  ghush'em. 
itkel'lem,  it-had'det. 

Stick,  o. 
Sticking 

ilzuk. 

Talk,  v. 

lazek. 

Tall 

toweel  (towweel). 

It  has  stuck 

lez'zek. 

Tamarinds 

tdmr  hindee. 

Stuck,  p.  p. 

malzdok. 

Tamarisk 

tur'fa. 

Still 

s^kut. 

Tan,  v. 

ed'bogh. 

 yet 

lissa. 

Tax 

feerdeh  (fir'deh), 

Sting 

shok. 

meeree. 

He  is  stingy 

ee'doo  masek. 

Tea 

shy. 

Stirrup 

rekab. 

Teach,  v. 

alem. 

Stone 

haggar. 

Tear,  v. 

eshrut,  sher'mut. 

Stop,  see  Stand  and  Wait. 

A  tear 

dim'moo. 

Stop  up,  v. 

sid. 

Telegraph 

e-shara. 

66 


q.  ENGLISH  AND  ARABIC  VOBABULARY. 


Sect.  I. 


Telescope 
Tell,  v. 
Temple 
Tent 
Tent  peg 
Than 


nadara. 
tool,  dh-kee. 

beerbeh. 

khaym,  khaymeh. 

wat'tat. 

min.  an. 


We  thank  you  nish'koor  el  f<5dl. 

(for  a  present) 
• — —{for  inquiry)  allah  ibarak  feek. 
 (for  a  great  ket'-ther — (getther — ) 

favour),  1  am  khayrak. 

much  obliged 

to  you !  (also 

ironically) 
Thank  God        el  ham'doo  lilldh. 
Then  somma,  baden. 

There  henak. 
They,  their        hoom,  beta'-hoom. 
Thick  te-kheen. 
Thief  {see  Kobber  and  Steal). 
Thigh  fukhd,  werk. 

Thin  roofya   (roofeia),  re- 

feea. 

Thing  hageh,  shay. 

Things  asheedt. 

 ,  matters  omoor. 

Think,  v.  iftekker,  khum'men. 

I  think,  suppose  ana  azdon,  tekhmee- 
nee. 

Third  thalet. 
This  dee,  Mza  (hdtha). 

That  deeka,  dikkai,  da. 

Those  dole  (dol). 

Thirst  at'tush. 
Thirsty  at-sha'n. 
Thorn  shoke  (shok). 

Thought  fikr. 
Thread,  s.  khayt. 
A  thread  fet'leh,  fet'Ieh  khayt. 

Threshold  at'taba. 
Thrive,  v.  e'f'la. 
Throw,  v.  ermee. 
Thumb  suba  el  kebeer. 

Thunder  raad. 
Tickle,  v.  zukzuk  (zugzug). 

Tie,  v.  er'boot. 
Tight,  drawn  mashddot. 
Time,  narrow     dy-ik  (dei-uk),  maz- 
ndok. 

Time,  volta  noba. 

 ,  tempo  wakt. 

Tin  kazdeer  (icacraiTepov). 

Tin  plate  safeeh. 
Tin.  v.  whiten     beiad,  byad. 
Tinder  soofrin. 
Tired  batla'n. 


To 

Toast  (bread)' 

Tobacco 

Together 

To-morrow 

Tongs 

Tooth 

Top 

Torch 

Torn 

A  torn  rag 

Tortoise 

Torture 

 ,  v. 

Touch,  feel,  v. 

Do  not  touch 
that  (put  not 
your  hand  on 
it). 

Tow 

Tow  (a  boat) 
Towel,  napkin 
Tower 

 fort 

Town 

Large  town 

Trade 

Trader 

Traveller 

 European 

Treachery 

Treacherous 
{see  Betray 
and  Perfidy). 

Tree 

Trickery,  ma- 
chination 
Trouble 
Trousers 

 of  women 

True 

Try,  prove,  v. 
Tub 
Turban 
Turk 

Turn,  v. 
Turquoise 
Twice 
Twist,  v. 


ilia,  eela. 
esh  mekum'mer. 
do-khan,  i.  e.  smoke, 
sow'a — sow'a,  weea- 

bad. 
bodkra. 
ma-sheh. 

sin,   pi.   sinnan,  si- 

nodn. 
ghutta  (cover), 
mash'al. 
mesher'met 
sharmodta. 
sah'lifeh. 
az£ib. 

azeb,  addab. 
has'sus. 

la  tehdt  yed'ak  alay, 
ma  tehdt-shi 
eedak  ala  dee. 

meshak. 
goor  e'  leban. 
fodta,  mahrama. 
boorg. 
kala. 

belled  (bel'ed),  pi. 

belad. 
ben'der. 
6ebbub. 

tager,  mesebbub. 
mesaffer,  pi.  — in. 
sowah,  pi.  — in. 
khiaua,  kheeana. 
khein,  khyin. 


seg'gereh,  sheg'- 

gereh. 
dool^b,  doobara, 

hayleh. 
taab. 

6harwal,  lebass 

(drawers), 
shintian. 

saheh,  do'ghree,  &a- 

duk,  saheeh. 
kur'reb. 
mustela. 
shall,  em'meh. 
Toork,  Ozmanlee, 

Osmanli. 
dow'er. 
faroo'see. 

marratayn,  nobatayn. 
ib'room. 


Egypt. 


q.  ENGLISH  AND  ARABIC  VOCABULARY. 


67 


Tyrant 

Tyrannical 

Tyranny 

Valley- 
Value,  price 
Vapour 
Vase 

Vegetables 
Very 


Ugly 
Violent 
Violet 
Virgin 
Umbrella 
Undo,  untie,  v. 
Uncle 

Uncle  (mother's 

brother) 
Until 
Under 
Vocabulary 
Voyage 

Up,  upon,  over 
Upper 
Use,  utility 
It  is  useful 

 of  no  use 

Used,  worn, 

secondhand 
Usury 
Vulture 

 percnopterus 

Wafer 

Wager 


|  za'lem. 
zoolm. 


Waist 

"Wait,  stop,  v. 

 for  me 

 for  him 

Wake,  v.  a.  andn. 
Walk,  v. 
Walking 
Wall 

  (round  a 

town) 
Walls 
Walnut 
I  want,  v. 


What  do  you 
want  ? 


wadee  (wfldy). 

temn  (temmun). 

bo-khar. 

tdsa. 

khodar. 

kow'ee ;  very  large, 

kebeer  kow'ee. 
wahesh,  bil-ham. 
kow'wee  (kow'ee). 
benef'sig. 
bikr. 

shemseeh. 
fook',  hell, 
am. 
khal. 

ilia,  le,  illama,  loma. 

takht.  [lemee. 

sillemee,    ketab  sil- 

saffer. 

foke  (fok). 

fokanee. 

neffa. 

infa. 

ma  infash. 
mestah'mel. 

ribh. 

nisser,  nisr. 
rakh-am  (rakhum). 

bersham. 

rahaneh. 

gemkeeh. 

rjcoost,  i.  e.  middle. 

us'boor. 

istennanee. 

isten'noo. 

es'-hur  (es'-her) . 

im'shee. 

ma-shee. 

hayt. 

soor. 

hay tan. 
goz. 

ana  o-w'es  (owz),  ana 
areed,  ana  atlub 
(taleb),  matloobee. 

ow'es-ay,  owz-ay ;  by 
the  Arabs,  Esh 
tereed. 


I  want 

I  want  nothin 
War 
Warm 
Lukewarm 
Warn,  v. 
T  warned  you 
I  was 

He,  it,  was 
She  was 
We  were 
You  were 
They  were 
Wash,  v. 
Waste,  s. 
A  watch 
Water,  s. 
Water,  v. 

  sprinkle 

Fresh  water 


ow'es,  ow'z,  ldzemlee, 

areed. 
moosh  ow'es  hageh. 
harb,  shemmata. 
sokhn. 
dafee. 
wu'ssee. 
ana  wusayt-ak. 


koont,  ana  koont. 
kan. 
kan'net. 
koon'na. 

kodntum,  kodntoo. 
kdnoo. 
ugh' s  el. 
khosara. 
eaa. 

mo'ie,  ma,  mo'ieh. 
is'kee. 
rodsh,  rush, 
mdie  hel'wa. 
Spring  (of  water)  ain,  ayn  (eye),  ed. 
Water,  torrent  of  sayl. 
(in  the  desert) 

 basin     of  khdraza,  mesek. 

(in  a  rock) 

 small  basin  mesayk. 

of 

  basin    or  themeeleh. 

natural  reser- 
voir, when 
filled  up  with 
sand  or  gravel 

 well  of  beer. 

 reservoir  hod. 

(built) 

 pool  of  rain  magara  (makara). 

water 
  river,  or  nahr. 

stream 
 channel,  or  mig'gree. 

conduit 
Water  melon 
Wax  candles 
Way 
We 
Weak 
One  week 
Weigh,  v. 
Weight 
A  well 
Well,  good 
Wet 
Wet,  v. 
What 


bateekh. 

shemma  skanderanee. 
sikkah,  derb. 
ah'na,  nah'na. 
batlan,  da-eef. 
godma  wahed. 
yodzen. 
tokl,  wezzen. 
beer. 

tyeb  (v.  good), 
mablodl. 
bil. 

ay,  esh.  [ool-ay? 


What  do  you  say  ?  betkodl-ay,  tek 


G8 


q.  ENGLISH  AND  ARABIC  VOCABULARY. 


Sect.  I. 


What's  the  mat- 
ter? 

What's  the  price 
of  this  ? 

What  is  this 
worth  ? 

What  are  you 
doing  ? 

What  o'clock  is 

it? 
Wheat 
A  wheel 
When 

At  the  time  that 
Where  ? 

Where  are  you 
going  ? 

Where  did  you 
come  from  ? 

Which  ? 

That  which 

Whip  of  hippo- 
potamus hide 

White 

Whiten,  v. 

Whitening 

Why? 

Who 

Who  is  that  ? 
Who  said  so  ? 
Whose 
The  whole 
Wicked 

  rascal 

Widow 
Widower 
Wife 

Wild  animal 
I  will,  v. 
Wind,  s. 
North  wind 
Window 
Wine 
Wing 
Winter 
Wipe,  v. 
Wire 
Wish 
Wish,  v. 


khabbar-ay,  gera-ay 

el  khabbar-ay  ? 
be-kam  dee  ? 

eswa-ay  dee  ? 

betamel-ay ;  by  the 
Arabs,  esh  te- 
sow'wee  ? 

e'  sa'a  fee  kam  ? 

kum'h. 
aggeleh. 

lema  (lemma),  emte. 
wakt  ma. 

fayn  (by  the  Arabs, 

owwayn)  ? 
ente  rye  fayn? 

ente  gayt  min  ayn  ? 

an'hdo  ? 

el-azee,  elee  (ellee). 
korbag. 

ab'iad,  fern,  bay  da. 

byed. 

tabesheer. 

lay  ?  lesh  ? 

min. 

da  min  ? 

min  kal  (gal)  keddee  ? 

beta  min. 

el  kool,  kool'loo. 

haram. 

ebn  haram. 

az'beh,  er'meleh. 

azeb,  er'mel. 

marra,  zog,  hormah. 

w^hsh  (waliesh). 

ana  ow'es  (aw's). 

reeh,  howra. 

e'ty-ab,  teiab. 

shu-b^k. 

nebeet,  shardb. 

ge-nah. 

shitta. 

em'sah. 

silk. 

tool'beh. 
et'loob. 


I  wish,  v. 

I  had  wished 

With 

Within 

Witness 

Wolf 

Woman 

0  woman  (call- 
ing to  a  poor 
woman,  re- 
spectfully) 

Women 

1  wonder  at 

I  wonder  if,  i.  e. 

wish  to  know 
Wonderful 
Wood 
Firewood 
Wool 
Word 
Work,  s. 
Work,  v. 
World 
Worm 
Worth,  it  is 
Wound,  s. 
Wounded 
Write,  v. 
Wrote 
Writing 
Written 

A  yard,  court 
Year 

Yesterday 

The  day  before 

yesterday 
Yes 

Not  yet 

Yield    to  my 

opinion 
You 

Young 
Young  man 
Your 
Youth 


bid'dee,  fee  khatree, 

areed. 
erayt,  kan  fee  khd- 

tree. 
ma,  wee-a. 
gooa. 
shahed. 
deeb  (deep), 
marra,  nissa,  hormah. 
ya  haggeh,  ya  hagh 
{Cp.  old  hag.) 


ni  s-wan,  hareem . 

ana  astageb. 

ya  tarra,  hal  toora. 


khesh'-ob,  (khdshub). 

hattob. 

soof. 

kilmeh,  kal^m. 

shoghl. 

ishtoghl,  faal. 

dooneea. 

dood. 

eswa. 

gerah  (gerrah). 
magrooh. 

ik'tub ;  writer,  kateb. 

ket'teb. 

ketabeh. 

maktodb. 

hosh. 

senna  (senneh). 
emba'ra  (by  the  Arabs, 

ums,  or  umse). 
owel  embdra  (by  the 

Arabs,  owel  ums). 
iwa,  eiwa,  nam. 
lissa. 

tawanee. 

en'te ;     entee,  fern. ; 

entoom,  pi. 
sogheier ;  vulgo  zw^ir. 
sheb,  gedda. 
betak;  betahtak,/. 
shebab,  sheboobeeh. 


(    69  ) 


View  in  the  Delta  during  the  Inundation  of  the  Nile. 


ALEXANDRIA. 


Geneeal  Infoemation. 

1.  Landing  at  Alexandria.— 2.  Hotels.  — 3.  Lodgings.  Houses.  —  4.  Cafes. 
Bestaurants.  —  5.  Post  Office.  — 6.  Bankers.  —  7.  Consulates.  — 8.  Physi- 
cians. —  9.  Shops.  Tradespeople.  —  10.  Agents  for  fomoarding  goods.  — 
11.  Churches.  —  12.  Conveyances.  —  13.  Railways.  —  14.  Steamers.  — 
15.  Telegraph.  — 1Q.  Servants.  — 11.  Boats  for  Nile  voyage. 

1.  Landing  at  Alexandria.  —  (See  about  a  mile  off  shore.  The  first  ob- 
Introduction,  on  the  Voyage  to  Alex-  jects  perceived  from  the  sea  are  Poni- 
andria.)  pey's  Pillar,  the  forts  on  the  mounds 

From  whichever  side  it  is  ap-  constructed  by  the  French,  and  the 
proached  the  coast  of  Egvpt  is  so  ex-  detached  forts  added  by  Mohammed 
ceedingly  low,  that  the  highest  parts  Ali,  the  Pharos  and  new  lighthouse, 
only  begin  to  be  seen  at  the  distance  and  the  buildings  on  the  Pas  et  Teen 
of  about  18  miles,  and  the  line  of  (the  "  Cape  of  Figs "),  between  the  two 
the  coast  itself  is  not  discernible  till  ports;  and  on  nearing  the  land  the 
within  13  or  14.  Though  there  is  obelisk,  the  Pasha's  hareem  and  palace, 
water  to  the  depth  of  6  fathoms  close  the  houses  of  the  town,  the  masts_  of 
to  the  Pharos,  and  from  5^  to  4  along  ships,  and  the  different  batteries  (which 
the  whole  shore  to  the  point  of  Eu-  have  been  lately  much  increased;,  the 
nostus,  at  the  entrance  of  the  western  windmills  to  the  west,  and  the  line  of 
harbour,  and  at  1^  mile  off  not  less  coast  extending  to  Marabut  Point,  begin 
than  20  fathoms,  it  is  exceedingly  dan-  to  be  seen.  "  There  is  nothing  at  all 
gerous  to  approach  at  night.  There  is,  remarkable  in  the  view  of  Alexandria 
however,  very  good  holding  ground  in  from  the  sea  ...  .  the  town  looks 
the  roads ;  and  ships  anchor,  or  lav  to,  like  a  long  horizontal  streak  of  white- 


70 


ALEXANDRIA 


LANDING  ; 


Sect.  I. 


wash,  mingled  with  brown,  and  crossed 
perpendicularly  with  the  sharp  lines 
of  ships'  masts." — Dr.  Macleod. 

The  old  lighthouse,  which  occupies 
the  site  of  the  ancient  Pharos,  on  a 
rock  joined  to  the  land  by  a  causeway  T 
had  long  been  pronounced  insufficient 
for  the  safety  of  vessels  making  the 
coast,  both  from  its  want  of  height,  and 
the  bad  quality  of  the  light  itself,  espe- 
cially in  foggy  weather,  when  it  could 
scarcely  be  seen  till  a  vessel  had  neared 
the  land.  Its  distance  from  the  western 
harbour  was  an  additional  cause  of 
complaint.  To  remedy  these  incon- 
veniences, Mohammed  Ali  erected  the 
new  lighthouse  on  the  point  of  Eunos- 
tus,  and  the  present  Khedive  has  per- 
fected his  grandfather's  work  by  placing 
in  A  a  20-second  revolving  light,  visible 
at  a  distance  of  20  miles. 

Vessels  can  only  enter  the  harbour 
in  daylight ;  if  they  arrive  after  sun- 
set they  are  obliged  to  lay  to  till  the 
next  morning.  None  may  enter  with- 
out a  pilot,  whose  guidance  is  con- 
sidered necessary  to  take  them  through 
the  complicated  channels  of  the  port. 
Sometimes,  if  the  weather  is  very 
rough,  a  ship  may  have  to  wait  out- 
side a  day  or  more,  as  either  a  pilot 
will  not  come  out,  or  the  ship  itself 
may  draw  too  much  water  to  admit  of 
her  passing  over  the  principal  shoal 
when  the  waves  are  running  very 
high. 

It  is  much  to  be*  hoped  that  the 
narrow-minded  idea  of  looking  upon 
the  natural  obstructions  to  entering 
the  harbour  at  any  time  and  in  any 
weather  as  safeguards  against  a  sudden 
hostile  attack  from  an  enemy's  fleet, 
will  not  prevent  the  Egyptian  Govern- 
ment from  taking  the  very  simple 
measures  which  are  necessary  for 
making  the  harbour  accessible  at  all 
times  and  in  all  weathers.  It  is  only 
necessary  to  blow  up  the  rock  which 
lies  in  the  middle  of  the  central  or 
principal  pass,  and  then  with  a  well- 
arranged  system  of  buoys  and  leading 
lights,  ships  might  find  their  way  in 
safety  at  any  hour  of  the  day  and 
night.  This  must  surely  be  the  in- 
evitable complement  of  the  magni- 
ficent harbour  now  in  course  of  con- 


struction for  the  Government  by  an 
English  Company,  and  which,  when 
completed,  will  provide  Alexandria 
with  a  port  containing  an  area  of 
3000  feet  of  still  water,  and  landing- 
quays  nearly  2  m.  in  length.  One 
great  feature  in  this  work  is  the  con- 
struction of  a  breakwater  a  mile  and 
a  half  long.  The  workshops  of  the 
Company  to  whom  the  contract  for 
this  undertaking  has  been  entrusted, 
at  a  cost  of  nearly  2  millions  sterling, 
are  situated  at  the  quarries  of  Mex. 
They  may  be  seen  on  the  right-hand 
side  as  the  steamer  passes  up  into  the 
harbour,  and  beyond  them  a  palace 
built  by  the  late  Viceroy,  Said  Pacha, 
but  which  its  position  out  in  the  desert 
has  not  induced  his  successor  to  finish. 

The  main  or  central  channel  has  5 
and  6  fathoms  water,  the  Marabut  4£, 
5,  and  6  ;  others,  4,  5,  and  6 ;  but  they 
are  very  narrow,  the  widest  not  quite 
2^  cables  or  1500  feet.  The  deepest 
part  of  the  harbour,  about  due  W.  and 
due  N.  of  the  Catacombs,  is  10,  IO5, 
and  in  one  place  1 1  fathoms ;  close  in,  ! 
to  within  200  feet  of  the  shore,  it  is 
from  4  to  6 ;  and  under  the  town  itself, 
at  little  more  than  1  cable's  length  off, 
3  and  4  fathoms. 

As  soon  as  the  steamer  anchors  in 
the  great  harbour,  shoals  of  boats  come 
off  to  take  the  newly  arrived  strangers 
with  their  baggage  ashore.    If  the 
traveller  has  already,  before  leaving 
England,  secured  the  services  of  a 
dragoman,  and  been  able  to  fix  the 
date  of  his  arrival,  he  will  be  saved 
all  bother,  and  can  leave  the  trouble 
and  nuisance  of  landing  in  the  dra- 
goman's hands :  if  not,  he  had  better 
consign  himself  to  the  care  of  the 
Commissionaire  of  the  hotel  to  which  ; 
he  intends  going.     The  usual  price 
paid  fur  a  boat  to  or  from  a  steamer,  I 
with  a  moderate  amount  of  luggage,  t 
is  2s.     On  landing  at  the  Custom-  c 
house  the  stranger  will  be  asked  for  a 
his  passport,  and  the  declaration  that  I 
he  is  an  Englishman  and  therefore  t! 
does  not  require  one,  will  sometimes  I 
suffice  to  pass  him,  but  not  always.  1 
Any  inclination  to  rigour  in  the  exa-  tl 
mination  of  personal  luggage  may  be  t 
in  general  successfully  met  by  an 


Egypt, 


THE  FRANK 


QUARTER. 


71 


opportune  baksheesh,  but  it  should  be 
remembered  that  gunpowder  will  be 
certainly  detained. 

According  to  the  treaty  of  Balta 
Liman,  all  goods  are  to  pay  5  per  cent. ; 
that  is,  3  on  entering  the  ports  of  Tur- 
key, and  2  on  leaving  them  for  the 
interior ;  which  of  course  exempts  them 
from  further  examination  at  any  inland 
towns.  In  virtue  of  this,  wine  and 
spirits  are  free  from  every  other  duty, 
hitherto  levied  upon  them  at  Cairo  and 
other  places.  The  treaty  is  very  ex- 
plicit in  its  conditions  respecting  the 
duties,  the  abolition  of  monopolies,  and 
the  right  given  to  all  Europeans  of 
purchasing  the  produce  of  the  country, 
and  exporting  it  without  impediment 
on  the  payment  of  an  ad  valorem  duty. 

On  landing,  the  stranger,  if  he 
escapes  the  rapacity  of  the  boatmen, 
who,  like  all  other  classes  at  Alexan- 
dria, are  never  satisfied,  however  well 
paid,  is  immediately  pressed  on  all 
sides  by  the  most  importunate  of  hu- 
man beings,  in  the  shape  of  donkey- 
boys  and  carriage-drivers,  who,  with 
vehement  vociferation  and  gesticula- 
tion, strive  to  take  possession  of  the 
unfortunate  traveller,  and  almost  force 
him  to  mount.  If  not  under  guidance, 
he  had  better  seek  refuge  in  the  omni- 
bus of  the  hotel  to  which  he  is  going. 
Very  heavy  luggage  can  be  best 
carried  in  a  cart  or  truck. 

If  he  does  not  dislike  going  on  foot 
(provided  it  is  dry  weather),  a  walk  of 
15  or  20  minutes  will  take  the  traveller 
to  the  hotel. 

The  streets  through  which  he  passes 
are  narrow  and  irregular,  the  houses 
appearing  as  if  thrown  together  by 
chance,  without  plan  or  order ;  and 
few  have  even  that  Oriental  character 
which  is  so  interesting  at  Cairo.  Here 
and  there,  however,  the  lattice-work  of 
the  windows  and  a  few  Saracenic  arches 
give  the  streets  a  picturesque  appear- 
ance; and  if  he  happens  to  take  the 
longer,  but  more  interesting,  road 
through  the  bazaars,  the  stranger  will 
be  struck  with  many  a  novel  and  East- 
ern scene.  But  he  had  better  visit 
them  after  he  has  seemed  and  arranged 
his  rooms  at  the  hotel. 

On  emerging  frcm  the  dingy  streets 


of  the  Turkish  quarter,  he  will  be  sur- 
prised by  their  contrast  with  the  larger 
and  cleaner  dwellings  of  the  Europeans, 
where  he  will  readily  distinguish  the 
houses  of  the  consuls  by  the  flag-staffs 
rising  from  their  flat  roofs.  In  the 
western  harbour  he  will  also  have  ob- 
served some  buildings  of  a  superior 
style,  as  the  Pasha's  palace,  and  some 
public  buildings,  which  bear  the  stamp 
of  Constantinople,  or  of  Frank,  taste. 

The  Frank  quarter  stands  at  the  ex- 
tremity of  the  town,  farthest  from  the 
new  port ;  which  is  in  consequence  of 
the  European  vessels  having  formerly 
been  confined  to  the  eastern  harbour, 
and  the  consuls  and  merchants  having 
built  their  houses  in  that  direction.  It 
has,  within  the  last  fifteen  years,  greatly 
increased  in  size,  and  is  now  extending 
far  beyond  the  large  square.  "  Our  way 
took  us  through  Alexandria,  a  cosmo- 
politan city  of  French  houses,  Italian 
villas,  Turkish  lattice-windowed  build- 
ings, and  native  mud-hovels,  where 
every  tongue  is  commonly  spoken,  and 
every  coin  is  in  current  circulation. 
A  city  of  extremes  and  contrasts.  De- 
luged in  winter  by  rain,  and  at  times 
even  pinched  by  cold:  it  is  annually 
scorched  for  five  months  by  a  fierce 
sun,  dusted  by  desert  sand,  and  parched 
by  drought.  Excellent  European  shops 
of  all  descriptions  stand  amongst  East- 
ern coffee-houses  and  bazaars.  In- 
habited by  men  of  all  nations,  a  fancy 
ball  could  scarce  produce  a  more  in- 
congruous crowd  than  that  which  fills 
its  streets.  English  and  Greek  sailors 
jostle  their  way  through  a  throng  of 
Italian  and  French  merchants,  Ger- 
man mechanics,  Maltese  servants, 
Turkish  and  Egyptian  women,  don- 
keys with  their  boy-masters,  and  camels 
with  their  Arab  drivers.  More  beau- 
tiful women  may  be  seen  in  it  any  day 
than  anywhere  out  of  London,  and. 
others,  poor  things,  more  ugly  and 
squalid  than  even  London  can  pro- 
duce. Then  passes  a  carriage  full  of 
Greeks,  who  contradict  our  insular 
prejudices  in  favour  of  English  beauty, 
and  then  an  artificial  product  of  the 
Boulevards  is  knocked  by  a  donkey  off 
her  high  heels  into  a  puddle.  And 
what  puddles !    In  this,  the  old  part 


72 


ALEXANDEIA  I 


HOTELS,  ETC.; 


Sect.  I. 


of  the  town,  there  is  no  road  properly- 
speaking,  and  no  pathway.  Man, 
woman,  or  beast,  each  takes  the  way 
which  offers,  and  makes  the  best  of 
the  open  space.  The  road  was  once, 
like  everything  in  Egypt,  well,  even 
prodigally,  made,  and  then  left  to  take 
care  of  itself.  After  the  manner  of 
roads,  it  gave  unevenly,  and  the  weak 
parts  had  become  quagmires,  the  strong 
rocks.  The  ruts  were  not  ruts,  but 
rather  chains  of  ponds  filled  with  mud 
which  was  water,  and  with  water 
which  was  mud.  Between  the  ponds 
the  remnants  of  the  old  road  served  as 
embankments,  and  at  each  moment 
our  carriage  hauled  painfully  up  one 
of  these,  poised  itself  dripping  at  the 
top  before  making  another  plunge  into 
the  sea  below." — Fred.  Eden. 

2.  Hotels. — Hotel  d' Europe ;  Hotel 
d 'Orient,  or  Peninsular  and  Oriental 
Hotel,  both  in  the  Great  Square  or 
Place  Mehemet  Ali;  Hotel  Abbott  in 
the  Place  de  FEglise ;  and  the  Hotel 
d'Angleterre,  near  the  sea  baths,  are 
the  best  and  most  frequented  hotels. 
There  is  not  much  to  choose  between 
them  either  in  comfort  or  position, 
and  they  all  leave  much  to  be  desired. 
The  charges  at  the  Hotel  d'Europe 
and  the  Hotel  d'Orient  are  16s.  a  day 
for  board  and  lodging-,  and  at  the 
Hotel  Abbat  and  the  Hotel  dAngle- 
terre  12s.  a  day.  The  situation  of  the 
Hotel  d'Angleterre  is  against  it,  but  it 
is  well  spoken  of  for  its  cuisine.  The 
traveller  who  only  stops  for  an  hour  or 
two  at  any  of  these  hotels  is  charged  for 
the  whole  day.  This  is  a  great  abuse, 
and  it  is  quite  time  that  a  change  took 
place  in  the  hotel  system  in  Egypt, 
and  that  people  should  be  able  to  take 
rooms  and  pay  for  each  meal  separately. 

3.  Lodgings.  Houses. — For  any  in- 
formation on  this  point  application  had 
better  be  made  at  the  shop  of  Messrs. 
Eobertson  and  Co.,  the  booksellers. 

4.  Cafes,  Restaurants.— There  are 
several  in  different  parts  of  the  town. 
A  very  good  breakfast  or  dinner  may 
be  had  at  the  Cafe'  de  la  Bourse,  over 
the  Bourse. 


5.  Post-office. — Mails  are  received 
from,  and  despatched  to,  England  and 
America  weekly  by  the  P.  and  O. 
steamers  via  Southampton  or  Brin- 
disi,  and  by  the  Italian  steamers 
via  Brindisi.  The  Southampton  mail 
at  present  arrives  on  Wednesday,  and 
the  Brindisi  mail  on  Thursday.  The 
departures  are  dependent  on  the  arrival 
of  the  mail  from  India,  Monday  being 
the  usual  day.  English  and  American 
letters  are  also  received  and  despatched 
weekly,  via  Marseilles,  by  the  French 
Messageries  steamers,  and  via,  Trieste 
by  the  Austrian  Lloyd  steamers. 
Letters  sent  direct  from  England  via 
Southampton  or  Brindisi  will  be  found 
at  the  British  post-office.  Bue  de  la 
Poste,  close  to  the  Great  Square. 
Letters  for  England  can  be  posted 
either  at  the  British  or  French  post- 
offices  (the  latter  is  at  the  French 
Consulate).  There  are  four  other 
foreign  post-offices  in  Alexandria : 
the  Austrian  for  mails  via  Trieste; 
the  Italian  for  Italian  mails  via  Brin- 
disi or  Messina ;  the  Russian  for  mails 
via  Odessa ;  and  the  Greek  for  Greek 
mails.  American  mails  are  received 
and  despatched  by  the  English  and 
French  post-offices.  The  Egyptian 
post-office  in  the  Place  de  l'Eglise  is 
for  letters  to  and  from  any  part  of  the 
Egyptian  dominions.  Mail  bags  sent 
and  received  by  every  train.  Letters 
from  Lidia,  China,  Australia,  &c,  will 
generally  be  found  at  the  British  post- 
office,  but  it  is  as  well  to  inquire  at  the 
French  post-office  also. 

6.  Bankers. — Bank  of  Egypt,  Rue 
de  la  Poste ;  Imperial  Ottoman  Bank, 
Rue  de  1'Okelle  Neuve ;  H.  Oppenheim, 
Nephew  and  Co.,  Rue  de  la  Mosque'e ; 
Anglo-Egyptian  Bank,  Place  Mehe- 
met Ali  or  Great  Square ;  Tod,  Rath- 
bone  and  Co.,  Place  MeTiemet  AH  or 
Great  Square ;  Franco-Egyptian  Bank ; 
Comptoir  d'Escompte  (de  Paris),  &c. 

7.  Consulates.  —  English.:  G.  E. 
Stanley,  Esq.,  Consul ;  li.  H.  Calvert, 
Esq.,  Vice-Consul.  Office,  Rue  de 
l'Obelisque ;  hours,  10  till  3.  Colonel 
Stanton,  R.E.,  C.B.,  H.  B.  M.'s  Agent 
and  Consul-General  for  Egypt,  resides 


Egypt. 


SHOPS ;  CHURCHES 


;  CONVEYANCES. 


73 


in  summer  at  Alexandria,  and  in 
winter  at  Cairo.  American :  V.  Bar- 
thow,  Vice-Consul. 

8.  Physicians. — Dr.  Mackie,  Rue  de 
la  Mosquee  d  Atarine,  near  Abbat's 
Hotel;  Dr.  Grosjean,  Swiss,  speaking 
English.  Finuie  Bey,  dentist  to  the 
Khedive. 

9.  Shops  and  Tradespeople. — There 
are  many  very  good  shops  at  Alex- 
andria, at  which  the  traveller  can 
supply  most  of  his  wants.  Among  the 
must  likely  to  contain  what  he  may 
require  are  : — 

Booksellers. — David  Robertson  and 
Co.,  in  the  Place  Mehemet  Ali  or 
Great  Square — a  very  good  establish- 
ment for  books,  newspapers,  stationery, 
photographs,  and  a  variety  of  articles — 
has  always  a  capital  assortment  of 
English  books  of  every  kind,  with 
maps,  plans,  guide  -  books,  &c,  for 
Egypt  and  elsewhere.  Mr.  Philip, 
the  manager,  is  always  kindly  ready 
to  give  travellers  any  information  they 
may  need.  Messrs.  Robertson  have  a 
branch  shop  at  Cairo.  Santamaria, 
Place  Mehemet  Ali,  best  shop  for  the 
latest  French  and  Italian  books;  has 
also  the  Tauchnitz  editions.  Magrini 
and  Co.,  Place  Me'bemet  Ali. 

Photographs. — Views  of  Egypt  and 
the  Nile  may  be  obtained  at  the  book- 
sellers'. Schier,  Place  Mehe'met  Ali, 
is  the  best  photographic  artist;  his 
cartes  de  visite  are  very  good. 

Chemists. — British  Dispensary,  Ras 
et  Teen  Street ;  Egyptian  Dispensary, 
in  same  street. 

General  Outfitters. — Cordier,  Place 
Mehe'met  Ali ;  and  any  of  the  nume- 
;      rous  bazaars  in  the  same  square. 

Provision  Merchants. — Goodman  and 
Gradidge,  in  a  small  street  behind  the 
r     English  church. 

Jeweller. — Rocheman,  Place  Mehe- 
met Ali. 

Hairdresser. — Boret,  Place  Mehemet 
!.  Ali. 

10.  AOENTS  FOR  FORWARDING  GOODS. 

1     — R.  J.  Moss  and  Co.,  agents  for  the 
it     Globe  Express,  and  for  Mots' s  line  of 
1     Liverpool  bteamers.     David  Robert- 
\_Egypt.~] 


son  and  Co.,  agents  f  >r  the  Ocean 
Express.  The  Peninsular  and  Oriental 
Company. 

11.  Churchfs.—  Church  of  England: 
St.  Mark's  Church  in  the  Great 
Square,  Rev.  E.  J.  Davis,  Consular 
Chaplain.  Services  on  Sundays  at 
13  a.m.  and  3  p.m..  and  on  festivals 
at  11  a.m.  Established  Church  of 
Scotland:  St.  Andrew's  Church,  Rev. 
Dr.  Yule.  Service  on  Sundays  at 
11  a.m.  at  the  church,  and  on  board 
the  Bethel  ship,  seamen's  chapel,  at 
11a  m.  and  7  p.m.  German  and  French 
Protestant  Church :  service  on  Sun- 
days at  11  a.m.  in  French  and  German 
alternately.  Roman  Catholic  Church 
in  the  Place  de  l'Eglise.  There  are 
also  Orthodox  Greek,  Greek  Catholic, 
Coptic,  Armenian  and  Maronite 
churches,  and  several  Jewish  syna- 
gogues. 

12.  Conveyances. — Carriages  abound 
in  Alexandria,  for  the  regulation  of 
which  there  is  a  municipal  decree 
of  25  clauses,  but  the  completeness  of 
the  compilation  is  more  to  be  admired 
than  its  efficacy.  The  fixed  tarif  is 
from  2s.  to  2s.  6d  per  hour  by  day,  up 
to  9  p.m.,  and  3s.  to  3s.  6d.  by  night. 
For  a  short  course,  under  a  quarter  of 
an  hour,  Is.  If  the  quarter  of  an 
hour  is  exceeded,  an  hour's  fare  must 
be  paid.  After  the  first  hour,  the 
time  is  counted  by  half-hours.  On 
Fridays  and  Sundays  something  more 
is  expected.  This  tarif  is  for  inside 
the  fortifications,  and  a  radius  of  about 
a  mile  outside  them.  For  further  dis- 
tances an  agreement  must  be  made. 
A  carriage  for  the  day  costs  from  16s. 
to  a  pound.  Donkeys  may  be  found 
everywhere ;  6d.  for  a  short  course, 
and  Is.  an  hour,  should  satisfy  their 
importunate  drivers. 

13.  Railways. — The  terminus  of  the 
network  of  Egyptian  railways  is  on 
the  outskirts  of  the  town,  beyond  the 
canal.  (For  further  information,  see 
Rte.  7.)  The  station  of  the  Ramleh 
Railway  is  near  the  head  of  the  Old 
Port,  not  far  from  Cleopatra's  Needle 
(see  below,  §  15).  With  the  exception 
of  the  short  line  to  Ramleh,  all  the 

E 


74 


ALEXANDRIA  :  STEAMERS,  ETC. 


Sect.  I. 


railways  in  Egypt  belong  to  the  govern- 
ment. 

14.  Steameks. — The  Peninsular  and 
Oriental  Company's  steamers  leave  for 
Brindisi  and  Southampton,  the  Adri- 
atico  Orientale  Company's  steamers  for 
Brindisi,  and  the  Austrian  Lloyd's  for 
Trieste,  on  the  arrival  of  the  mails 
from  India.  The  following  is  a  list  of 
the  principal  steamship  companies, 
with  the  ports  to  which  they  run. 
Further  particulars  as  to  dates  of  de- 
parture, fares,  &c,  had  better  be  pro- 
cured at  the  respective  offices. 

Peninsular  and  Oriental  Company  : 
Malta,  Gibraltar,  and  Southampton 
weekly;  and  Brindisi,  Ancona,  and 
Venice  weekly. 

Messageries  Company  :  Messina  and 
Marseilles  weekly ;  and  Port  Said  and 
the  coast  of  Syria  to  Syra,  and  thence 
to  Marseilles. 

Austrian  Lloyd  Company:  Corfu  and 
Trieste  weekly:  two  services  to  Con- 
tantinople,  one  touching  at  Smyrna, 
Mitylene,  Tenedos,  the  Dardanelles, 
and  Gallipoli,  and  the  other  calling  at 
Port  Said,  Jaffa  and  Alexandretta. 

Adriatico  Orientale  :  Brindisi,  An- 
cona, and  Venice  weekly. 

Rubattino  and  Co. :  Messina,  Naples, 
Civita  Vecchia,  Leghorn,  aud  Genoa. 

Marc  Fraissinet,  Pere  et  Fils  :  Malta 
and  Marseilles  weekly,  and  Port  Said 
weekly. 

Azizieh  Company :  two  services  to 
Constantinople,  one  touching  only  at 
Smyrna,  the  Dardanelles,  and  Galli- 
poli; and  the  other  calling  at  Port 
Said  and  all  the  Syrian  ports,  both 
weekly.  There  is  also  a  bi-weekly 
service  of  the  same  company  by  the 
Mai  moodeeah  Canal  and  the  Nile  to 
Cairo ;  and  a  service  from  Cairo  up 
the  Nile  to  Assooan  generally  every 
three  weeks  during  the  winter.  For 
particulars  as  to  this  last  apply  to 
D.  Robertson  and  Co. 

Russian  Steam  Navigation  Com- 
pany, via  Port  Said  and  all  the  Syrian 
ports  to  Constantinople,  and  thence  to 
the  ports  of  the  Black  Sea. 


There  are  also  steamers  to  Liver- 
j  pool — Moss  and  Co.,  agents;  and  to 
Glasgow — Fleming  and  Co.,  agents. 

15.  Telegeaph.— The  English  Tele- 
graph Company,  near  the  Consulate, 

I  despatch  messages  to  all  parts  of  the 
|  world.  Message  of  20  words  to  London 
via  Malta  and  Falmouth,  address  and 
signature  included,  11.  10s. ;  to  any 
other  part  of  England  ]  s.  more.  This 
Company  also  has  stations  at  many  of 
the  towns  in  Egypt.  The  Egyptian 
Government  Telegraph,  Place  Me'he'- 
met  Ali,  undertakes  the  despatch  of 
j  messages  to  most  of  the  principal 
i  cities  of  Europe,  via  Constantinople. 
Its  network  of  lines  in  Egypt  extends 
over  more  than  4000  miles.  The  prin- 
cipal lines  are  from  Alexandria  to 
Cairo  along  the  railway,  and  from  Cairo 
to  Khartoom,  following  the  railway 
and  the  Nile ;  from  Alexandria  to 
Suez  along  the  railway,  and  from 
Suez  to  Khartoom  following  the 
shores  of  the  Red  Sea,  via  Sowakim 
and  Massowah;  from  Suez  to  Port 
Said  along  the  railway  and  the  Suez 
Canal ;  and  from  Zagazig  to  El  Arish 
on  the  Syrian  frontier. 

16.  Servants. — Nile  travellers  who 
arrive  in  Egypt  without  having  made 
any  previous  arrangement  as  to  a  dra- 
goman, or  who  have  had  no  particular 
one  recommended  to  them  by  former 
travellers,  had  better  defer  engaging 
one  until  they  get  to  Cairo.  If  they 
see  one  whom  they  think  would  suit 
them,  they  can  arrange  with  him  to 
remain  with  them  as  a  valet  de  place 
at  5s.  a  day,  until  their  plans  are 
settled.  Full  particulars  as  to  serv- 
ants' wages,  &c,  are  given  in  Sect.  II. 

17.  Boats  for  the  Nijje  Voyage. — 
A  few  are  generally  to  be  found  on  the 
Mahmoodeeah  Canal,   and  as  they 

|  belong  mostly  to  Europeans,  they  are 
i  clean  and  well  fitted  up ;  but  as  a  rule 
j  the  traveller  had  better  not  decide 
[  until  he  has  seen  the  far  larger  assort- 
|  ment  at  Cairo. 


ALEXANDRIA  :  ANCIENT  HISTORY. 


75 


Description  of  Alexandria. 

L  History  and  Topography,  Ancient  and  Modem. — 2.  Principal  Ancient  Build' 
ings.  —  3.  Present  Bemains  of  Ancient  Alexandria.  —  4.  Population.  —  5. 
Climate.  —  6.  Local  Government.  —  7.  Commerce  and  Industry.  —  8.  Ports- 
Gates.  Walls.  —  9.  Streets.  Public  Places.  —  10.  Canals.  —  11.  Moshs. 
Churches. — 12.  Hospitals.  Charitable  Societies. — 13.  Schools. — 14.  Theatres, 
Amusements,  &c. — 15.  Drives,  Excursions.— 16.  Plan  for  seeing  Alexandria. 


1.  Ancient  History  and  Topo- 
graphy.— Alexandria  was  founded  on 
the  site  of  a  small  town  called  Racotis, 
or  Rhacotis,  by  the  great  conqueror 
after  whom  it  received  its  name. 

Its  commodious  harbour  and  other 
local  recommendations  rendered  it  a 
convenient  spot  for  the  site  of  a  com- 
mercial city,  and  its  advantageous 
position  could  not  fail  to  strike  the 
penetrating  mind  of  the  son  of  Philip. 
It  promised  to  unite  Europe,  Arabia, 
and  India ;  to  be  the  rival  or  successor 
of  Tyre ;  and  to  become  the  emporium 
of  the  world. 

In  the  time  of  the  Pharaonic  kings 
the  trade  of  Egypt  was  nearly  confined 
to  the  countries  bordering  on  the  Ara- 
bian Gulf ;  and  if,  as  is  possible,  India 
may  be  included  among  the  number  of 
those  with  which  the  Egyptians  traded 
(either  directly  by  water,  or  through 
Arabia^  the  communication  was  main- 
tained b}'  means  of  that  sea,  or  by  land 
over  the  Isthmus  of  Suez.  Indeed,  it 
is  probable  that  iEnnum  (or,  as  it  was 
afterwards  called,  Philoteras  Portus), 
and  the  predecessor  of  Arsinoe,  were 
the  only  two  ports  on  the  Red  Sea 
during  the  rule  of  the  early  Pharaohs ; 
the  small  harbours  (the  portus  multi 
of  Pliny)  being  then,  as  afterwards, 
merely  places  of  refuge  for  vessels  in 
stress  of  weather,  or  at  night  during  a 
coasting  voyage ;  and  no  towns  yet 
existed  on  the  sites  of  those  known  in 
later  times  as  Berenice,  Nechesia,  a,nd 
Leucos  Portus. 

The  commercial  intercourse  with  the 
N.  of  Arabia,  Syria,  and  the  parts  of 
Asia  to  the  N.  and  N.E.  of  Egypt,  was 
established  by  means  of  caravans,  which 
entered  Egypt  by  the  Isthmus  of  Suez ; 
and  it  was  with  one  of  these,  on  its 
way  from  Syria,  that  the  Ishmaelites 
travelled  who   brought  Joseph  into 


Egypt.  They  had  come  "  from  Gi- 
lead,  with  their  camels  bearing  spicery, 
and  balm,  and  myrrh,  going  to  carry  it 
down  to  Egypt;"  and  this  was  the 
same  line  of  route  taken  by  the  Egyp- 
tian armies  on  their  march  into  Asia. 

The  Mediterranean  was  not  much 
used  by  the  Pharaohs  for  maritime  pur- 
poses connected  either  with  war  or  com- 
merce, until  the  enterprise  or  the  hos- 
tility of  strangers  began  to  suggest  its 
importance.  Even  then  the  jealousy, 
or  the  caution,  of  the  Egyptians  forbad 
foreign  merchants  to  enter  any  other 
than  the  Canopic,  of  all  the  seven 
branches  of  the  Nile  ;  and  Naucratis 
was  to  them  what  the  factories  of  a 
Chinese  port  were  so  long  to  Euro- 
pean traders.  Ships  of  war,  however, 
were  fitted  out  upon  the  Mediterranean, 
as  well  as  on  the  Red  Sea,  even  in  the 
age  of  the  XVIIIth  dynasty ;  and  in 
after  times  an  expedition  was  sent 
against  Cyprus  by  Apries,  who  also 
defeated  the  Tyrians  in  a  naval  combat. 

The  Egyptians  had  been  satisfied 
with  their  river  as  their  harbour ;  but 
when  the  advantages  of  a  more  ex- 
tended commercial  intercourse  with 
Europe,  and  the  possibility  of  diverting 
the  course  of  the  lucrative  trade  with 
India  and  Arabia  from  Syria  to  Egypt, 
were  contemplated,  the  necessity  of  a 
port  on  the  Mediterranean  coast  became 
evident :  and  the  advantages  offered  by 
the  position  of  Rhacotis  with  its  Isle  of 
Pharos  pointed  it  out  as  a  proper  place 
for  establishing  the  projected  empo- 
rium of  the  East. 

Tradition  had  fixed  on  this  spot  as 
the  abode  of  the  fabulous  Proteus, 
called  by  Virgil  and  others  a  sea  god 
and  prophet,  by  Herodotus  and  Diodorus 
a  king  of  Egypt ;  whose  pretended  ap- 
pearance under  various  forms  is  gravely 
attributed  by  Lucian  to  his  postures  in 
e  2 


Plan  of  Alexandria,  principally  from  the  Survey  of  Capt.  W.  H.  ^7*,  R.N.-A  A,  TLe 
Heptastadium,  or  dyke  connecting  the  Island  of  Pharos  with  the  city.   6  b,  The  modern  town 


Egypt. 


ALEXANDRIA  :  ANCIENT  HISTORY. 


77 


the  dance,  and  by  Diodorus  to  his 
knowledge  of  astrology,  or  to  the  sup- 
posed custom  of  the  king's  assuming 
various  dresses  to  impose  on  the  credu- 
lity of  the  people.  Though,  after  all 
these  statements,  there  seems  to  be 
only  one  doubt,  which  is  the  greatest 
improbability,  the  story  or  the  explana- 
tion. 

After  his  conquest  of  Syria,  Alexan- 
der had  advanced  into  Egypt,  and,  by 
the  taking  of  Memphis,  had  secured  to 
himself  the  possession  of  the  whole 
country.  While  at  Memphis  he  con- 
ceived the  idea  of  visiting  the  temple 
of  Jupiter  Ammon  in  the  African 
desert;  and  with  this  view  he  de- 
scended the  river  to  the  sea.  He  then 
followed  the  coast  westward  from  Ca- 
nopus,  until,  his  attention  being  struck 
with  a  spot  opposite  the  Isle  of  Pharos, 
he  stopped  to  examine  its  position,  and 
the  advantages  it  offered  as  a  naval 
station.  It  had  beeu  occasionally  used 
as  a  refuge  for  ships  at  a  very  remote 
period,  and  Homer  had  mentioned  it 
as  a  watering-place  at  the  time  of  the 
Trojan  war. 

According  to  Strabo,  the  ancient 
Egyptian  kings,  seeing  that  it  was  a 
spot  frequented  by  foreigners,  and  par- 
ticularly by  Greeks,  and  being  averse 
to  the  admission  of  strangers  (who 
were  then  frequently  pirates ),  stationed 
a  garrison  there,  and  assigned  to  them 
as  a  permanent  abode  the  village  of 
Bhacotis,  which  was  afterwards  part 
of  Alexandria. 

"The  island  of  Pharos,"  says  the 


Geographer,  "  is  of  oblong  form,  stand- 
ing near  the  shore,  and  forming  by  its 
position  an  admirable  port.  The  coast 
here  curves  into  a  large  bay,  with  two 
promontories  jutting  out  into  the  sea, 
on  its  eastern  and  western  extremities  ; 
between  which  is  the  island,  furnish- 
ing a  barrier  in  the  middle  of  the  bay." 

This  island  was  afterwards  connected 
with  the  mainland  by  a  dyke,  and  on 
a  rock  close  to  its  extremity  was  built 
the  famous  tower  of  Pharos. 

Alexander,  on  arriving  there,  seeing 
how  eligible  a  spot  this  natural  harbour 
offered  for  building  a  city,  lost  no  time 
in  making  arrangements  for  its  com- 
mencement. The  plan  was  drawn 
out,  and  Dinocrates,  the  architect,  was 
commissioned  to  build  the  new  city, 
which,  from  its  founder,  received  the 
name  of  Alexandria. 

t:  The  future  prosperity  of  this  city," 
continues  the  Geographer,  "  is  reported 
to  have  been  foreshown  by  a  remarkable 
sign,  manifested  during  the  operation 
of  fixing  its  plan.  For  whilst  the  archi- 
tect was  marking  out  the  lines  upon 
the  ground,  the  chalk  he  used  hap- 
pened to  be  exhausted,  upon  which 
the  king,  who  was  present  at  the  time, 
ordered  the  flour  destined  for  the  work- 
men's food  to  be  employed  in  its  stead, 
thereby  enabling  him  to  complete  the 
outline  of  many  of  the  streets.  This 
occurrence  was  deemed  a  good  omen  ;" 
and  previous  to  prosecuting  his  journey 
to  the  Oasis,  he  had  the  satisfaction  of 
witnessing  the  commencement  of  this 
flourishing  city,  B.C.  323. 


c  c,  The  Frank  quarter.  B,  Fort  Caffarelli, — perhaps  the  site  of  the  tower  of  the  Heptastadinm — 
with  the  corresponding  one  at  the  other  end.  C,  Old  Gate  of  the  Saracenic  walls.  removed  in 
1842.  D,  Saracenic  tower,  where  the  wall  turned  off  along  the  site  of  the  docks.  E,  Ruins,  pro- 
bably of  the  temple  of  Arsine.  F,  Mosk  of  St.  Athanasius.  G,  Ancient  columns.  HHH,  Modern 
villas.  I,  Catholic  convent.  J  to  K,  Ruins  probably  of  the  Csesarium,  before  which  the  obelisks 
stood.  L,  Greek  convent.  M,  Large  ruins.  From  E  to  V  was  probably  the  quarter  of  Bruchion. 
N,  Fort  Cretin,  or  Fort  Napoleon.  0,  Columns  and  ruins.  P,  The  Rosetta  Gate.  Q,  The  ancient 
wall  of  Alexandria,  over  which  the  Rosetta  road  passes,  and  near  which  stood  the  Canopic  Gate. 
The  hippodrome  is  thought  to  be  traced  2800  metres  (nearly  1§  mile)  to  (he  East  of  the  Rosetta 
Gate,  and  about  250  from  the  sea.  At  U  are  the  statues  discovered  by  Mr.  Harris.  R,  Ruins. 
The  Emporium  (market)  probably  stood  between  E  and  the  obelisks  J;  and  the  Museum  and 
Library  of  the  Bruchion  may  have  been  about  S  or  R,  *'  the  theatre  adjoining  the  King's  palace," 
as  Ca;sar  tells  us,  and  the  Museum  being  also  attached  to  it.  S,  the  site  of  the  theatre.  T,  Site  of 
the  inner  palaces  ?  V.  Site  of  the  palace  ?  The  Jews'  quarter  was  to  the  east  of  the  modern  canal, 
between  V  and  the  tomb  of  Sbeykh  Sbahtbek.  W,  Pompey's  pillar,  erected  in  honour  of  Diocle- 
tian. X,  Circus,  or  Stadium.  Y,  Site  of  the  Gymnasium  ?  Or  at  0?  Z,  Site  of  the  Sarapeum  ? 
a  o.  Modern  canal 'for  irrigation.  The  walls  enclose  what  was  the  Arab  city;  but  those  on  the 
N.W  have  been  taken  away.  At  I  is  the  supposed  tomb  of  Alexander,  according  to  Arab  tradition, 
Of  the  Panium,  see  p.  86. 


78 


ALEXANDRIA  :  ANCIENT  HISTORY; 


Sect.  I. 


Pliny,  in  speaking  of  the  foundation 
of  Alexandria,  says,  it  was  "  built  by 
Alexander  the  Great  on  the  African 
coast,  12  miles  from  the  Canopic  mouth 
of  the  Nde,  on  the  Mareotic  Lake, 
which  was  formerly  called  Arapotes; 
that  Dinochares,  an  architect  of  great 
celebrity,  laid  down  the  plan,  resem- 
bling the  shape  of  a  Macedonian 
mantle,  with  a  circular  border  full  of 
plaits,  and  projecting  into  corners  on 
the  right  and  left ;  the  fifth  part  of  its 
site  being  even  then  dedicated  to  the 
palace."  This  architect  is  better 
known  by  the  name  of  Dinocrates ; 
and  is  the  same  who  rebuilt  the  famous 
temple  of  Ephesus,  after  its  destruction 
by  Eratostratus,  and  who  had  pre- 
viously proposed  to  Alexander  to  cut 
Mount  Athos  into  a  statue  of  the  king 
holding  in  one  h  nd  a  city  of  10,000 
inhabitants,  and  from  the  other  pour- 
ing a  copious  liver  into  the  sea.  But 
the  naturalist  gives  us  veiy  little  in- 
formation respecting  the  public  build- 
ings or  monuments  of  the  city. 

In  Plutarch's  life  of  Alexander  is 
a  fabulous  story  of  the  foundation  of 
Alexandria,  related  by  the  people 
of  the  place,  who  pretended  its  com- 
mencement to  have  been  owing  to  "  a 
vision,  wherein  a  greyheaded  old  man 
of  venerable  aspect  appt  ared  to  stand 
before  the  king  in  his  sleep,  and  to 
pronounce  these  words  : — 

Ntjcto;  eneiTa  ti?  eoTt  ttoAvkAvcttoj  evl  ttovtco, 
AiyvivTOv  7rpo7rapoi0e,  ®dpov  84  e  KiK\rj(TKOv<Ti. 
'  High  over  the  gulfy  sea  the  Pharian  isle 
Fronts  the  deep  roar  of  disemboguing  Nile.'* 

"  Upon  this  Alexander  repaired  to 
Pharos,  which  was  then  an  island, 
lying  a  little  above  the  Canopic  mouth 
of  the  Nile,  though  now  joined  to  the 
continent  by  a  causeway.  As  soon  as 
he  saw  the  commodious  situation  of 
the  spot  opposite  the  island,  being  a 
neck  of  land  of  a  suitable  breadth, 
with  a  great  lake  on  one  side,  and  on 
the  other  the  sea,  which  there  forms 
a  capacious  haven,  he  said,  '  Homer, 
besides  his  other  excellent  qualities, 
was  a  very  good  architect,'  and  ordered 
the  plan  of  the  city  to  be  drawn  cor- 
responding to  the  locality.    For  want 

*  Horn.  Od.  A.  354. 


of  chalk,  the  soil  being  black,  they 
made  use  of  flour,  with  which  they 
drew  a  line  about  the  semicircular  bay 
that  forms  the  port.  This  was  again 
marked  out  with  straight  lines,  and 
the  form  of  the  city  resembled  that 
of  a  Macedonian  cloak.  While  Alex- 
ander was  pleasing  himself  with  this 
project,  an  infinite  number  of  birds 
of  several  kinds,  rising  suddenly,  like 
a  black  , cloud  out  of  the  river  and  the 
lake,  devoured  all  the  flour  that  had 
been  used  in  marking  out  the  lines  : 
at  which  omen  he  was  much  troubled, 
till  the  augurs  encouraged  him  to  pre- 
ceed,  by  observing  that  it  was  a  sign 
the  city  he  was  about  to  build  would 
enjoy  such  abundance  of  all  things 
that  it  would  contribute  to  the  nour- 
ishment of  many  nations.  He  there- 
fore commanded  the  workmen  to  go 
on,  while  he  went  to  visit  the  temple 
on  Jupiter  Ammon." 

Strabo,  whose  account  of  the  founda- 
tion of  Alexandria  has  been  already 
quoted,  gives  the  following  description 
of  it  when  he  visited  it  in  the  year 
24  b.c  ,  24  years  after  the  passage  of 
Cagsar,  and  when  (Elius  Gallus  was 
prefect  of  Egypt.  "Alexandria  pos- 
sesses," he  says,  "advantages  of  more 
than  one  kind.  Two  seas  wash  it  on 
both  sides,  one  on  the  north,  denomi- 
nated the  Egyptian,  the  other  on  the 
south,  which  is  the  Lake  Marea,  called 
also  Mareotis.  The  latter  is  fed  by 
several  canals  from  the  Nile,  as  well 
from  above  as  from  the  sides ;  and  by 
it  many  more  things  are  brought  to 
Alexandria  than  by  the  sea,  so  that 
the  port  on  the  lake  side  is  richer 
than  that  on  the  coast.  By  this,  also, 
more  is  exported  from  Alexandria  than 
imported  into  it,  which  any  one  who  has 
been  at  Alexandria  and  Dicpearchia 
must  have  perceived,  in  looking  at 
the  merchant  ships  trading  to  and 
fro,  and  comparing  the  cargoes  that 
enter  and  leave  those  two  harbours. 
Besides  the  wealth  that  pours  in  on 
either  side,  both  by  the  seaport  and 
the  lake,  the  salubrity  of  the  air 
should  also  be  noticed,  which  is  caused 
by  the  peninsular  situation  of  the 
place  and  by  the  opportune  rising  of 
the  Nile.    Other  cities  situated  on 


Egypt- 


STRABO'S 


ACCOUNT. 


70 


lakes  have  a  heavy  and  suffocating 
atmosphere  during  the  summer  heats, 
and,  in  consequence  of  the  evaporation 
caused  by  the  sun,  the  banks  of  those 
lakes  becoming  marshy,  a  noxious  ex- 
halation is  generated,  which  produces 
pestilential  fevers ;  but  at  Alexandria 
the  inundation  of  the  Nile  fills  the 
lake  in  the  summer  season,  and,  by 
preventing  its  becoming  marshy,  effec- 
tually checks  any  unwholesome  vapours. 
At  that  time,  also,  the  Etesian  winds, 
blowing  from  the  northward,  and 
passing  over  so  much  sea,  secure  to 
the  Alexandrians  a  most  delightful 
summer. 

"  The  site  of  the  city  has  the  form 
of  a  (Macedonian)  mantle,  whose  two 
longest  sides  are  bathed  by  water  to 
the  extent  of  nearly  30  stadia,  and  its 
breadth  is  7  or  8  stadia,  with  the  sea 
on  one  side  and  the  lake  on  the  other. 
The  whole  is  intersected  with  spacious 
streets,  through  which  horses  and 
chariots  pass  freely ;  but  two  are  of 
greater  breadth  than  the  rest,  being 
upwards  of  a  plethrum  wide,  and  these 
intersect  each  other  at  right  angles. 
Its  temples,  grand  public  buildings, 
and  palaces  occupy  a  fourth  or  a  third 
of  the  whole  extent :  for  every  suc- 
cessive king,  aspiring  to  the  honour  of 
embellishing  these  consecrated  monu- 
ments, added  something  of  his  own 
to  what  already  existed.  All  these 
parts  are  not  only  connected  with 
each  other,  but  with  the  port  and  the 
buildings  that  stand  outside  of  it. 

"  Part  of  the  palace  is  called  the 
museum.  It  has  corridors,  a  court, 
and  a  very  large  mansion,  in  which  is 
the  banqueting-room  of  those  learned 
men  who  belong  to  it.  This  society 
has  a  public  treasury,  and  is  superin- 
tended by  a  president,  one  of  the 
priesthood,  whose  office,  having  been 
established  by  the  Ptolemies,  continues 
under  Csesar. 

"Another  portion  of  the  palace  is 
called  Soma  ('  the  body  '),  which  con- 
tains within  its  circuit  the  tombs  of 
the  kings,  and  of  Alexander.  For 
Ptolemy,  the  son  of  Lagus,  took  the 
body  of  Alexander  from  Perdiccas, 
while  on  its  removal  from  Babylon ;  and 
having  carried  it  to  Egypt,  buried  it 


at  Alexandria,  where  it  still  remains. 
But  it  is  no  longer  in  the  same  coffin  ; 
for  the  present  one  is  of  glass,  and  the 
original,  which  was  of  gold,  was  stolen 
by  Ptolemy  surnamed  Cocces  (Ko/cktjs) 
and  Parisactus  (Uapeia-aKTos),  though 
his  immediate  fall  prevented  his  bene- 
fiting by  the  robbery. 

"  On  the  right  as  you  sail  into  the 
great  harbour  are  the  island  and  tower 
of  Pharos ;  on  the  left,  rocks,  and 
the  promontory  of  Lochias,  where  the 
palace  stands ;  and,  as  you  advance  on 
the  left,  contiguous  to  the  buildings 
at  the  Lochias,  are  the  inner  palaces, 
which  have  various  compartments  and 
groves.  Below  them  is  a  secret  and 
closed  port,  belonging  exclusively  to 
the  kings,  and  the  Isle  of  Autirhodus, 
which  lies  before  the  artificial  port, 
with  a  palace  and  a  small  harbour.  It 
has  received  this  name  as  if  it  were 
a  rival  of  Ehodes.  Above  this  is  the 
theatre,  then  the  Posidium,  a  certain 
cove  sweeping  round  from  what  is 
called  the  Emporium,  with  a  temple 
of  Neptune.  Antony,  having  made  a 
mole  in  this  part  projecting  still  further 
into  the  port,  erected  at  its  extremity 
a  palace,  which  he  named  Timonium. 
This  he  did  at  the  end  of  his  career, 
when  he  had  been  deserted  by  his 
friends,  after  his  misfortunes  at  Actium, 
and  had  retired  to  Alexandria,  in- 
tending to  lead  a  secluded  life  there, 
and  imitate  the  example  of  Timon. 
Beyond  are  the  Csesarium  and  empo- 
rium i market),  the  recesses,  and  the 
docks,  extending  to  the  Hepta stadium. 
All  these  are  in  the  great  harbour. 

"  On  the  other  side  of  the  Hepta- 
stadium  is  the  port  of  Eunostus ;  and 
above  this  is  an  artificial  or  excavated 
one,  called  Kibotus  (the  basin),  which 
has  also  docks.  A  navigable  canal 
runs  into  it  from  the  lake  Mareotis, 
and  a  small  portion  of  the  town  ex- 
tends beyond  (to  the  W.  of)  this  canal. 
Further  on  are  the  Necropolis  and  the 
suburbs,  where  there  are  many  gar- 
dens and  tombs,  with  apartments  set 
apart  for  embalming  tbe  dead.  Within 
(to  the  E.  of )  the  canal  are  the  Sera- 
peum,  and  other  ancient  fanes,  deserted 
since  the  erection  of  the  temples  at 
Nicopolis,  where  also  the  amphitheatre 


80 


ALEXANDRIA  :  MODERN  HISTORY  ; 


Sect.  I. 


and  stadium  are  situated,  and  where 
the  quinquennial  games  are  celebrated ; 
the  old  establishments  being  now  in 
little  repute.  The  city,  indeed,  to 
speak  briefly,  is  filled  with  ornamental 
buildings  and  temples,  the  most  beau- 
tiful of  which  is  the  Gymnasium,  with 
porticoes  in  the  interior,  measuring 
upwards  of  a  stacle.  There,  too,  are 
the  courts  of  law,  and  the  groves;  and 
in  this  direction  stands  the  Paiiium, 
an  artificial  height  of  a  conical  form, 
like  a  stone  tumulus,  with  a  spiral 
ascent.  From  its  summit  the  whole 
city  may  be  seen,  stretching  on  all 
sides  below. 

"  From  the  Necropolis  a  street  ex- 
tends the  whole  way  to  the  Canopic 
gate,  passing  by  the  Gymnasium.  Be- 
yond are  the  Hippodrome  and  other 
buildings,  reaching  to  the  Canopic 
canal.  After  going  out  (of  the  city) 
by  the  Hippodrome,  you  cometoNico- 
polis,  built  by  the  sea-side,  not  less 
than  three  stades  distant  from  Alex- 
andria. Augustus  Csesar  ornamented 
this  place,  in  consequence  of  his  having 
there  defeated  the  partisans  of  Antony, 
and  captured  the  city  in  his  advance 
from  that  spot." 

The  circumference  of  ancient  Alex- 
andria is  said  by  Pliny  to  have  been 
15  m.;  and  we  have  seen  that  Strabo 
gives  it  a  diameter  of  80  stadia,  or  as 
Diodorus  says,  a  length  of  40  stadia. 
The  epithet  "beautiful"  is  twice  ap- 
plied to  it  by  Athenseus ;  and  we  may 
judge  of  its  magnificence  from  the 
fact  that  the  Komans  themselves  con- 
sidered it  inferior  only  to  their  own 
capital. 

"  The  lucrative  trade  of  Arabia  and 
India,"  says  Gibbon,  "  flowed  through 
the  port  of  Alexandria  to  the  capital 
and  provinces  of  the  empire.  Idleness 
was  unknown.  Some  were  employed 
in  blowing  of  glass,  others  in  weaving 
of  linen;  others,  again,  in  manufac- 
turing the  papyrus.  Either  sex,  and 
every  age,  was  engaged  in  the  pursuits 
of  industry,  nor  did  even  the  blind  or 
the  lame  want  occupation  suited  to 
their  condition.  But  the  people  of 
Alexandria,  a  various  mixture  of  na- 
tions, united  the  vanity  and  incon- 
stancy of  the  Greeks  with  the  super- 


stition and  obstinacy  of  the  Egyptians. 
The  most  trifling  occasion,  a  transient 
scarcity  of  flesh  or  lentils,  the  neglect  of 
an  accustomed  salutation,  a  mistake  of 
precedency  in  the  public  baths,  or  even 
a  religious  dispute,  were  at  any  time 
sufficient  to  kindle  a  sedition  among 
that  vast  multitude,  whose  resentments 
were  furious  and  implacable." 

Such  was  Alexandria  under  the  Ptole- 
mies and  the  Csesars,  a  world-renowned 
city  of  500,000  souls,  adorned  with  the 
arts  of  Greece  and  the  wealth  of 
Egypt ;  its  schools  of  learning  far  out- 
shone anything  that  Heliopolis  had 
ever  boasted  of,  and  Thebes  and 
Memphis  in  their  palmiest  days  had 
never  presented  so  much  luxury  and 
magnificence.  But  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  third  century  its  splendour 
and  renown  began  to  wane,  and  all  that 
we  know  of  its  history  from  that  period 
is  nothing  but  a  sad  picture  of  decay. 
Constant  revolts — arising  sometimes 
from  political,  sometimes  from  religious 
causes — necessitated  severe  measures 
of  repression,  which  gradually  brought 
about  its  ruin.  But  notwithstanding 
the  disasters  to  which  it  had  been 
exposed,  especially  in  the  reigns  of 
Aurelian  and  Theodosius,  and  the  de- 
struction of  many  of  its  most  magnifi- 
cent public  buildings,  it  must  still 
have  been  a  wonderful  city  when  Amer 
took  it,  in  a.d.  641,  after  a  siege  of  14 
months  ;  for  that  general,  in  his  letter 
to  the  Caliph  Omar,  informing  him  of 
the  conquest  he  had  made,  says  that 
he  had  found  there  4000  palaces,  a 
like  number  of  baths,  400  places  of 
amusement,  and  12,000  gardens,  and 
that  one  quarter  alone  was  occupied 
by  40,000  Jews. 

The  commerce  of  Alexandria,  which 
was  the  great  source  of  its  wealth,  had 
been  for  some  time  on  the  decline,  but 
after  this  great  conquest  it  decreased 
so  rapidly,  and  the  city  consequently 
shrank  so  much  in  size  and  importance, 
that  towards  the  end  of  the  ninth  cen- 
tury, Ahmed-ebn-Tooloon  pulled  down 
the  old  walls,  and  built  new  ones  of 
an  extent  more  adapted  to  the  city's 
diminished  limits.  What  little  pro- 
sperity it  still  enjoyed  was  put  an 
end  to  by  the  discovery  of  the  Cape 


Egypt. 


MODERN  TOPOGRAPHY. 


81 


route  to  India;  and  the  conquest  of 
Egypt  by  the  Turks  gave  the  final 
blow.  In  1777  the  traveller  Savaiy 
estimated  the  Turkish  population  of 
Alexandria  at  only  6000  souls,  living 
in  miserable  dwellings,  built  on  the 
Heptastadium,  the  width  of  which  had 
been  gradually  increased  by  the  debris 
of  the  ancient  city.  The  Arab  part  of 
the  modem  city  still  occupies  the  same 
site.  In  the  early  part  of  the  present 
century  Alexandria  and  its  neighbour- 
hood was  the  scene  of  the  conflict 
between  France  and  England  for 
supremacy  in  the  East.  Soon  after 
Mohammed  Ali  began  to  rule  Egypt 
he  turned  his  attention  to  the  restora- 
tion of  its  ancient  capital,  more  espe- 
cially with  a  view  to  the  formation  of 
a  navy.  New  buildings  sprang  up  in 
every  direction;  the  Frank  quarter 
was  developed,  and  such  an  impulse 
given  to  the  place  in  every  way  by 
him  and  his  successors,  that  at  the 
present  day  the  population  is  reckoned 
at  more  than  200,000  souls.  Its  becom- 
ing the  centre  of  steam  communication 
between  Europe  and  India,  and  the 
principal  station  on  the  Overland 
route,  has  been  one  great  cause  of  the 
rapid  progress  it  has  made  of  late 
years  ;  and  though  some  of  the  traffic 
may  be  diverted  from  its  ports  to  Port 
Said  and  the  Suez  Canal,  the  improve- 
ment now  being  made  in  the  harbour, 
and  the  facilities  for  transhipment  and 
quick  and  easy  passage  by  rail  to  Suez, 
will  always  prevent  its  being  com- 
pletely put  on  one  side  in  the  commer- 
cial dealings  of  the  East  and  West; 
while  for  the  trade  of  Egypt  itself,  so 
rapidly  increasing  in  importance  and 
extent,  it  must  ever  remain  the  most 
natural  and  commodious  emporium. 

A  study  of  the  topography  of  modern 
Alexandria  would  be  as  dull  and  unin- 
teresting as  that  of  the  ancient  city  is 
instructive  and  entertaining.  The 
principal  public!  buildings  stand  on  the 
peninsula  of  Eas  et  Teen,  the  old 
island  of  Pharos  :  the  town  is  built  on 
the  isthmus  which  connects  that  pen- 
insula with  the  mainland,  and  which 
formerly  was  only  the  artificial  dyke 
called  the  Heptastadium :  constant 
accumulation  of  soil  and  ruins  have 


made  its  present  width.  Gradually, 
however,  houses  are  being  built  on  the 
mainland,  where  the  old  city  stood. 
The  Arab  quarter,  extending  from  the 
harbour  to  the  Great  Square,  is  an 
agglomeration  of  dirty,  narrow,  and 
tortuous  streets,  without  a  single  object 
of  interest,  and  the  bazaars  in  it  are 
mean  and  ill-provided.  In  the  Frank 
quarter  are  some  well-built  houses  and 
good  shops,  and  when  the  streets  are 
properly  paved  this  part  of  the  town 
may  bear  comparison  with  many 
Italian  ones. 

Eliot  Warburton  wrote  the  following 
description  of  Alexandria  more  than 
20  years  ago,  and  though  the  city  has 
increased  since  then  in  size  and  popu- 
lation, the  contrast  he  draws  is  as  vivid 
as  ever : — 

"  It  has  been  truly  said  that  the 
ancient  city  has  bequeathed  nothing 
but  its  ruins  and  its  name  to  the 
modern  Alexandria.  Though  earth 
and  sea  remain  unchanged,  imagina- 
tion can  scarcely  find  a  place  for  the 
ancient  walls,  fifteen  miles  in  circum- 
ference ;  the  vast  streets,  through  the 
visla  of  whose  marble  porticoes  the 
galleys  on  Lake  Mareotis  exchanged 
signals  with  those  upon  the  sea;  the 
magnificent  temple  of  Serapis,  on  its 
platform  of  one  hundred  steps;  the 
four  thousand  palaces,  and  the  homes 
of  six  hundred  thousand  inhabitants. 
All  that  is  now  visible  within  the 
shrunken  and  mouldering  walls  is  a 
piebald  town,  one  half  European,  with 
its  regular  houses,  tall,  and  white,  and 
stiff;  the  other  half  Oriental,  with  its 
mud-coloured  buildings  and  terraced 
roofs,  varied  with  fat  mosques  and  lean 
minarets.  The  suburbs  are  encrusted 
with  the  wretched  hovels  of  the  Arab 
poor;  and  immense  mounds  and  tracts  of 
rubbish  occupy  the  wide  space  between 
the  city  and  its  walls :  all  beyond 
is  a  dreary  waste.  Yet  this  is  the  site 
Alexander  selected  from  his  wide  domi- 
nions, and  which  Napoleon  pronounced 
to  be  unrivalled  in  importance.  Here 
luxury  and  literature,  the  epicurean 
and  the  Christian,  philosophy  and 
commerce,  once  dwelt  together.  Here 
stood  the  great  library  of  antiquity  : 
'  the  assembled  souls  of  all  that  men 
e  3 


82 


ALEXANDRIA:  ANCIENT  BUILDINGS; 


Sect.  I. 


held  wise.'  Here  the  Hebrew  Scrip- 
tures expanded  into  Greek  under  the 
hands  of  the  Septuagint.  Here  Cleo- 
patra, '  Vainqueur  des  vainqueurs  du 
monde,'  revelled  with  her  Koman  con- 
querors. Here  St.  Mark  preached  the 
truth,  upon  which  Origen  attempted 
to  refine  ;  and  here  Athanasius  held 
warlike  controversy.  Here  Amer  con- 
quered, and  here  Abercrombie  fell.-' 

2.  Principal  Ancient  Buildings. — 
The  Pharos,  one  of  the  seven  wonders 
of  the  world,  was  the  well-kirown  tower 
or  lighthouse,  whose  name  continues 
to  be  applied  to  similar  structures  to  the 
present  day.  It  was  a  square  building 
of  white  marble,  several  stories  high  ; 
each  successive  story  diminished  in 
size  towards  the  top,  and  had  a  gallery 
running  round  it  supported  on  the 
outer  circle  of  the  story  beneath  :  the 
staircases  inside  were  of  such  a  gentle 
incline  that  horses  and  chariots  could 
easily  ascend  them;  a  peculiarity  of 
which  the  round  tower  of  the  Castle  of 
Amboise  in  France  presents  a  similar 
instance.  The  cost  is  said  to  have 
been  800  talents,  which,  if  in  Attic 
money,  is  about  155,000L  sterling,  or 
double  that  sum  if  computed  by  the 
talent  of  Alexandria.  It  was  built  by 
order  of  Ptolemy  Philadelphus,  whose 
magnanimity  in  allowing  the  name  of 
the  architect  to  be  inscribed  upon  so 
great  a  work,  instead  of  his  own,  is 
highly  commended  by  Pliny.  The  in- 
scription ran  in  these  words  :  "  Sostra- 
tus  of  Cnidos,  the  son  of  Dexiphanes, 
to  the  Saviour  Gods,  for  those  who 
travel  by  sea."  But,  besides  the  im- 
probability of  the  king  allowing  an 
aichitect  to  enjoy  the  sole  merit  of  so 
great  a  work,  we  have  the  authority  of 
Lucian  for  believing  that  the  name 
of  Ptolemy  was  affixed  to  the  Pharos, 
instead  of  that  of  Sostratus,  the  ori- 
ginal inscription  having  been — "King 
Ptolemy  to  the  Saviour  Gods,  for  the 
use  of  those  who  travel  by  sea." 
Sostratus,  however,  to  secure  the  glory 
to  himself  in  future  ages,  carved  the 
•former  inscription  on  the  stone,  and 
that  of  Ptolemy  on  stucco,  which  he 
placed  over  it ;  so  that  in  process 
of  time,  when  the  stucco  fell,  the 


only  record  was  that  of  the  deceitful 
architect.  According  to  the  Arab 
historian  Abd-el-Atit',  this  wonderful 
structure  was  still  existing  in  the  13th 
century,  but  no  remains  of  it  are  now 
to  be  seen. 

The  Pharos  itself  stood  on  a  rock 
close  to  the  N.E.  extremity  of  the 
island  of  the  same  name,  with  which 
it  communicated  by  means  of  a  wall, 
and  the  island  was  also  joined  to  the 
shore  by  a  large  causeway,  called, 
from  its  length  of  seven  s'tades,  the 
Heptastadium.  It  was  already  con- 
structed, as  Josephus  shows,  in  the 
reign  of  the  same  Ptolemy,  which 
therefore  implies  that  it  was  the  work 
either  of  Philadelpus  himself,  or  his 
father  Soter,  and  not  of  Cleopatra,  as 
Ammianus  Marcellinus  supposes ;  who 
even  attributes  to  the  same  princess 
the  erection  of  the  Pharos  itself. 
These  erroneous  notions  of  the  his- 
torian may  probably  have  originated 
in  the  tradition  of  some  repairs  made 
by  Cleopatra,  after  the  Alexandrian 
war.  The  causeway  was  similar  to 
that  of  Tyre;  and  though,  by  con- 
necting the  inland  with  the  shore,  it 
formed  a  separation  between  the  two 
ports,  it  did  not  cut  off  all  communi- 
cation from  one  to  the  other,  two 
bridges  being  left  for  this  purpose, 
beneath  which  boats  and  small  vessels 
might  freely  pass.  As  the  Heptasta- 
dium served  for  an  aqueduct  as  well 
as  a  road  to  the  Pharos,  it  is  probable 
that  the  openings  were  arched ;  and 
the  mention  of  these  passages  satisfac- 
torily accounts  for  the  difference  of 
name  applied  to  the  causeway  by  ancient 
writers  ;  some,  as  Strabo,  calling  it  a 
mole,  and  others  a  bridge,  connecting 
the  Pharos  with  the  town. 

The  name  of  this  causeway  was  de- 
rived from  its  length  of  7  stadia,  about 
£  of  a  mile,  or  4270  English  feet,  which 
was  at  that  time  the  distance  from  the 
shore  to  the  island. 

The  old  lighthouse  of  Alexandria 
still  occupies  the  site  of  the  ancient 
Pharos. 

The  form  of  the  Heptastadium  is  no 
longer  perceptible,  in  consequence  of 
the  modern  buildings  having  en- 
croached upon  it ;  but  its  length  of 


Egypt 


THE  MUSEUM. 


83 


7  stadia,  or,  as  Caesar  reckons,  1)00 
paces,  may  be  readily  made  out,  in 
measuring  from  the  site  of  the  old 
Saracenic  wall  behind  the  Frank  quar- 
ter. And,  though  its  breadth  has  been 
greatly  increased  by  the  accumulation 
of  earth  on  which  the  modern  town 
stands,  a  line  drawn  from  the  site  of 
that  wall,  or  from  Fort  Caffarelli,  to 
what  was  properly  the  island  of  Pharos, 
would  probably  mark  its  exact  posi- 
tion. 

The  Museum  founded  by  Ptolemy 
Soter  was  a  noble  institution,  which, 
tended  greatly  to  the  renown  of  Alex- 
andria ;  and  from  which  issued  those 
men  of  learning  who  have  so  many 
claims  on  the  gratitude  and  admiration 
of  posterity.  It  was  to  this  school  of 
philosophy  that  the  once  renowned 
college  of  Htliopolis  transferred  its 
reputation ;  and  that  venerable  city, 
which  had  been  the  resort  of  the  sages 
of  Ancient  Greece,  ceded  to  Alexandria 
the  honour  of  being  the  seat  of  learn- 
ing, and  the  repository  of  the  "  wisdom 
of  the  Egyptians."  Science,  litera- 
ture, and  every  branch  of  philosophy 
continued  to  flourish  there  for  many  a 
generation  ;  foreigners  repaired  thither, 
to  study  and  profit  by  "  the  instruction 
of  every  kind  for  which  its  schools  were 
established;"  and  the  names  of  Euclid, 
Eratosthenes,  Hipparchus,  Ctesihius, 
and  the  elder  and  younger  Heron, 
Clemens,  Origen,  Athanasius,  Ammo- 
nius,  Theon,  and  his  daughter  Hypatia, 
shed  a  brilliant  lustre  over  the  Greek 
capital  of  Egypt. 

To  its  strictly  secular  character  as 
a  Greek  philosophical  institution,  en- 
tirely unconnected  with  either  the 
ancient  Egyptian  or  Christian  reli- 
gions, may  perhaps  be  attributed  the 
fact  that,  notwithstanding  the  wild 
farrago  of  nonsense  which  at  one  time 
encumbered  the  speculations  of  Alex- 
andrian philosophy,  its  schools  of 
astronomy,  geology,  physic,  and  various' 
branches  of  science,  maintained  their 
reputation  till  the  period  of  the  Arab 
conquest. 

Attached  to  the  Museum  was  the 
famous  library,  also  founded  by  Pto- 
lemy Soter,  and  to  which  so  many 
additions  were  made  by  his  successor, 


Ptolemy  Philadelphus,  that  already  at 
the  death  of  the  latter  it  contained  no 
less  than  100,000  volumes.  No  pains 
were  spared  in  adding  to  this  collection. 
A  copy  of  every  known  work  was 
reputed  to  be  deposited  there,  and  it 
was  amongst  them  that  the  Septuagint 
translation  of  the  Bible,  made  by  order 
of  Ptolemy  Philadelphus,  was  placed. 
Of  the  arrangements  respecting  this 
translation,  and  the  reception  of  his 
countrymen,  Josephus  gives  an  inte- 
resting account ;  but,  always  ready 
to  show  the  great  importance  of  the 
Jews,  he  forgets  probability  in  this  as 
in  many  other  instances,  and  informs 
us  that  each  of  the  seventy-two  inter- 
preters received  three  talents.  This, 
if  computed  in  Alexandrian  money, 
amounts  to  3100Z.  sterling,  making  a 
total  of  223,200Z. ;  a  sum  which  not 
even  the  supposed  munificence  of  a 
Ptolemy  can  render  credible ;  and  some 
are  inclined,  with  Prideaux,  to  com- 
pute the  amount  still  higher,  even  at 
two  millions  of  our  money. 

Nbr  does  it  appear  that  the  Ptole- 
mies were  always  so  liberally  disposed, 
or  so  scrupulous  in  their  way  of  ob- 
taining additions  to  their  library;  and 
though  they  spared  no  expense  in 
sending  competent  persons  into  distant 
countries  to  purchase  books,  much 
tyranny  and  injustice  were  resorted 
to,  when  they  could  bring  their  pos- 
sessors within  their  reach,  or  when 
other  states  were  generous  enough  to 
send  them  an  original  work.  All  books 
brought  into  the  country  were  seized, 
and  sent  to  the  Library ;  and,  as  soon 
as  they  had  been  transcribed,  the 
copies  were  returned  to  the  owners,  the 
originals  being  deposited  in  the  library. 
Ptolemy  Euergetes  even  went  so  far 
as  to  borrow  the  works  of  iEschylus, 
Sophocles,  and  Euripides  from  the 
Athenians,  and  only  returned  the  copies 
he  had  caused  to  be  transcribed  in  as 
beautiful  a  manner  as  possible,  pre- 
senting them,  in  lieu  of  the  original, 
15  talents,  or  about  2906Z.  sterling. 

The  library  of  the  Museum  was  un- 
fortunately destroyed  during  the  war 
of  Julius  Caesar  with  the  Alexandrians. 
For,  in  order  to  prevent  his  aggressors 
cutting  off  his  communication  with  the 


84 


ALEXANDRIA  :  ANCIENT  BUILDINGS  ; 


Sect.  I. 


sta,  being  obliged  to  set  fire  to  the 
Egyptian,  or,  as  Plutarch  says,  his  own, 
fleet,  the  flames  accidentally  caught 
some  of  the  houses  on  the  port,  and, 
spreading  thence  to  the  quarter  of  the 
Bruchion,  burnt  the  library,  and  threat- 
ened destruction  to  the  whole  of  the 
Museum  and  the  adjoining  buildings. 
The  Museum  itself  escaped,  but  the 
famous  library,  consisting  of  400,000 
volumes,  which  had  cost  so  much 
trouble  and  expense  for  ages  to  collect, 
was  lost  for  ever ;  and  in  it  doubtless 
some  very  valuable  works  of  antiquity, 
many  of  whose  names  may  even  be 
unknown  to  us. 

The  Museum  stood,  as  already  stated, 
in  the  quarter  of  the  Bruchion.  Ac- 
cording to  Strabo,  it  was  a  very  large 
building,  attached  to  the  palace,  sur- 
rounded by  an  exterior  peristyle,  or 
corridor,  for  walking;  and  it  is  pro- 
bable that  the  philosophers  frequently 
taught  beneath  this  covered  space,  as 
in  the  stoa  of  Athens,  or  in  the  grove 
of  Academus.  It  is  difficult  now  to 
point  out  its  exact  site  :  it  was  pro- 
bably near  the  modern  branch  of  the 
canal  that  runs  past  the  Kosetta  Gate 
to  the  sea. 

The  Serapeum  was  founded  by  Pto- 
lemy Soter,  as  reported  by  Plutarch 
and  others,  for  the  reception  of  the 
statue  of  Serapis,  a  foreign  deity  whose 
worship  was  introduced  from  Sinope. 
It  stood  in  that  part  of  the  city  which 
had  formerly  been  occupied  by  Rha- 
cotis,  the  predecessor  of  Alexandria, 
and  was  embellished  with  such  magni- 
ficence that  Ammianus  Marcellinus 
pronounces  it  unequalled  by  any 
building  in  the  world,  except  the 
Capitol  at  Eome.  It  appears  not  only 
to  have  contained  the  temple  of  the 
deity,  but  to  have  consisted,  like  the 
Museum,  of  several  distinct  parts,  such 
as  a  library  and  peristylar  halls,  adorned 
with  beautiful  works  of  art. 

The  Serapeum  subsisted  long  after 
the  introduction  of  Christianity  into 
Egypt,  as  the  last  hold  of  the  Pagans 
of  Alexandria.  Nor  did  it  lose  its 
importance,  as  Strabo  would  lead  us 
to  suppose,  from  the  number  of  rival 
temples,  or  the  increasing  consequence 


of  Nicopolis;  and  it  continued  to  be 
their  chief  resort  until  finally  demo- 
lished by  order  of  Theodosius,  a.d.  389, 
when  the  votaries  of  the  cross  entirely 
subverted  the  ancient  religion  of  Egypt. 
M.  Ampere  says,  "  Le  Serapeum  e'tait 
le  Palladium  de  la  religion  Egyptienne, 
et  de  la  phitosophie  Grecque.  A 
l'epoque  de  sa  destruction  il  repre- 
sentaitl'alliance que  routes  deux  avaient 
fini  par  former  contre  1'ennemi,  la  reli- 
gion Chretienne."  The  building  and 
its  destruction  are  thus  described  by 
Gibbon.  The  temple  of  Serapis, 
"  which  rivalled  the  pride  and  magni- 
ficence of  the  Capitol,  was  erected  on 
the  spacious  summit  of  an  artificial 
mount,  raised  one  hundred  steps  above 
the  level  of  the  adjacent  parts  of  the 
city;  and  the  interior  cavity  was 
strongly  supported  by  arches,  and  dis- 
tributed into  vaults  and  subterraneous 
apartments.  The  consecrated  build- 
ings were  surrounded  by  a  quadran- 
gular portico :  the  stately  halls,  the 
exquisite  statues,  displayed  the  tri- 
umph of  the  arts;  and  the  treasures 
of  ancient  learning  were  preserved  in 
the  famous  Alexandrian  library, 
which  had  arisen  with  new  splendour 
from  its  ashes." 

But  in  progress  of  time  the  animo- 
sity of  the  Christians  was  directed 
against  this  edifice;  the  "pious  indig- 
nation of  Theophilus"  could  no  longer 
tolerate  the  honours  paid  to  Serapis; 
"and  the  insults  which  he  offered  to 
an  ancient  chapel  of  Bacchus  convinced 
the  Pagans  that  he  meditated  a  more 
important  and  dangerous  enterprise. 
In  the  tumultuous  capital  of  Egypt, 
the  slightest  provocation  was  sufficient 
to  inflame  a  civil  war.  The  votaries 
of  Serapis,  whose  strength  and  numbers 
were  much  inferior  to  those  of  their 
antagonists,  rose  in  arms  at  the  insti- 
gation of  the  philosopher  Olympius, 
who  exhorted  them  to  die  in  defence 
of  the  altars  of  the  gods.  These  Pa- 
gan fanatics  fortified  themselves  in  the 
temple,  or  rather  fortress  of  Serapis, 
repelled  the  besiegers  by  daring  sal- 
lies and  a  resolute  defence,  and,  by  the 
inhuman  cruelties  which  they  exer- 
cised on  their  Christian  prisoners,  ob- 


Egypt. 


THE  SERAPEUM. 


85 


tained  the  last  consolation  of  despair. 
The  efforts  of  the  prudent  magistrate 
were  usefully  exerted  for  the  establish- 
ment of  a  truce,  till  the  answer  of 
Theodosius  should  determine  the  fate 
of  Serapis.  The  two  parties  assembled 
without  arms  in  the  principal  square ; 
and  the  imperial  rescript  was  publicly 
read.  But  when  a  sentence  of  destruc- 
tion against  the  idols  of  Alexandria 
was  pronounced,  the  Christians  set  up 
a  shout  of  joy  and  exultation,  whilst 
the  unfortunate  Pagans,  whose  fury 
had  given  way  to  consternation,  retired 
with  hasty  and  silent  steps,  and  eluded, 
by  their  flight  or  obscurity,  the  resent- 
ment of  their  enemies.  Theophilus 
proceeded  to  demolish  the  temple  of 
Serapis,  without  any  other  difficulties 
than  those  which  he  found  in  the 
weight  and  solidity  of  the  materials; 
but  these  obstacles  proved  so  insupe- 
rable, that  he  was  obliged  to  leave 
the  foundations,  and  to  content  himself 
with  reducing  the  edifice  itself  to  a 
heap  of  rubbish ;  a  part  of  which  was 
soon  afterwards  cleared  away,  to  make 
room  for  a  church,  erected  in  honour 

of  the  Christian  martyrs  The 

colossal  statue  of  Serapis  was  involved 
in  the  ruin  of  his  temple  and  religion. 
A  great  number  of  plates  of  different 
metals,  artificially  joined  together, 
composed  the  majestic  figure  of  the 
deity,  who  touched  on  either  side  the 
walls  of  the  sanctuary.  The  huge 
idol  was  overthrown  and  broken  to 
pieces ;  and  the  parts  of  Serapis  were 
ignominiously  dragged  through  the 
streets  of  Alexandria." 

The  library  of  the  Serapeum  was 
scarcely  less  famous  than  that  of  the 
Museum.  Of  the  700,000  volumes  of 
which  the  Alexandrian  library  as  a 
whole  consisted,  300,000  were  in  the 
Serapeum.  This  number  included  the 
200,000  volumes  belonging  to  the 
kings  of  Pergamus,  and  presented  to 
Cleopatra  by  Marc  Antony.  It  was  to 
prevent  the  increase  of  the  Pergamus 
library  that  Ptolemy  Epiphanes  forbade 
the  expoitation  of  the  Egyptian  papy- 
rus on  which  the  volumes  contained 
in  it  were  written,  whereupon  "  the 
copiers  employed  by  Eumenes,  king  of 
Pergamus,  wrote  their  books  upon 


sheepskins,  which  were  called  Charta 
Pergamena,  or  parchment,  from  the 
name  of  the  city  in  which  they  were 
written.  Thus  our  own  two  words, 
parchment  from  Pergamus,  and  paper 
from  papyrus,  remain  as  monuments 
of  the  rivalry  in  bookmaking  between 
the  two  kings. 

The  collection  in  the  Serapeum  was 
also  exposed  to  severe  losses,  at  a  sub- 
sequent period,  during  the  troubles 
that  occurred  in  the  Koman  empire. 
Many  of  the  books  are  supposed  to 
have  been  destroyed  on  those  occa- 
sions, particularly  at  the  time  when 
the  Serapeum  was  attacked  by  the 
Christians ;  and  Oroaius  says  he  was 
at  that  time  a  witness  of  its  empty 
shelves.  We  may,  however,  conclude 
that  these  losses  were  afterwards  in 
some  degree  repaired,  and  the  number 
of  its  volumes  still  further  increased ; 
though  later  contributions  were  pro- 
bably not  of  the  same  importance  as 
those  of  an  earlier  period :  and  Gibbou 
goes  so  far  as  to  suppose  that,  if  the 
library  was  really  destroyed  by  Amer, 
its  content  were  confined  to  the  pro- 
ductions of  an  age  when  religious  con- 
troversy constituted  the  principal  occu- 
pation of  the  Alexandrians.  "  And," 
adds  the  historian,  "  if  the  ponderous 
mass  of  Arian  and  Monophysite  con- 
troversy were  indeed  consumed  in  the 
public  baths  a  philosopher  may  allow, 
with  a  smile,  that  it  was  ultimately 
devoted  to  the  benefit  of  mankind." 
But,  notwithstanding  the  injuries  sus- 
tained by  the  Serapeum,  during  those 
tumults  which  ruined  so  many  of  the 
monuments  of  Alexandria,  which  con- 
verted every  public  building  into  a 
citadel,  and  subjected  the  whole  city 
to  the  horrors  of  internal  war,  many, 
doubtless,  of  the  ancient  volumes  still 
remained  within  its  precincts  ;  and  the 
Caliph  Omar  will  for  ever  bear  the 
odium  of  having  devoted  to  destruction 
that  library,  whose  numerous  volumes 
are  said  to  have  sufficed  for  six  months 
for  the  use  of  the  4000  baths  of  this 
immense  city. 

It  is  related  of  John  the  Gramma- 
rian, the  last  disciple  of  Ammonius, 
surnamed  Philoponus  from  his  labo- 
rious studies  of  grammar  and  philo- 


86 


ALEXANDRIA  :  ANCIENT  BUILDINGS. 


Sect.  I. 


sopby,  that  having  been  admitted  to 
tbe  friendship  of  Amer,  the  lieutenant 
of  the  Caliph  Omar,  he  took  advan- 
tage of  his  intimacy  with  the  Arab 
general  to  intercede  for  the  preserva- 
tion of  the  library  of  the  captured  city, 
which  "  alone,  among  the  spoils  of 
Alexandria,  had  not  been  appropriated 
by  the  visit  and  the  seal  of  the  con- 
queror. Amrou  (Amer)  was  inclined 
to  gratify  the  wish  of  the  grammarian, 
but  his  rigid  integrity  refused  to  ali- 
enate the  minutest  object  without  the 
consent  of  the  caliph;  and  the  answer 
of  Omar,  inspired  by  the  ignorance  of 
a  fanatic,  'Jf  these  writings  of  the 
Greeks  agree  with  the  Book  of  God, 
they  are  useless,  and  need  not  be  pre- 
served; if  they  disagree,  they  are  per- 
nicious, and  ought  to  be  destroyed,' " 
doomed  them  to  destruction.  Such  was 
the  sentence  said  to  have  been  pro- 
nounced by  the  impetuous  Omar.  The 
Moslems,  however,  to  this  day,  deny 
its  truth;  and  Gibbon  observes,  that 
"  the  solitary  report  of  a  stranger 
(Abulpharagius),  who  wrote  at  the 
end  of  600  years,  on  the  confines  of 
Media,  is  overbalanced  by  the  silence 
of  two  annalists  of  a  more  early  date, 
both  Christians,  both  natives  of  Egypt, 
and  the  most  ancient  of  whom,  the 
patriarch  Eutychus,  has  amply  de- 
scribed the  conquest  of  Alexandria." 
But  the  admission  of  some  Arab 
writers,  cited  by  the  learned  De  Sacy 
in  his  notes  on  Abd-el-Atif,  seems  to 
confirm  the  truth  of  Omar's  vandal- 
ism ;  the  authorities  of  Makrizi  and 
Abd-el-Atif  are  of  considerable  weight, 
notwithstanding  the  silence  even  of 
contemporary  Christian  annalists;  and 
whilst  we  regret  the  destruction  of  this 
library,  we  may  wish,  with  M.  Key 
Dussueil,  that  the  capture  of  Alex- 
andria had  happened  half  or  a  whole 
century  later ;  when,  instead  of  de- 
stroyers, the  Arabs  assumed  the  cha- 
racter of  preservers  of  ancient  litera- 
ture. 

The  Cesarium  or  temple  of  Cse?ar,  is 
marked  by  the  two  obelisks  (called 
Cleopatra's  Needles),  which  Pliny  tells 
us  "stood  on  the  port  at  the  temple 
of  Caesar."  Near  this  spot,  according 
to  Strabo,  was  the  palace  of  the  kings 


on  the  point  called  Lochias,  ron  the 
left  of  the  great  harbour,  which  is  the 
same  as  the  headland  behind  the  mo- 
dern Pharillon.  The  tombs  of  the 
kings,  also,  stood  in  this  district,  and 
formed  part  of  the  palace  under  the 
name  of  11  Soma."  In  this  enclosure 
the  Ptolemies  were  buried,  as  well  as 
the  founder  of  the  city,  whose  body, 
having  been  brought  to  Egypt,  and 
kept  at  Memphis  while  the  tomb  was 
preparing,  was  taken  thence  to  Alex- 
andria, and  deposited  in  the  royal 
cemetery. 

Arab  tradition  has  long  continued 
to  record  the  existence  of  the  tomb  of 
Alexander;  and  Leo  Africanus  men- 
tions a  "  small  edifice  standing  in  the 
midst  of  the  mounds  of  Alexander, 
built  like  a  chapel,  remarkable  for  the 
tomb  where  the  body  of  the  great 
prophet  and  king,  Alexander,  is  pre- 
served. It  is  highly  honoured  by  the 
Moslems;  and  a  great  concourse  of 
strangers  from  foreign  lands  who,  with 
feelings  of  religious  veneration,  visit 
this  tomb,  often  leave  there  luany  cha- 
ritable donations."  The  building  tra- 
ditionally reported  to  be  the  tomb  of 
Alexander,  was  found  by  Mr.  Stoddart 
amidst  the  mounds  of  the  old  city.  It 
resembles  an  ordinary  Sheykh's  tomb, 
and  is  near  the  bath  to  the  west  of 
the  road  leading  from  the  Fi  ank  quar- 
ter to  the  Pompey's  Pillar  Gate.  But 
its  position  does  not  agree  with  the 
"  Soma,"  according  to  Strabo's  account; 
and  the  authority  of  Arab  tradition 
cannot  always  be  trusted. 

The  sarcophagus,  said  to  have  been 
looked  upon  by  the  people  of  Alex- 
andria as  the  tomb  of  Iscander,  was 
taken  by  the  French  from  the  mosk  of 
Athanasius,  and  is  now  in  the  British 
Museum  :  but  as  the  hieroglyphics  on 
it  prove  it  to  have  belonged  to  an 
Egyptian  Pharaoh,  its  authenticity 
must  be  considered  as  more  than 
doubtful. 

The  Island  of  Antirhodus,  the  Posi- 
dium,  the  Timonium,  the  Emporium, 
the  ports  of  Eunostus  and  Kibotus,  and 
the  Necropolis  have  been  described  in 
Strabo's  account  given  at  p.  78. 

The  Panium,  or  Temple  of  Pan, 


REMAINS  OF  ANCIENT  ALEXANDRIA. 


87 


described  by  Strabo  as  an  artificial 
height,  in  the  shape  of  a  top,  resem- 
bling a  stone  mound,  with  a  spiral 
ascent,  and  commanding  a  view  of  the 
whole  city,  was  supposed  by  Pococke 
to  have  been  marked  by  a  hill  within 
the  walls  behind  the  Frank  quarter, 
since  occupied  by  Fort  Caffarelli, 
which  is  built  on  ancient  substructions. 
Some  have  conjectured  it  to  have  been 
the  height  on  which  Pompey's  Pillar 
stands,  and  others  have  placed  it  on 
the  redoubt-hill  to  the  W.  of  that 
monument. 

The  Gymnasium  stood  near  the  street 
which  extendtd  from  the  western  or 
Necropolis  Gate  to  that  on  the  Canopic 
or  eastern  side ;  which  were  distant 
from  each  other  40  stadia,  the  street 
being  100  ft.  broad.  It  had  porticoes 
covering  the  space  of  an  eighth  of  a 
mile,  of  which  Pococke  conjectures 
the  granite  columns  near  the  main 
street  to  be  the  remains.  The  Forum 
he  places  between  this  and  the  sea; 
and  he  attempts  to  fix  the  site  of  the 
Necropolis  Gate  on  the  S.  of  the  pre- 
sent town.  Two  large  streets  were  a 
few  years  ago  clearly  traced,  as  well 
as  the  spot  where  they  intersected 
each  other  at  right  angles.  One  of 
these  was  probably  the  street  men- 
tioned by  Strabo  as  running  from  the 
Mareotic  or  Sun  Gate  to  the  sea ;  the 
other,  though  not  the  corresponding 
cross  main  street,  was  one  of  some 
consequence,  as  is  proved  by  the  co- 
lumns and  the  remains  of  buildings 
that  could  then  be  seen  throughout  its 
course :  and  if  there  is  a  difficulty  in 
ascribing  these  or  other  ruins  to  any 
particular  edifice,  it  may  readily  be 
accounted  for  in  a  city  which,  as  Di- 
odorus  observes,  contained  a  succession 
of  temples  and  splendid  mansions. 

Outside  the  modern  walls,  and  at 
the  extreme  N.E.  corner  of  the  old 
city,  was  the  Jews'  quarter,  or  Regio 
Judseorum,  separated  from  the  Bruchion 
by  its  own  wall :  and  though  not  so 
extensive  as  some  would  lead  us  to  sup- 
pose, it  was  inhabited  by  a  large  popu- 
lation, governed  by  it3  own  Ethnarch, 
and  enjoying  great  privileges  granted 
at  various  times  by  the  Caesars.  Its 


site  was  between  the  palaces  and 
the  modern  tomb  of  Sheykh  Shaktbek, 
and  near  this  is  the  Jewish  cemetery 
at  the  present  day. 

The  Eosetta  Gate  is  the  eastern 
entrance  of  the  large  walled  circuit, 
which  lies  to  the  S.  and  S  E.  of  the 
modern  town.  The  space  it  encloses 
is  about  10,000  ft.  long,  by  3200  in  the 
broadest,  and  1600  in  the  narrowest 
part.  Till  lately  it  was  a  large  unin- 
habited area,  whose  gloomy  mounds 
were  only  varied  here  and  there  by 
the  gardens  or  villas  of  the  Franks, 
and  other  inhabitants  of  Alexandria; 
but  now  that  the  Saracenic  walls  of 
the  town  have  been  removed,  and  this 
once  vacant  space  is  daily  becoming 
occupied  by  streets,  churches,  and  de- 
tached houses,  it  may  once  more  be 
looked  upon  as  part  of  Alexandria, 
The  site  of  the  old  Canopic  Gate  lay 
very  much  further  to  the  E.  than  the 
modern  entrance  on  that  side.  Indeed 
the  circuit  has  been  so  much  dimi- 
nished, that  the  latter  stands  on  what 
was  once  part  of  the  street  leading  to 
the  Canopic  Gate,  whose  site  was  about 
half  a  mile  further  to  the  eastward. 
The  wall  of  the  ancient  city,  on  that 
side,  passed  under  the  lofty  mounds 
occupied  by  the  French  lines  before 
the  battle  of  Alexandria;  and  the  re- 
mains of  masonry,  its  evident  line  of 
direction,  and  the  termination  of  the 
mounds  of  the  town  in  that  part,  suffi- 
ciently show  its  position. 

3.  Present  Eemains  of  Anctent 
Alexandria. — Of  the  magnificent  city 
described  by  Strabo  it  may  be  said  that 
hardly  a  vestige  remains.  The  two 
obelisks,  one  erect  and  one  fallen,  com- 
monly called  Cleopatra's  Needles,  are 
the  only  striking  relics  of  what  he  saw. 
These  obelisks  stood  originally  at 
Heliopolis,  but  were  brought  to  Alex- 
andria in  the  reign  of  Tiberius  (a.d. 
14-37),  and  set  up  in  front  of  the  tem- 
ple of  Csesar,  or  the  Csesarium,  which 
the  Alexandrians  had  erected  in  honour 
of  the  emperor.  Another  account  in- 
deed assigns  the  erection  of  this  temple 
to  Cleopatra,  to  commemorate  the  birth 
of  her  son  by  Julius  Csesar ;  and  if  this 
story  were  true  it  would  explain  the 


88 


ALEXANDRIA  I  ANCIENT  REMAINS  ; 


Sect,  I. 


origin  of  the  traditional  name.  The 
obelisks  are  of  red  granite  of  Syene, 
and  are  respectively,  the  standing  one 
71  ft.  high,  the  fallen  one  66  ft. ;  the 
diameter  of  both  at  the  base  is  the 
same,  7  ft.  7  in.  Among  the  hiero- 
glyphs carved  on  them  are  the  names 
of  Thothmes  III.,  Kameses  II.,  and 
Sethi  II.,  his  successor.  The  fallen 
obelisk  was  given  by  Mohammed  Ali  to 
the  English,  who  were  desirous  of  re- 
moving it  to  England  as  a  record  of 
their  successes  in  Egypt,  and  of  the 
glorious  termination  of  the  campagin 
of  1801.  The  Pasha  even  offered  to 
transport  it  free  of  expense  to  the 
shore,  and  put  it  on  board  any  vessel 
or  raft  which  might  be  sent  to  remove 
it ;  but  the  project  has  been  wisely 
abandoned,  and  cooler  deliberation  has 
pronounced  that,  from  its  mutilated 
state,  and  the  obliteration  of  many  of 
the  hieroglyphics  by  exposure  to  the 
sea-air,  it  is  unworthy  the  expense  of 
removal.J  It  is  now  entirely  covered 
with  debris.  U~  &*\*da>y . 

Just  beyond  the  obelisks  to  the  E. 
are  the  ruins  of  an  old  round  tower, 
commonly  called  the  "Eoman  tower," 
though  from  its  position  at  the  corner 
of  the  wall  just  where  it  turns  south- 
ward, and  the  style  of  its  architecture, 
it  belongs  more  properly  to  the  early 
Arab  period. 

The  most  striking  monumental  relic 
of  Alexandria  is  the  column  errone- 
ously called  Pompey's  Pillar.  It  stands 
near  the  Mohammedan  burial-place  on 
an  eminence  which  was  probably  the 
highest  ground  of  the  ancient  city. 
It  consists  of  a  capital,  shaft,  base,  and 
pedestal,  which  last  reposes  on  sub- 
structions of  smaller  blocks,  once  be- 
longing to  older  monuments,  and  pro- 
bably brought  to  Alexandria  for  the 
purpose.  On  one  is  the  name  of  the 
first  Psamnietichus. 

Its  substructions  were  evidently  once 
under  the  level  of  the  ground,  and 
formed  part  of  a  paved  area,  the  stones 
of  which  have  been  removed  (probably 
to  serve  as  materials  for  more  recent 
buildings),  leaving  only  those  beneath 
the  column  itself,  to  the  great  risk  of 
the  monument. 

The  total  height  of  the  column  is 


98  ft.  9  in.,  the  shaft  is  73  ft.,  the 
circumference  29  ft.  8  in.,  and  the 
diameter  at  the  top  of  the  capital 
16  ft.  6  in.  The  shaft  of  beautiful  red 
granite,  highly  polished,  is  elegant  and 
of  good  style,  but  the  capital  and  pe- 
destal are  of  inferior  workmanship  and 
unfinished,  and  it  is  probable  that, 
while  the  column  itself  was  of  an  early 
period,  the  capital  and  shaft  were 
added  at  the  time  when  the  pillar  as 
it  stands  was  erected  as  a  monument 
in  honour  of  the  emperor  Diocletian. 
That  it  was  intended  to  serve  this  pur- 
pose is  apparently  proved  by  the  fol- 
lowing Greek  inscription : — 

TON  TIMIOTATON  AYTOKPATOPA 
TON  nOAlOYXON  AAE5ANAPEIA0 
MOKAHTIANON  TON  ANIKHTON 
nOYBAlOC,  EIIAPXOC  AIIYirTOY 

That  the  people  of  Alexandria  should 
erect  a  similar  monumeut  in  honour  of 
Diocletian  is  not  surprising,  since  he 
had  on  more  than  one  occasion  a  claim 
to  their  gratitude,  "  having  granted 
them  a  public  allowance  of  corn  to  the 
extent  of  two  millions  of  medimni,'' 
and  "  after  he  had  taken  the  city  by 
siege  when  in  revolt  against  him, 
having  checked  the  fury  of  his  soldiers 
in  their  promiscuous  massacre  of  the 
citizens."  It  is  more  probable,  however, 
that  this  column  silently  records  the 
capture  of  Alexandria  by  the  arms  of 
Diocletian  in  a.d.  296,  when  the  re- 
bellion of  Achilleus,  who  had  usurped 
for  5  years  the  imperial  title  and  dig- 
nities, had  obliged  him  to  lay  siege  to 
the  revolted  city,  and  the  use  of  the 
epithet  aviKf\Tov  "invincible"  applied 
to  the  emperor,  is  in  favour  of  this 
opinion.  This  memorable  siege,  ac- 
cording to  the  historian  of  the  Decline, 
lasted  eight  months ;  when,  "  wasted 
by  the  sword  and  by  fire,  it  implored 
the  clemency  of  the  conqueror,  but 
experienced  the  full  extent  of  his 
severity.  Many  thousands  of  the 
citizens  perished  in  the  promiscuous 
slaughter,  and  there  were  few  ob- 
noxious persons  in  Egypt  who  escaped 
a  sentence  either  of  death  or  at  least  of 
exile." 

On  the  summit  is  a  circular  depres- 


Egypt. 


POPULATION. 


89 


sion  of  considerable  size,  intended  to 
admit  the  base  of  a  statue,  as  is  usual 
on  monumental  columns ;  and  at 
each  of  the  four  sides  is  a  cramp,  by 
which  it  was  secured:  and,  indeed,  in 
an  old  picture  or  plan  of  Alexandria, 
where  some  of  the  ancient  monuments 
are  represented,  is  the  figure  of  a  man 
standing  on  the  column.  An  Arab 
tradition  pretends  that  it  was  one  of 
four  columns  that  once  supported  a 
dome  or  other  building ;  but  little 
faith  is  to  be  placed  in  the  tales  of 
the  modern  inhabitants.  Macrisi  and 
Abd-el-ateef  state  that  it  stood  in 
a  stoa  surrounded  by  400  columns, 
where  the  library  was  that  Omar  or- 
dered to  be  burnt ;  which  (if  true) 
would  prove  that  it  belonged  to  the 
Serapeum. 

In  the  hollow  space  to  the  S.W.  of 
this  column  is  the  site  of  an  ancient 
circus,  or  a  stadium;  from  which  the 
small  fort,  thrown  up  by  the  French 
on  the  adjoining  height,  received  the 
name  of  the  "  Circus  Eedoubt."  The 
outline  of  its  general  form  may  still  be 
traced. 

Not  the  least  remarkable  of  the  re- 
mains of  ancient  Alexandria  are  the  cis- 
terns constructed  beneath  the  houses 
for  storing  the  supply  of  water  with 
which  the  city  was  furnished  by  the 
Canopic  canal.  These  cisterns  were 
often  of  considerable  size,  having  their 
roofs  supported  by  rows  of  columns, 
vaulted  in  brick  or  stone.  Being 
built  of  solid  materials,  and  well  stuc- 
coed, they  have  in  many  instances  re- 
mained perfect  to  this  day ;  and  some 
continue  even  now  to  be  used  for  the 
same  purpose  by  the  modern  inhabit- 
ants. The  water  is  received  into  them 
during  the  inundation,  and  the  cistern 
being  cleansed  every  year,  previous  to 
the  admission  of  a  fresh  supply,  the 
water  always  remains  pure  and  fresh. 
In  some,  steps  are  made  in  the  side ; 
in  others,  men  descend  by  an  opening 
in  the  roof,  and  this  serves  as  well  for 
lowering  them  by  ropes,  as  for  'draw- 
ing out  the  water,  which  is  carried  on 
camels  to  the  city. 

Eeservoirs  of  the  same  kind  are 
also  found  in  the  convents  that  stand 
on  the  site  of  the  old  town ;  and  se- 


veral wells  connected  with  them  may 
be  seen  outside  the  walls,  in  going  to- 
wards the  Mahmoodeeah  Canal.  They 
show  the  direction  taken  by  the  chan- 
nels that  conveyed  the  water  to  the 
cisterns  in  the  town.  One  set  of  them 
runs  parallel  to  the  eastern  exit  of  the 
Mahmoodeeah,  another  is  below  the  hill 
of  Pompey's  Pillar,  and  another  a 
little  less  than  half-way  from  this  to 
the  former  line.  It  was  by  means  of 
these  cisterns  that  Ganymedes,  during 
the  war  between  Julius  Csesar  and  the 
Alexandrians,  contrived  to  distress  the 
Romans,  having  turned  the  sea- water 
into  all  those  within  the  quarter  they 
occupied ;  an  evil  which  Csesar  found 
great  difficulty  in  remedying,  by  the 
imperfect  substitute  of  wells. 

For  a  description  of  the  Catacombs, 
the  so-called  "  Baths  of  Cleopatra," 
Caesar's  Camp,  and  other  ruins  outside 
the  town,  see  below,  §  15. 

Little  now  remains  of  the  splendid 
edifices  of  Alexandria ;  and  the  few 
columns,  and  traces  of  walls,  which  a 
few  years  ago  rose  above  the  mounds 
are  no  longer  seen.  The  excavations 
carried  on  amidst  the  mounds  of  the 
old  town,  mostly  for  the  purpose  of  lay- 
ing the  foundations  of  modern  houses, 
occasionally  bring  to  light  a  few  relics, 
as  parts  of  statues,  large  columns,  and 
remains  of  masonry,  which  last,  if  pro- 
perly examined  and'  planned  at  the 
time,  might  serve  as  a  guide  to  the 
position  of  its  ancient  buildings ;  and 
whoever  has  an  opportunity  would  do 
well  to  mark  the  site  of  ruins  wherever 
they  are  found. 

4.  Population,  Ancient  and  Mo- 
dern.— According  to  the  account  of 
Alexandria,  given  by  Polybius,  the 
inhabitants  were,  in  his  time,  of  three 
kinds  :  1,  The  Egyptians,  or  people  of 
the  country,  a  keen  and  civilised  race ; 
2,  The  mercenary  troops,  who  were 
numerous  and  turbulent,  for  it  was  the 
custom  to  keep  foreign  soldiers  in  their 
pay,  who,  having  arms  in  their  hands, 
were  more  ready  to  govern  than  to 
obey;  and,  3,  The  Alexandrians,  not 
very  decidedly  tractable,  for  similar 
reasons,  but  still  better  than  the  last; 
for,  having  been  mixed  with  and  de- 


90 


ALEXANDRIA  I 


POPULATION  ; 


Sect.  I. 


scended  from  Greeks  who  had  settled 
there,  they  had  not  thrown  off  the 
customs  of  that  people.  This  part  of 
the  population  was,  however,  dwind- 
ling away,  more  especially  at  the  time 
when  Polybius  visited  Egypt  during 
the  reign  of  Ptolemy  Physcon;  who, 
in  consequence  of  some  seditious  pro- 
ceedings, had  attacked  the  people  on 
several  occasions  with  his  troops,  and 
had  destroyed  great  numbers  of  them. 
The  successors  of  Physcon  adminis- 
tered the  government  as  badly  or  even 
worse ;  and  it  was  not  till  it  had 
passed  under  the  dominion  of  the 
Komans  that  the  condition  of  the  city 
was  improved. 

The  Alexandrians  continued,  even 
under  the  Romans,  to  manifest  their 
turbulent  character :  and  Trebellius 
Pollio  tells  us  they  were  "of  so  im- 
petuous and  headlong  a  disposition, 
that  on  the  most  trifling  occasions  they 
were  enticed  to  actions  of  the  most 
dangerous  tendency  to  the  republic. 
Frequently,  on  account  of  an  omission 
of  civilities,  the  refusal  of  a  place  of 
honour  at  a  bath,  the  sequestration 
of  a  ballad,  or  a  cabbage,  a  slave's 
shoe,  or  other  objects  of  like  import- 
ance, they  have  shown  such  dangerous 
symptoms  of  sedition  as  to  require  the 
interference  of  an  armed  force.  So 
general,  indeed,  was  this  tumultuous 
disposition,  that,  when  the  slave  of  the 
then  Governor  of  Alexandria  happened 
to  be  beaten  by  a  soldier,  for  telling 
him  that  his  shoes  were  better  than  the 
soldier's,  a  multitude  immediately  col- 
lected before  the  house  of  iEmilianus, 
the  commanding  officer,  armed  with 
every  seditious  wreapon,  and  using 
furious  threats.  He  was  wounded  by 
stones;  and  javelins  and  swords  were 
pointed  at  and  thrown  at  him." 

The  letter  of  Adrian  also  gives  a 
curious  and  far  from  favourable  account 
of  this  people  in  his  time  ;  which, 
though  extending  to  all  the  Egyptians, 
refers  particularly  to  the  Alexandrians, 
as  we  perceive  from  the  mention  of 
Serapis,  the  great  deity  of  their  city, 
"  Adrian  Augustus,  to  the  Consul  Ser- 
vian, greeting: — I  am  convinced,  my 
friend  Servian,  that  all  the  inhabitants 
of  Egypt,  of  whom  you  made  honourable 


mention  to  me,  are  trifling,  wavering, 
and  changing  at  ev  ery  change  of  public 
rumour.  The  worshippers  of  Serapis 
are  Christians,  and  those  who  call 
themselves  followers  of  Christ  pay  their 
devotions  to  Serapis;  every  chief  of 
a  Jewish  synagogue,  every  Samaritan, 
each  Christian  priest,  the  mathema- 
ticians, soothsayers,  and  physicians  in 
the  gymnasia,  all  acknowledge  Serapis. 
The  patriarch  himself,  whenever  he 
goes  into  Egypt,  is  obliged  by  some 
to  worship  Serapis,  by  others  Christ. 
The  people  are,  of  all  others,  the  most 
inclined  to  sedition,  vain  and  insolent. 
Alexandria  is  opulent,  wealthy,  popu- 
lous, without  an  idle  inhabitant.  They 
have  one  god  (Serapis),  whom  the 
Christians,  Jews,  and  Gentiles  worship. 
I  could  wish  that  the  city  practised 
a  purer  morality,  and  showed  itself 
worthy  of  its  pre-eminence  in  size 
and  dignity  over  the  whole  of  Egypt. 
I  have  conceded  to  it  every  point;  I 
have  restored  its  ancient  privileges ;  and 
have  conferred  on  it  so  many  more,  that 
when  I  was  there  I  received  the  thanks 
of  the  inhabitants,  and  immediately 
on  my  departure  they  complimented 
my  son  Verus.  You  have  heard,  too, 
what  they  said  about  Antoninus:  I  wish 
them  no  other  curse  than  that  they 
may  be  fed  with  their  own  chickens, 
which  are  hatched  in  a  way  I  am 
ashamed  to  relate.  I  have  forwarded 
to  you  three  drinking-cups,  which  have 
the  property  of  changing  their  colour." 

As  in  former  times,  the  inhabitants 
are  in  appearance  and  character  a 
mixed  race,  from  the  coast  of  Barbary, 
and  all  parts  of  Egypt,  with  Turks, 
Albanians,  Syrians,  Greeks,  Jews, 
Copts,  and  Armenians,  independent  of 
Frank  settlers. 

The  population  of  Alexandria,  which 
from  half  a  million  or  more  in  the  days 
of  the  Ptolemies  and  the  Cassars  had 
diminished  at  the  end  of  the  last  cen- 
tury to  6000,  has  been  very  rapidly 
recovering  its  numbers  under  Moham- 
med Ali  and  his  successors.  Accord- 
ing to  the  last  official  return  of  1871, 
it  is  estimated  at  220,000,  of  whom 
three-fourths  are  native  and  one-fourth 
foreign.  These  latter  are  thus  di- 
vided : — 


CLIMATE  ;  GOVERNMENT.  91 


Egypt 

Greeks   21,000 

Italians   14.000 

French    10,000 

English  and  Mall ese   .    .    .  5,000 

German-;  and  Swiss     .    .    .  4,500 

Various  nations     ....  500 

But  no  great  faith  can  be  placed  in  the 
accuracy  of  these  figures,  and  it  must 
be  remembered  that  the  so-called 
European  population  is  essentially  a 
floating  one. 


5.  Climate. — Several  ancient  writ- 
ers, as  Diodorus,  Strabo,  Ammianus 
Marcellinus.  Quintus  Curtius,  and  even 
Celsus,  speak  of  the  climate  of  Alex- 
andria as  healthy,  with  a  temperature 
both  cool  and  salubrious.  This  Strabo 
attributes  to  the  admission  of  the  Nile 
water  into  the  Lake  Mareotis,  and  ap- 
parently not  without  reason ;  since  it 
is  notorious  that  the  fevers  prevalent 
there  are  owing  to  exhalations  from 
it;  and  medical  men  have  lately  re- 
commended that  the  Nile  water  should 
be  freely  admitted  into  it,  to  remedy 
this  evil.  At  the  close  of  the  last 
century  this  lake  was  nearly  dry ;  but 
during  the  contest  between  the  English 
and  French  at  Alexandria,  the  sea  was 
let  into  it  by  the  former,  in  order  to 
impede  the  communication  of  the  be- 
sieged with  Cairo,  and  cut  off  the 
supply  of  fresh  water  from  the  city ; 
anel  it  is  now  once  more  a  lake. 

The  temperature  of  Alexandria  is 
kept  tolerably  cool  even  in  summer, 
the  thermometer  seldom  ranging  above 
86°  Fahr.,  by  the  N.W.  winds  from 
the  sea,  but  at  the  same  time  there  is 
a  moisture  and  dampness,  in  the  air 
produced  by  the  same  cause,  especially 
at  night,  which  are  very  trying  to 
many  constitutions ;  and  the  disagree- 
able smell  from  the  marshes  of  the 
lake,  which  are  peculiarly  offensive 
whenever  the  wind  sets  from  the  S.E., 
is  not  suggestive  of  health.  In  the 
early  months  of  the  year  a  great  deal 
of  rain  generally  falls  all  along  the 
Egyptian  coast,  and  the  exhalation 
caused  by  the  effect  of  a  hot  sun  on 
the  morass  of  mud,  into  which  a  heavy 
downpour  soon  converts  the  streets  of 
Alexandria,  renders  a  residence  in  the 


town  at  that  period  unwholesome  as 
well  as  unpleasant.  This  cause  of  un- 
healthiness  will,  however,  be  in  a  great 
measure  removed  when  the  paving  of 
the  streets  shall  have  been  completed 
throughout  the  town. 


6.  Government. — The  city  of  Alex- 
andria forms  an  independent  govern- 
ment apart  from  the  province  in  which 
it  is  situated.  It  has  its  own  governor, 
who  is  assisted  in  all  matters  relating 
to  the  internal  administration  of  the 
town  by  a  municipal  council.  The 
formation  of  this  body  is  of  very  recent 
date.  It  is  composed  of  half  natives 
and  half  Europeans ;  and,  if  the  objects 
for  which  it  was  established  can  be 
thoroughly  carried  out,  it  will  contri- 
bute very  essentially  to  the  improve- 
ment of  the  town,  and  the  general 
well-being  of  the  inhabitants.  But  as, 
unfortunately,  it  is  impossible  for  it  to 
fulfil  its  functions  without  int  rf.ring 
with  the  privileges  and  immunities  so 
long  claimed  and  enjoyed  by  Euro- 
peans, there  is  every  reason  to  fear 
that  its  work  of  reform  must,  for  the 
present,  at  any  rate,  be  very  limited 
and  partial.  As  explained  elsewhere, 
every  foreigner  accused  of  any  offence 
has  to  be  indicted  in  the  consular 
court  of  the  nation  of  which  he  is  a 
citizen.  It  is  easy  to  imagine  the 
labour  and  difficulty  involved  in  deal- 
ing with  offenders  against  sanitary  and 
traffic  regulations,  with  keepers  of  false 
weights  and  measures,  &c,  when  the 
accused,  instead  of  being  dealt  with  at 
once  by  a  recognised  court,  has  to 
be  brought  before  his  own  consular 
court.  When  it  is  remembered,  too, 
that  there  are  17  of  these  courts,  and 
that  in  many  of  them  the  adminis- 
tration of  justice  is  thoroughly  corrupt, 
it  is  no  wonder  that  the  municipal 
council  find  their  task  a  hard  one,  and 
that  their  endeavour,  by  means  of 
their  police,  to  enforce  their  regulations 
is  productive  of  constant  difficulties 
between  the  Egyptian  Government 
and  the  different  consular  authorities. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  in  a  town  like 
Alexandria,  swarming  with  the  scum 
of  all  the  countries  of  the  Mediter- 


92  ALEXANDKIA  :  COMMERCE,  ETC.  ; 


ranean,  some  supreme  local  authority, 
with  entirely  independent  action,  is 
necessary ;  but  it  would  perhaps  have 
been  better  to  wait  until  the  whole 
question  of  civil  and  criminal  juris- 
diction as  regards  foreigners  had  been 
settled. 

The  city  is  divided  into  quarters, 
each  presided  over  by  a  Sheykh,  by 
whom  all  small  matters  are  settled. 
The  more  serious  cases  are  sent  to 
the  zaptieh,  or  chief  police  office,  for 
decision  by  the  prefect  of  police.  But 
if  the  defendant  in  a  civil  or  crimi- 
nal case  be  a  foreigner  he  must  be 
taken  before  his  own  consul,  to  be 
dealt  with  according  to  the  laws  of  his 
own  country.  There  is  very  little 
crime  among  the  natives.  The  Franks, 
as  they  are  called,  are  the  chief  offend- 
ers against  law  and  order;  and,  un- 
fortunately, that  section  of  them  which 
is  at  once  the  most  numerous  and  the 
most  lawless,  the  Greeks,  enjoys  also, 
owing  to  the  corrupt  and  inefficient 
state  of  its  consular  court,  the  greatest 
immunity  from  punishment.  Suits 
between  natives  in  which  property  is 
involved  are  decided  by  the  Makke- 
meh,  or  Cadi's  court ;  and  there  is  a 
mixed  tribunal,  composed  of  half  na- 
tives and  half  foreigners,  and  presided 
over  by  a  native,  for  the  decision  of  all 
commercial  cases  between  foreigners 
and  natives,  where  the  latter  are  defen- 
dants. When  foreigners  are  the  de- 
fendants they  must  be  taken  before 
their  own  consular  court  as  in  other 
cases.  Among  the  natives  every  trade 
and  profession  has  its  sheykh,  whose 
duty  it  is  to  collect  the  taxes,  and  be 
answerable  for  the  good  conduct  of  the 
different  members.  Foreigners  are 
exempt  from  taxation. 


7.  Commerce  and  Industry. — The 
importance  of  the  commerce  of  Alex- 
andria in  ancient  times  has  been 
already  spoken  of.  At  the  present 
day  its  carrying  trade  is  very  con- 
siderable. According  to  published 
returns  the  value  of  the  exports  during 
the  year  1 871  amounted  to  1(),251.608Z., 
of  which  the  large  share  of  7,706,442Z. 


Sect  I. 

was  to  England.  The  principal  articles 
of  export  were — 

Value. 

Cotton  (principally  to  England)  .£6,402,756 

Cotton  seed  (ditto)   1,008,278 

Beans  (ditto)   753,462 

Corn   573,766 

Sugar  (ditto  and  France)  .  .  .  379,456 
Gums  (principally  to  England)  .  .  307,932 
Cofiee  (ditto  France)   122,110 

Among  the  other  principal  articles  of 
export  are  ivory,  wool,  linseed,  and 
mother-of-pearl. 

The  same  returns  give  the  value  of 
the  imports  for  the  year  1871  at 
5,753,020Z.,  of  which  2,469,026Z.  was 
from  England.  Among  the  principal 
articles  of  import  were — 

Value. 

Manufactured  goods  (principally  from 
England)  .  £1, 695, 870 

Wood  (principally  from  Turkey,  Aus- 
tria, and  Italy)    ......  389,286 

Coal  (principally  from  England) .    .     30 7,  J 95 

Oils  (ditto  England,  Italy,  Turkey, 
and  France)  2^1,158 

Wines  and  Liqueurs  (ditto  France)  .  229,944 

The  other  principal  articles  of  import 
are  raw  silk,  salt  provisions  and  vege- 
tables, fruits,  and  marbles  and  stones. 

As  is  seen  by  the  above  statement, 
the  greater  part  of  the  trade  of  the 
port  is  with  England. 

The  principal  native  industries  of 
Alexandria  are  embroidery  in  gold  and 
silk,  weaving  of  cotton  stuffs  for 
native  use,  manufacture  of  pipe-stems, 
tobacco,  arms,  &c,  native  saddlery, 
dyeing,  &c.  The  principal  European 
industries  are  manufacture  of  Italian 
paste,  starch,  soap,  gas,  candles,  oil,  &c. 


8.  Ports,  Gates,  Walls. — Mention 
has  already  been  made  of  the  two 
ports  possessed  by  Alexandria,  the 
Eastern  or  Great  Harbour,  now  called 
the  New  Port,  and  the  Western  or 
Eunostus  Harbour,  now  called  the 
Old  Port ;  and  we  have  seen  that  they 
were  formerly  separated  by  the  Hepta- 
stadium,  and  had  a  communication 
by  bridges  which  formed  part  of  that 
mole.  The  Eastern  or  New  Port  has 
long  been  disused  except  by  small 
native  vessels,  being  completely  ex- 
posed to  the  winds  from  the  north, 
and  encumbered  with  rocks  and  shoals. 


Egypt 


PORTS,  GATES,  STREETS,  ETC. 


93 


There  are  no  vestiges  of  the  two  moles 
which,  running,  the  one  from  the 
Pharos,  the  other  from  the  Pharillon, 
formerly  sheltered  this  port.  From  the 
advent  of  the  Arab  conquerors  until 
the  beginning  of  the  present  century, 
however,  it  had  been  appropriated  to 
the  vessels  of  Christian  states ;  no 
Christian  vessel  being  permitted  to 
enter  the  Western  or  Old  Port,  which 
was  reserved  exclusively  for  Turkish 
vessels,  unless  compelled  to  do  so  by 
stress  of  weather ;  and  then  they  were 
forced  to  go  round  as  soon  as  an  op- 
portunity offered.  It  was  in  conse- 
quence of  this  custom  that  all  the 
houses  of  the  Europeans,  constituting 
the  Frank  quarter,  were  built  on  that 
side  of  the  city.  The  privilege  of 
using  the  old  harbour  and  that  of 
riding  on  horseback  were  obtained  by 
the  English,  for  all  Europeans,  on 
evacuating  Alexandria. 

The  Western  Harbour,  Eunostus, 
has  been  described  in  the  account  of 
the  landing  at  Alexandria,  p.  70.  As 
soon  as  the  important  works  which  are 
now  in  course  of  construction  are 
completed,  it  is  intended  to  put  in 
force  a  scale  of  harbour  dues  based  on 
that  actually  in  use  in  the  port  of 
Liverpool.  The  total  tonnage  of  ves- 
sels entering  the  harbour  during  1871, 
vessels  of  war  excepted,  was  1,262,602; 
and  of  vessels  leaving,  vessels  of  war 
excepted,  1,267,881.  In  the  harbour 
is  a  magnificent  floating  dock  nearly 
500  feet  long  and  1Q0  feet  broad,  and. 
capable  of  supporting  a  weight  of 
10,000  tons. 

The  four  principal  gates  of  Alex- 
andria were  the  Canopic  on  the  east, 
the  Necropolis  Gate  on  the  west,  and 
those  of  the  Sun  and  Moon  at  the  two 
ends  of  the  street  that  ran  from  the 
sea  to  the  lake.  As  you  looked  up  the 
latter  street,  the  ships  in  the  Great 
Harbour  were  seen  beyond  the  Gate 
of  the  Moon  on  one  side,  and  those  in 
the  Mareotic  port  on  the  other;  the 
two  streets  intersecting  each  other  at 
right  angles. 

The  site  of  the  Canopic  Gate  is 


probably  to  be  found  some  1200  yards 
to  the  east  of  the  modern  Eosetta 
Gate,  near  the  Telegraph  tower.  No 
portion  of  the  ancient  circuit  now 
remains,  and  even  the  old  Arab  wall 
has  been  entirely  removed  to  make 
way  for  the  increasing  size  of  Alex- 
andria. 

The  present  walls,  enclosing  a  por- 
tion of  the  mounds  of  the  old  city, 
were  built  in  1811,  by  Mohammed  Aii, 
but  they  were  probably  based  on  older 
foundations.  They  are  well  built  and 
of  great  thickness,  but  have  lately 
been  destroyed  in  parts  to  make  way 
for  improvements.  The  principal  gate 
is  the  Eosetta  Gate,  strongly  fortified 
with  a  double  ditch  and  five  bastions. 
Fort  Caffarelli  and  Fort  Napoleon 
inside  the  town,  with  numerous  other 
fortifications  outside,  are  the  principal 
defences. 


9.  Stkeets,  Public  Places,  and 
Buildings. — Street  nomenclature  at 
Alexandria  is  of  a  very  motley  charac- 
ter, Arabic,  French,  English,  Italian, 
and  other  names,  having  been  given 
apparently  according  to  the  caprice 
of  individuals  ;  and,  to  make  the  con- 
fusion worse,  the  names  are  conti- 
nually being  changed.  Lately,  in- 
deed, the  Government  has  given 
names  to  the  principal  places  and 
streets,  and  in  some  instances  these 
names  have  been  written  up,  but  it  is 
very  common  to  find  people  still 
calling  them  by  the  old  name,  or  by 
some  name  which  to  them  is  more 
familiar ;  e.  the  large  square  which 
used  to  be  called  the  Place  des  Consuls, 
is  now  properly  named  the  Place 
Mehemet  Ali,  but  English  people 
generally  call  it  the  Great  Square. 
This  square  is  the  European  eentre  of 
Alexandria.  In  it  are  situated  the 
principal  hotels,  shops,  bankers'  and 
merchants'  offices.  At  the  N.  E. 
corner  is  the  English  church,  and  on 
the  same  side  is  the  French  Consulate, 
a  large  handsome-looking  building. 
The  houses  are  all  built  in  large 
blocks  called  Okelles,  of  which  the 
largest  is  that  in  which  the  Hotel 
d'Orient  is  situated.  Eecent  improve- 


94 


ALEXANDRIA:  CANALS; 


Sect.  I. 


merits  have  made  the  interior  of  the 
square  a  very  pleasant  promenade, 
shaded  by  trees  and  well  provided 
with  seats.  At  each  end  is  a  large 
fountain.  The  other  principal  open 
space  is  the  Place  de  l'Eglise,  so 
called  from  the  Eoman  Catholic 
church  which  occupies  the  S.E.  side 
of  it.  On  the  same  side  are  Abbat's 
Hotel,  and  the  Egyptian  Post-office. 

Among  the  principal  streets  of  Alex- 
andria are  the  Eue  Shereef  Pasha,  a 
handsome  and  well-built  street  lead- . 
ing  from  the  Place  Mehemet  Ali  into 
the  road  to  the  Eosetta  Gate.  In  it 
are  the  houses  of  many  of  the  princi- 
pal merchants  ;  and  in  the  afternoon 
it  presents  a  gay  and  animated  ap- 
pearance, there  being  a  constant 
stream  of  carriages  to  and  from  the 
drive  by  the  canal.  Parallel  with  this 
street  are  the  Kue  de  la  Poste,  in  which 
is  the  English  Post-office  immediately 
on  the  right  after  leaving  the  Square, 
and  the  Kue  de  la  Mosquee  d'Atarine, 
both  leading  to  the  Eosetta  Gate  road. 
The  continuation  of  the  Eue  de  la 
Mosquee  d'Atarine  from  the  other 
side  of  the  Place  de  l'Eglise  is  called 
the  Eue  de  la  Mosquee.  Erom  the  S. 
side  of  the  Place  Mehemet  Ali  the 
Eue  Ibrahim  extends  to  the  bridge 
over  the  canal,  and  is  the  direct  road 
to  the  station ;  and  the  Eue  Anastasi 
leads  to  the  open  space  in  which  is 
Fort  Napoleon.  Both  these  streets 
pass  through  some  of  the  lowest  parts 
of  the  town.  The  Eue  Eas-et-Teen 
is  a  long,  winding  street,  leading  from 
the  W.  end  of  the  Place  Melie'met  Ali 
to  the  Palace  of  Eas-et-Teen :  from  it 
branch  off  the  streets  leading  to  the 
harbour.  From  the  N.  side  of  the 
Place  Mehemet  Ali  a  number  of  short 
streets  lead  down  to  the  sea.  Most 
of  the  English  business  houses  are  in 
this  part ;  and  one  of  the  streets  was 
called  Gracechurch  Street,  but  has 
now  received  officially  the  name  of 
the  Eue  de  l'Eglise  Anglaise  from  the 
English  church  whose  west  end  faces 
it.  Crossing  these  streets  is  the  Eue 
de  FAiguille  de  Cleopatre,  following 
the  bend  of  the  Great  Harbour  up  to 
the  Eamleh  railway  station,  and  so 
called  from  passing  the  spot  where 


Cleopatra's  Needle  stands.  The  Eng- 
lish Consulate  and  Telegraph  offices 
are  in  this  street.  The  road  leading 
to  the  Eosetta  Gate  is  called  the  Eue 
de  la  Porte  de  Eosette.  At  the  town 
end  of  it  are  some  handsome  houses, 
and  the  Zizinia  theatre.  It  has  been 
thought  better  to  give  the  names  of 
the  streets  in  French,  as,  wherever 
they  are  written  up,  it  is  usually  in  that 
language,  and  if  known  at  all  they  are 
more  likely  to  be  so  under  their 
French  title  than  under  any  other. 

Public  buildings  there  are  none  in 
Alexandria :  the  only  one  which  could 
even  by  courtesy  be  called  so  is  the 
Bourse,  a  rather  insignificant  block  of 
buildings,  at  the  corner  of  the  Eue  de 
la  Bourse  and  the  Eue  de  1' Aiguille 
de  Cleopatre. 


10.  Canals.  There  are  but  slight 
vestiges  of  the  old  canals  of  Alex- 
andria. Mr.  Hamilton  mentions  the 
site  of  one  which  communicated  from 
Lake  Mareotis  with  the  port.  The 
banks  and  channel  of  a  large  canal, 
running  from  the  lake  to  the  old 
harbour,  may  also  be  seen  about  half- 
way between  the  modern  city  and 
Marabut  point,  about  4  miles  to  the 
S.W.  of  the  modern  town,  and  little 
more  than  1^  mile  beyond  the  Cata- 
combs. It  is  6600  feet  long;  the 
high  mounds  on  either  side  are  about 
250  feet  apart ;  and  the  breadth  of 
the  canal  itself  may  have  been  about 
80  feet.  There  is  also  the  bed  of  a 
small  channel  about  half-way  from 
the  town  and  the  Catacombs,  but 
probably  of  late  time;  and  the  canal 
that  leads  from  the  Mahmoodeeah  to 
the  Eosetta  Gate,  and  enters  the  new 
port  near  the  lazzaretto,  is  a  modern 
work,  cut  through  the  walls  and  base- 
ments of  ancient  buildings.  One  old 
canal,  which  ran  into  the  sea  near  the 
basin,  or  Kibotos,  may  have  been  that 
passing  under  the  present  walls,  with- 
in the  western  gate ;  but  the  Canopic 
canal  was  on  the  east  of  the  town. 

The  modern  Mahmoodeeah  canal 
was  begun  by  Mohammed  Ali  in  1819, 
and  opened  on  Jan.  20,  1820.  It 
received  its  name  in  honour  of  the 


Egypt. 


MOSKS,  CHURCHES,  CONVENTS. 


95 


Sultan  Mahmood  II.  The  cost  is  said 
to  have  been  30O.OOOZ. ;  and  250,000 
men  were  employed  about  one  year  in 
digging  it,  of  whom  20,000  perished 
by  accident,  hunger,  and  plague.  It 
commences  at  the  village  of  Atfeh,  on 
the  Kosetta  branch  of  the  Nile,  and 
has  a  total  length  of  50  miles,  with  an 
average  width  of  about  100  feet.  A 
part  of  its  course  is  identical  with  that 
of  the  ancient  Canopic  branch  of  the 
Nile,  and  the  old  canal  of  Fooah, 
which  was  used  in  the  time  of  the 
Venetians  for  carrying  goods  to  Alex- 
andria, and  existed,  though  nearly 
dry,  in  Savary's  time,  a.d.  1777.  The 
right  bank  of  the  Mahmoodeeah  canal 
is  bordered  for  some  distance  with  the 
houses  and  gardens  of  the  wealthy 
inhabitants  of  Alexandria,  and  is  the 
fashionable  afternoon  promenade. 
The  gardens  belonging  to  the  Villa  of 
Moharram  Bey  and  the  Villa  Pastre 
are  opened  to  the  public,  and  a  band 
plays  there  on  Sundays  and  Fridays. 
They  are  well  worth  seeing  for  the 
beauty  and  luxuriance  of  the  shrubs 
and  flowers,  and  there  are  pretty 
views  of  the  surrounding  country  to 
be  obtained  from  the  high  ground  at 
the  furthest  end  from  the  canal.  The 
Villa  and  garden  of  Moharram  Bey 
belong  to  the  Viceroy,  who  has  also  a 
palace  on  the  banks  of  the  canal,  com- 
monly called  No.  3  Palace. 


11.  Mosks,  Chueches,  Convents. 
There  are  are  no  mosks  at  Alexandria 
which  in  themselves  contain  anything 
worth  seeing,  but  two  are  interesting 
as  marking  ancient  sites.  One  of  the 
mosks  is  called  "of  1001  columns," 
according  in  number  with  the  fables 
of  the  1001  nights.  It  is  on  the  west 
side,  near  the  Gate  of  Necropolis,  now 
the  Gabari  Gate.  Pococke  observed 
in  it  four  rows  of  columns  from  S.  to 
W.,  and  one  row  on  the  other  side; 
and  here,  he  says,  it  is  supposed  that 
the  church  of  St.  Mark  once  stood  ; 
where  the  patriarch  formerly  lived  ; 
and  where  the  Evangelist  is  reported 
to  have  been  put  to  death.  This 
church  was  destroyed  by  the  Moslems 
in  the  reign  of  Melek  el  Kamel,  the 


son  of  Melek  Adel,  in  1219,  whilst 
the  Crusaders  were  besieging  Dami- 
etta,  for  fear  that  they  might  surprise 
Alexandria  and  make  a  fortress  of  its 
solid  walls  ;  and  no  offers  on  the  part 
of  the  Christians  could  induce  them 
to  spare  this  venerated  building.  The 
other  great  mosk  is  called  of  St.  Atha- 
nasius,  doubtless,  as  Pococke  observes, 
from  having  succeeded  to  a  church  of 
that  name.  It  is  from  this  that  the 
sarcophagus,  called  the  "tomb  of 
Alexander,"  was  taken,  which  is  now 
in  the  British  Museum. 

The  churches  and  convents  are 
almost  entirely  devoid  of  interest. 
The  convent'of  the  Copts  is  dedicated 
to  St.  Mark,  whose  body  they  pretend 
to  possess,  though  it  is  well  known  that 
it  was  carried  off  clandestinely  by  the 
Venetians,  as  stated  by  Leo  Afi  icanus, 
as  well  as  by  Darii,  and  other  histo- 
rians. The  old  mosaics  of  St.  Mark's 
at  Venice  also  record  this  fact,  and 
the  inscription  over  the  scene  there  re- 
presented does  not  hesitate  to  admit 
that  the  body  was  "  stolen  "  by  the  two 
Venetian  captains  "  Kusticus  and  Tri- 
bunus  "  (called  in  the  Venetian  histo- 
ries Kustico  of  Torcello  and  Buono  of 
Malamacco),  assisted  by  the  monk 
Staurgius  and  the  priest  Theodorus. 
who  had  charge  of  the  sanctuary  of 
St.  Mark  in  Alexandria.  This  hap- 
pened during  the  dogeship  of  Gius- 
tiniano  Partecipazo,  about  828  a.d.  ; 
and  the  mosaic  was  put  up  in  the  new 
church  at  Venice  in  the  11th  century. 
(See  Sir  G.  Wilkinson's  account  of 
this  mosaic,  'Jour.  Archseol.  Assoc.,' 
vol.  vii.  p.  258.) 

The  Greek  Church  is  a  heavy,  ugly 
building  of  modern  date.  The  form 
is  the  usual  one  of  a  Greek  cross,  with 
a  dome  in  the  centre.  The  Greeks 
pride  themselves  on  some  relics,  said 
to  be  of  St.  Catherine,  who  suffered 
martyrdom  at  Alexandria.  For  their 
convent  of  St.  Saba  they  only  claim  an 
age  of  500  years ;  though  some  of  the 
monks  pretend  that  it  contained  the 
real  church  of  St.  Mark. 

The  Latin  Church  is  another  mo- 
dern building  Avith  no  pretensions  to 
architectural  beauty;  and  the  same 
may  be  said  of  all  the  other  ecclesias- 


96         ALEXANDRIA:  HOSPITALS,   SCHOOLS,  THEATRES,  ETC.;     Sect".  I. 


tical  edifices  belonging  to  the  different 
religious  persuasions. 

12.  Hospitals,  Charities,  So- 
cieties.— The  hospital  of  the  Deacon- 
esses of  Kaisersworth  is  well  worth  a 
visit.  It  is  tended  by  European  doc- 
tors, and  the  nursing  is  done  by  the 
deaconesses.  There  are  three  classes 
of  patients ;  the  first-class  paying  5s. 
a  day,  the  second  3s.,  and  the  third 
treated  gratis.  There  are  no  restric- 
tions as  to  religion,  and  the  patient 
may  be  visited  by  a  clergyman  of  his 
own  persuasion.  This  hospital,  one  of 
the  many  established  in  different  parts 
of  the  world  by  the  Kaisersworth 
Deaconesses,  relies  entirely  on  volun- 
tary contributions,  and  is  well  worthy 
of  support.  The  European  Hospital 
is  managed  by  a  committee  compostd 
of  members  of  the  European  com- 
munity. Patients  are  admitted  by  a 
ticket  from  the  consulate  of  the  nation 
to  which  they  belong.  The  charges 
are  from  8  to  2  francs  per  day.  Sisters 
of  Charity  of  the  order  of  St.  Vincent 
de  Paul  are  the  nurses,  and  re- 
ligious ministrations  are  conducted  by 
the  Franciscans  of  the  Holy  Land. 
There  are  also  the  Government  Civil 
and  Military  Hospital,  and  a  hos- 
pital attached  to  the  Orthodox  Greek 
Church. 

There  are  several  charitable  So- 
cieties established  at  Alexandria,  most 
of  them  in  connexion  with  the  (lif- 
erent European  communities.  They 
are  chiefly  for  the  purpose  of  providing 
help  in  various  ways  to  poor  fellow- 
citizens,  such  as  giving  them  money 
for  returning  home,  paying  their  ex- 
penses in  hospital,  &c.  The  British 
Benevolent  Association  gave  assistance 
in  1870  to  97  persons,  at  an  outlay  of 
237Z.  The  Sisters  of  Charity  have  an 
establishment  for  foundlings,  and  also 
give  assistance  in  various  ways  to  the 
poor  of  all  nations.  There  is  a  Mont 
de  Piete  at  Alexandria,  to  which  the 
natives  resort  in  the  proportion  of 
about  5  per  cent. 

13.  Schools.  —  The  Government 
schools  consist  of  a  Primary,  and  a  Se- 
condary school,  and  a  special  Naval 


school.  The  system  of  instruction  in 
the  Government  schools  generally  will 
be  found  described  elsewhere.  The 
Naval  School  has  not  been  long  estab- 
lished, and  as  it  enjoys  the  advantage 
of  being  under  the  superintendence  of 
Capt.  MacKillop,  K.N.,  it  may  produce 
better  results  than  the  other  Govern- 
ment schools,  where,  for  want  of  good 
masters  and  proper  supervision,  the 
knowledge  acquired  is  at  once  super- 
ficial ami  innccurate.  Les  Freres  de 
l'Ecole  Chretienne  have  a  large  estab- 
lishment well  worth  a  visit,  near  the 
Roman  Catholic  church ;  there  are 
nearly  600  pupils,  of  whom  more  than 
300  receive  gratuitous  instruction : 
natives,  and  Europeans  of  all  creeds 
are  alike  taken.  The  Greek  Church 
has  large  schools  both  for  boys  and 
girls  ;  and  there  is  a  Protestant  school 
in  connexion  with  the  Scotch  Church, 
which  has  more  than  100  boys  and 
girls,  of  whom  many  receive  instruction 
gratuitously.  The  American  United 
Presbyterian  Church  has  a  school 
attached  to  the  Mission,  of  which  the 
Kev.  D.  Lansing  is  the  head:  there 
are  about  100  boys  and  girls,  Chris- 
tians, Jews,  and  Muslims. 


14.  Theatres,  Amusements.  &c, — 
The  Zizinia  Theatre,  in  the  Eosetta 
Gate  Eoad,  is  a  large,  handsome 
building:  there  is  generally  Italian 
Opera  or  French  Play  going  on  there 
in  the  winter  and  spring.  At  the 
Debbane  Theatre  in  the  Rue  de  l'Obe'- 
lisque  there  are  occasional  represen- 
tations. The  Grand  Casino  in  the 
Place  Melie'met  Ali,  is  open  every 
evening  for  singing,  dancing,  &c. :  aud 
there  are  several  cafe's  chantants  in 
different  parts  of  the  town,  but  most 
of  them  of  a  very  low  order. 

The  English  community  have  a  very 
flourishing  cricket  club :  the  ground  is  a 
piece  of  desert  waste  near  the  Ramleh 
Railway  Station,  but  a  tolerable  wicket 
lias  been  obtained  by  laying  down 
lime  concrete.  Matches  are  often 
played  in  the  winter  season,  and  some 
of  the  members  generally  meet  lor 
practice  on  Saturdays.  Visitors  are 
always  welcome.    There  is  a  pigeon- 


Egypt. 


DEIVES  AND 


EXCURSIONS. 


97" 


shooting  club  at  Kamleh ;  the  matches 
take  place  in  the  summer.  Excellent 
shooting  may  be  had  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Alexandria  ;  but  it  is  ne- 
cessary to  make  the  acquaintance  of 
some  resident  sportsman  in  order  to 
know  where  to  go  and  what  to  do. 

15.  Drives,  Excursions.  —  The 
roads  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Alex- 
andria are  so  bad,  that  driving  over 
them  for  the  sake  of  a  drive  is  a  very 
questionable  pleasure.  The  regular 
afternoon  promenade  is  out  by  the 
Eosetta  Gate,  and  along  the  Mahmoo- 
deeah  Canal,  and  some  very  good 
turn-outs  may  often  be  seen  there. 
The  drive  presents  no  object  of 
interest  except  the  villas  and  gardens 
by  the  side  of  the  canal,  which  have 
been  already  described.  On  the  other 
side  of  the  town  a  visit  may  be  paid 
to  Gabari :  the  road  is  the  same  as 
that  to  the  railway  station  as  far  as 
the  bridge  over  the  canal;  on  crossing 
that  you  keep  straight  on  through  a 
slough  of  despond  of  dust  or  mud, 
according  to  the  weather,  and  passing 
under  a  gateway,  drive  up  a  desolate- 
looking  avenue  to  the  race-course. 
The  race  meeting  is  held  in  May. 
The  terrace  in  front  of  the  palace 
built  by  Said  Pasha,  serves  as  the 
grand  stand.  When  the  gardens  were, 
kept  up,  Gabari  was  much  resorted 
to,  but  it  is  quite  deserted  now. 
There  is  a  good  view  over  Lake 
Mareotis.  Keturning  to  the  main 
road,  the  drive  may  .be  continued  to 
Mex,  and  a  visit  paid  to  the  so-called 
Bagni  di  Cleopatra,  and  the  Cata- 
combs. The  Baths  of  Cleopatra  are 
merely  excavations,  perhaps  tombs,  at 
the  water's  edge,  below  the  level  of 
the  sea,  which  from  their  appearance 
and  situation  have  been  called  baths. 
The  Catacombs  are  a  little  further  on. 

Nothing  which  remains  of  Alex- 
andria attest  its  greatness  more  than 
these  Catacombs.  The  entrance  to  them 
is  close  to  a  spot  once  covered  with  the 
habitations  and  gardens  of  the  town, 
or  suburb  of  'the  city,  which,  from  the 
neighbouring  tombs,  was  called  the 
Necropolis.  The  extent  of  these  Cata- 
combs is  remarkable  ;  but  the  prin- 

[%//>*•] 


cipal  inducement  to  visit  them  is  the 
elegance  and  symmetry  of  the  archi- 
tecture in  one  of  the  chambers,  having 
a  Doric  entablature  and  mouldings,  in 
good  Greek  taste,  which  is  not  to  be 
met  with  in  any  other  part  of  Egypt. 

Tapers,  and,  if  the  traveller  intends 
to  penetrate  far  into  them,  a  rope,  are 
necessary ;  and,  if  he  wishes  to  take 
measurements  of  the  mouldings,  a 
ladder. 

The  quarries  of  Mex  are  on  the  sea- 
shore, about  five  miles  from  Alex- 
andria. At  the  commencement  of  the 
works  of  the  Suez  Canal,  the  working 
of  these  quarries  was  conceded  to  the 
Canal  Company,  who  intended  to 
employ  the  stone  in  the  composition  of 
the  concrete  blocks  for  the  jetties  at 
Port  Said,  but  the  expense  attendant 
on  the  conveyance  of  the  stone  such  a 
distance  by  sea  caused  this  idea  to  be 
abandoned  after  a  time,  and  the  blocks 
were  made  of  concrete  (lime  and  sand,. 
The  quarries  are  now  being  worked 
by  the  English  Company  who  are 
engaged  in  the  new  harbour  works, 
and  the  stone  is  an  important  addition 
to  the  stoutness  of  the  huge  blocks  of 
wrhich  the  breakwater  is  constructed. 
It  is  also  used  for  building  the  quays. 
The  Company  have  established  their 
head-quarters  at  Mex,  and  built  quite 
a  little  town  for  their  employes  and 
work-people.  The  process  of  manu- 
facturing the  blocks,  and  the  vast 
area  on  which  thousands  of  blocks  are 
drying,  are  well  worth  seeing.  The 
palace,  which  forms  a  conspicuous 
object  on  the  shore  on  entering  and 
leaving  the  harbour,  was  built  by  Said 
Pasha,  but  has  never  been  finished. 
It  is  one  of  the  many  monuments  to 
waste  in  this  country.  On  the  drive 
home,  after  passing  the  canal  bridge, 
a  change  may  be  made  in  the  route 
by  keeping  to  the  left,  and  taking 
the  street  that  leads  past  Fort  Caffa- 
relli. 

A  not  uninteresting  excursion  may 
be  made  to  the  Arsenal  and  the  Palace 
of  Pias-et-Teen,  and  the  site  of  the 
ancient  Pharos.  The  route  for  some 
way  is  the  same  as  the  traveller  has 
followed  in  coming  from  the  harbour 
on  his  first  arrival.    Leaving  the  Kue 

F 


£5  8  ALEXANDEIA  : 

Eas-et-Teen,  and  following  the  street 
nearest  the  East  Harbour,  a  deserted 
quarter  is  traversed,  and  then  a  sort 
of  quay  along  a  low  fort'fication  that 
lines  the  western  side  of  that  harbour. 
At  the  end  of  this  is  the  Pharos, 
already  described.  Returning,  and 
leaving  on  the  right  an  advanced 
fort,  called  Fort  Adu,  the  axe  of  the 
old  Isle  of  Pharos  is  traversed  to  the 
opposite  peninsula.  On  the  way  the 
Hospital  of  the  Kaiserswerth  dea- 
conesses may  be  visited  The  Palace 
of  Ras-et-Teen  occupies  the  western 
extremity  of  the  peninsula  of  that 
name.  It  was  built  by  Mohammed 
Ali.  An  order  is  required  for  visiting 
it.  There  is  nothing  very  remarkable 
except  the  view  from  the  balcony, 
which  is  extensive  and  interesting. 
There  is  a  handsome  staircase  of  Car- 
rara marble,  and  a  large  audience  hall. 
The  hareem,  which  cannot  be  visited, 
is  a  separate  building  facing  the  sea. 
The  ancient  Point  Eunostus,  now 
Eas-et-Teen  Point,  on  which  stands 
the  modern  light-house,  is  a  mile 
further  on.  To  the  right,  after  leaving 
the  palace  on  the  return  home,  is  the 
Arsenal,  chiefly  interesting  as  a  record 
of  Mohammed  Ali's  ambition,  and  of 
the  great  efforts  he  made  to  establish 
his  power  in  Egypt,  and  defy  the  autho- 
rity of  the  Porte.  In  it  are  still  to  be 
seen  the  remains  of  the  fleet  that 
suffered  defeat  at  Navarino.  During 
the  present  Khedive's  reign  a  frigate 
and  a  corvette  have  been  built  in  it. 
The  driver  may  be  told  to  return 
either  by  the  Eue  Eas-et-Teen,  which 
is  here  bordered  by  some  rather  good 
houses  in  the  Arab  style,  or  by  the 
quays  and  streets  from  the  landing- 
place. 

A  very  pleasant  afternoon  excursion 
may  be  made  to  Ramleh  either  by  rail 
or  road.  Trains  leave  the  Eamleh 
Eailway  Station,  which  is  near  the 
Obelisk,  every  hour,  and  return  from 
Eamleh  at  the  half  hour.  The  train 
should  be  left  at  the  first  station  from 
Alexandria,  close  to  the  Khedive's  new 
palace,  for  the  purpose  of  visiting 
the  Roman  camp  and  the  site  of  the 
Battle  of  Alexandria.  The  visitor 
may  then,  if  he  feels  inclined,  walk 


excursions;  Sect.  T. 

on  through  the  scattered  houses  of  the 
European  colony,  which  has,  within 
the  la-t  few  years,  settled  itself 
on  the  sands,  and  catch  a  returning 
train  at  any  of  the  other  stations. 
The  road  for  driving  lies  out  of  the 
Eosetta  Gate,  and  as  it  has  lately  been 
put  in  very  good  order  as  far  as  the 
new  palace,  this  way  of  making  the 
excursion  will  probably  be  preferred. 
Immediately  on  the  left  after  issuing 
from  the  Eosetta  Gate  are  the  dif- 
ferent Christian  Cemeteries,  occupy- 
ing probably  the  site  of  the  old 
Hippodrome.  The  road  runs  for  half 
a  mile  over  the  mouuds  of  the  ancient 
city,  when  it  crosses  the  old  wall,  on 
which  the  French  lines  were  raised, 
and  descends  into  a  plain,  first  culti- 
vated by  order  of  Ibraheem  Pasha. 

Here,  about  f  of  a  mile  from  the  old 
wall,  two  granite  statues  were  disco- 
vered by  Mr.  Harris,  apparentby  of 
one  of  the  Ptolemies,  or  of  a  Eoman 
emperor,  with  his  queen,  in  the  Egyp- 
tian style.  One  has  the  form  of  Osiris, 
the  other  of  Isis,  or  of  Athor.  Other 
granite  blocks  and  remains  of  columns 
show  that  this  was  the  site  of  some 
important  building. 

A  little  beyond  this,  and  nearer  the 
sea,  are  some  old  Catacombs  (by  this 
time  completely  broken  up),  in  which 
were  some  devices  painted  on  the 
stuccoed  walls  and  ceilings.  Here 
too  was  a  marble  sarcophagus  with 
the  head  of  Medusa,  and  other  orna- 
mental sculpture.  In  some  of  the 
Catacombs  Mr.  Harris  found  inscrip- 
tions of  Christian  times,  probably 
about  the  4th  century :  and  it  is 
evident  that  they  were  used  as  places 
of  sepulture  for  Christians  as  well«as 
Pagans. 

About  2  miles  beyond  the  French 
lines,  or  2J  from  the  Eosetta  Gate,  is 
a  Eoman  Station,  called  Caesar's,  or 
the  Eoman  camp.  It  marks  the  site 
of  Nicopolis,  or  Juliopolis,  where  Au- 
gustus overcame  the  partisans  of 
Antony ;  and  is  the  spot  where,  1S32 
years  after,  the  English  and  French 
armies  engaged. 


Egypt 


SITE  OF  NICOPOLIS. 


99 


The  '  Camp '  resembles  the  Myos 
Hormos,  and  the  fortified  stations  or 
hydreumas  in  the  desert ;  but  is 
stronger,  larger,  and  better  built.  It 
is  nearly  square,  measuring  291  paces, 
by  266  within,  the  walls  being  from 
5  to  5J  paces  thick.  It  has  four 
entrances,  one  in  the  centre  of  each 
face,  15  paces  wide,  defended  by  round 
or  semicircular  towers,  18  paces  in 
diameter,  or  12  within.  On  each  face 
are  6  towers,  distant  from  each  other 
38  paces ;  those  of  the  doorway  ex- 
cepted, which  are  only  15  paces  apart. 
Those  at  the  4  corners  are  larger  than 
the  others,  having  a  diameter  of  22 
paces.  Its  N.W.  face  stands  very  near 
the  sea;  and  a  short  way  from  the 
S.W.  gate  are  the  remains  of  the  aque- 
duct that  supplied  it  with  water; 
probably  part  of  the  one  seen  to  the 
north  of  the  Mahmoodeeah,  about  8 
miles  from  Alexandria,  It  has  been 
entirely  excavated  ;  and  the  exten- 
sive system  for  supplying  it  with 
water,  the  wells,  reservoirs,  and  baths, 
have  been  laid  open.  The  water  was 
raised  from  the  principal  well  by  a 
water-wheel  with  pots  (as  at  the 
present  day).  It  is  now  brackish. 
The  wells  are  33  feet  deep.  The 
Prsetorium,  or  commandant's  house, 
has  a  large  mosaic,  with  various  orna- 
mental devices,  and  a  half  figure  of 
Bacchus,  holding  in  one  hand  a  bunch 
of  grapes,  in  the  other  a  crook,  the 
attribute  of  Osiris.  Near  the  sea, 
outside  the  N.W.  corner  of  the  station, 
is  another  bath,  and  a  long  channel 
cased  with  stone,  which  seems  to  have 


supplied  the  bath  with  fresh  water. 
The  walls  of  the  station  are  of  stone, 
with  the  courses  of  flat  bricks,  or  tiles, 
at  intervals, usual  in  Koman  buildings; 
and  the  whole  is  constructed  on  a  scale 
worthy  of  the  grandeur  of  the  early 
part  of  the  Empire.  In  one  place  is 
this  inscription — 

IMP.  CAESARI 
M.  AVEEL.  ANTONINO 
AVG.  ARME>T.  MEDIC.  PARTH. 
GEEMAN.  SAEMAT.  MAXIM. 
TEIB.  POTEST.  XXX. 
imp.  vni.  COS.  III.  P.  P. 
TEIB.  LEG.  II.   TE.  FORT. 

— put  up  to  M.  Aurelius  by  the  Tri- 
bunes of  the  2nd  Legion,  called  '  Tra- 
jana  fortis/  in  the  same  8th  year  of 
which  so  many  of  his  coins  remain ; 
and  not  very  far  from  it  is — 

p.  sempeon.' 

TEAVIT. 

There  is  also  a  stone,  with  a  few 
hieroglyphics  containing  the  name  of 
an  individual  called  Barneses,  probably 
brought  from  some  other  place.  Many, 
however,  of  these  interesting  remains 
have  now  completely  disappeared. 

In  1860  a  block  of  marble  was  dis- 
covered which  had  probably  served  as 
the  pedestal  to  a  statue.  On  it  was 
an  inscription  which  has  thus  been 
deciphered  and  restored  by  M.  Cec- 
caldi.  The  circular  brackets  represent 
the  letters  wanting  in  the  original 
inscription,  the  square  ones  the  hiatus 
caused  by  dilapidation : — 


[IMPEBATOBI'  CAESABI] 

[DIVI  •  M(AECl)  '  AVE(eLII)  •  ANTONINI  '  GERMAN ICI  '  PAEMATICT'] 
FILIO'DIVrCOMMODITRATEI'DnrANTONlflfr] 
PII-NEPOTI-DIVI-HADEIANI'PEONEPOTI^DIVI- 
TEAIANI'PAETHIC(l)'ABNEP  [OTl]- DIVI  'NEE  VAE  * 
ADNEPOTI  '  (LVCIO)'SEPTIMIO'SETEEO  '  P[lO]' 

PEETINAC(l)  *  AVG(VSTO)  "  AEABIC(o) '  ADIAB[e]nIC[o]  1  PONT(lFICl) 

max(lmo)  '  tribvnic(iae)  '  potestatis  "  vii  '  im[peratoei  1  xl] 
co(n)s(vli)-iteevm-p(atei)-p(ateiae)-peoconsvl(i) 

DECVRIONES"  ALAEES  [aLAE(vm]' 

VETERAXAE  '  GALLIC  (ae)     ET  *  I  'THRACVM  1  MAV [RETANAE]  ' 

r  2 


100 


ALEXANDRIA  :  PLAN  FOR  SEEING  IT. 


Sect.  I. 


Here  follow  two  columns  of  names, 
those  of  the  decurions  and  privates 
who  had  erected  the  statue,  as  the 
above  dedication  sets  forth,  to  Sep- 
timius  Severus,  in  the  11th  year  of  his 
reign. 

The  first  battle  on  this  spot  was 
followed  by  the  deaths  of  Antony  and 
Cleopatra.  The  second  one  is  famous 
in  the  annals  of  English  history.  In 
order  to  put  an  end  to  French  supre- 
macy in  Egypt,  an  expedition  was 
sent  out  by  the  British  Government 
in  1801,  part  of  the  troops  composing 
which,  under  Sir  David  Baird,  pro- 
ceeded down  the  Bed  Sea  with  the 
intention  of  landing  at  Kosseir  and 
marching  across  the  desert  into  Egypt, 
while  the  remainder,  under  Sir  Ralph 
Abercromby,  disembarked  at  Abookeer 
Bay,  the  scene  of  Nelson's  famous  vic- 
tory three  years  before.  Advancing 
on  Alexandria,  the  English  attacked 
the  French  under  General  Menou,  on 
the  13th  of  Mai  ch.  Sir  A.  Alison  says  : 
"The  ground  occupied  by  the  two 
armies  was  singularly  calculated  to 
awaken  the  most  interesting  recollec- 
tions. England  and  France  were  here 
to  contend  for  the  empire  of  the  East 
in  the  cradle  of  ancient  civilization, 
on  the  spot  where  Pompey  was  slain 
to  propitiate  the  victorious  arms  of 
Caesar,  and  under  the  walls  of  the  city 
which  is  destined  to  perpetuate,  to 
the  latest  generations,  the  prophetic 
wisdom  of  Alexander."  On  the  21st 
the  decisive  engagement  took  place, 
which  ended  in  the  defeat  of  the 
French,  though  the  victory  was  dearly 
purchased  by  the  death  of  Aber- 
cromby. 

The  palace,  in  preparing  for  the 
site  of  which  some  fresh  relics  of 
the  camp  were  brought  to  light,  only 
to  be  destroyed,  is  a  barrack-like 
building.  It  was  begun  in  1869,  but 
the  greater  part  was  burnt  down  in 
the  following  year;  it  has,  however, 
been  restored. 

Keturning  to  the  carriage,  the  drive 
may  be  continued  to  the  village  of 
Rami  eh,  if  even  the  term  village  may 
be  given  to  the  scattered  houses  on 
the  sands,  where  many  of  the  Euro- 
pean bankers  and  merchants  of  Alex- 


andria delight  to  live,  especially  in 
the  summer.  What  the  attraction  is 
it  would  be  difficult  to  say,  as,  with 
the  exception  of  the  high  ground 
overlooking  the  sea,  on  which  there 
are  a  few  houses,  the  situation  is  a 
most  dreary  one.  But  the  air  is  sup- 
posed to  be  fresher  and  cooler  than  at 
Alexandria.  The  excursion  may  be 
prolonged  on  donkeys  to  Abookeer. 
(See  Rte.  1.) 

16.  Plan  foe  Seeing  Alexandria. 
— There  is  nothing  of  sufficient  in- 
terest in  Alexandria  to  detain  the 
ordinary  traveller  more  than  a  day  ; 
indeed,  he  may  see  the  few  things 
that  are  likely  to  interest  him  in  an 
afternoon's  drive.  Thus,  starting 
from  the  Great  Square,  he  will  drive 
to  Cleopatra's  Needle,  passing  by  the 
English  Church,  the  Bourse,  the 
Telegraph  Offices,  and  the  English 
Consulate.  He  will  then  make  for 
the  road  to  the  Rosetta  Gate,  passing 
the  Zizinia  Theatre  on  the  left  of 
that  road,  and  the  fortress  of  Kom- 
el-Dick  on  the  right.  On  issuing 
from  the  Rosetta  Gate,  before  taking 
the  road  to  the  right  down  to  the 
Mahmoodeeah  Canal,  the  cemeteries 
may  be  visited,  and  it  may  be  re- 
membered that  on  the  ground  lying 
between  them  and  the  shore,  extend- 
ing as  far  the  "Roman  Tower,"  stood 
the  most  splendid  part  of  the  old 
quarter— the  Bruchium — comprising 
the  Palace  of  the  Ptolemies,  the  Mu- 
seum, the  Soma,  the  Gymnasium,  &c. 
Driving  along  che  canal,  the  gardens 
of  the  Villa  Pastre  and  Muharrem 
Bey  may  be  visited,  and  the  palace 
called  No.  3.  Turning  back,  and 
keeping  by  the  side  of  the  canal,  a 
broad  road  is  reached  leading  to 
Alexandria,  and,  after  following  it  a 
short  way,  Pompey's  Pillar  comes  in 
sight.  From  this  spot  a  direct  return 
may  be  made  to  Alexandria,  the 
drive  having  occupied  about  2J  or  3 
hours ;  or  if  there  is  time  the  route 
may  be  continued  to  the  bridge  over 
the  c.tnal,  and  thence  to  Gabari,  the 
Catacombs,  and  Mex.  This  will  oc- 
cupy 1  or  2  hours  more,  according  to 
the  point  reached. 


Egypt. 

The  drive  to  the  Pharos,  the  Arse- 
nal, and  the  Palace  of  Kas-et-Teen, 
will  occupy  about  an  hour  or  an  hour 
and  half,  so  that  all  the  above  can  be 
easily  done  in  a  day.  Energetic 
people  might  even  find  time  to  scram- 
ble through  the  excursion  to  Kamleh 
as  well,  but  it  would  be  better  to 
leave  that  for  another  day.  It  might 
form  the  afternoon's  occupation  after 
a  morning  spent  in  shopping,  &c. 


ROUTE  1. 

ALEXANDRIA  TO  KOSETTA,  BY  LAND. 

Miles. 

From  the  Rosetta  Gate  of  Alex- 
andria to  the  Roman  station 
called  Caesar's  camp     . .     . .     2 J 

To  Caravanserai,  or  Cafe,  be- 
yond the  site  of  Canopus,  on 
AbookirBay  13| 

To  ancient  Canopic  or  Hera- 
cleotic  mouth  (called  Ma- 
deeah)    If 

To  Etko    13* 

To  Rosetta  13± 

m 

In  all  routes,  except  those  by  rail- 
way, the  distances  given  must  only  be 
considered  as  more  or  less  approxi- 
mative. 

A  description  of  the  road  as  far  as 
Caesar's  Camp,  and  Ramleh,  a  short 
distance  beyond,  has  been  already 
given. 

The  most  remarkable  town  on  this 
mad,  in  old  times,  was  Canopus.  The 
places  on  the  way  were  Eleusis,  a 


101 

little  to  the  south  of  Nicopolis,  Zephy- 
rium,  and  Taposiris  Parva.  A  short 
distance  beyond,  to  the  east  of  Eleu- 
sis, was  the  canal  that  led  to  Schedia  ; 
and  on  a  promontory  at  Taposiris 
was  a  chapel  dedicated  to  Venus 
Arsinoe. 

In  this  place  the  town  of  Thonis 
was  reported  to  have  stood,  whose 
name  was  derived  from  Thonis,  the 
king  (or  governor  ?)  who  entertained 
Menelaus  and  Helen. 

Pococke  thinks  the  island  a  short 
distance  from  the  coast,  to  the  east  of 
Abookeer,  is  the  promontory  of  Tapo- 
siris, the  successor  of  Thonis,  the  land 
having  sunk  and  admitted  the  sea,  so 
as  to  convert  it  into  an  island  ;  and  he 
there  perceived  some  ruins,  the  traces 
of  subterranean  passages,  with  the 
fragment  of  a  sphinx.  He  also  men- 
tions the  ruins  of  an  ancient  temple 
under  the  water,  about  2  miles  from 
Alexandria,  which  he  conjectures  to 
have  belonged  to  Zephyrium,  or  some 
other  place  on  the  road  to  Nicopolis. 

Canopus  was  12  m.  p.,  or,  according 
to  Strabo,  120  stadia  (between  13  and 
14  English  miles),  from  Alexandria, 
by  land.  It  stood  on  the  west  of  the 
Canopic  mouth,  between  which  and 
that  town  was  the  village  of  Hera- 
cleum,  famed  for  its  temple  of  Her- 
cules. The  Greeks  and  Romans 
imagined  it  to  have  been  called  after 
Canopus,  the  pilot  of  Menelaus,  who 
was  buried  there;  but  its  Egyptian 
name  Kahi-noub,  or  the  "  golden  soil," 
and  its  high  antiquity,  suffice  to  show 
the  folly  of  this  assertion ;  which  is 
one  of  many  instances  of  their  mode 
of  changing  a  foreign  name,  in  order 
to  connect  it  with,  and  explain  it  by, 
their  own  history.  Canopus  had  a 
temple  of  Serapis,  who  was  the  deity 
worshipped  there  with  the  greatest  re- 
spect; and  it  is  worthy  of  remark  that 
Mr.  Hamilton  discovered,  amidst  the 
ruins  of  Alexandria,  a  Greek  inscrip- 
tion in  honour  of  "  Serapis  in  Cano- 
pus." The  deity  was  supposed  to 
answer  by  dreams  to  the  prayers  of 
his  votaries,  and  persons  of  all  ranks 
consulted  him  respecting  the  cure  of 
diseases,  and  the  usual  questions  sub- 
mitted to  oracles.    Many  other  tern- 


ROUTE   1. — ALEXANDRIA  TO  ROSETTA. 


102 


ROUTE  1. — ALEXANDRIA  TO  ROSETTA. 


Sect.  I. 


pies  also  stood  at  Canopus,  as  well  as 
numerous  spacious  inns  for  the  re- 
ception of  strangers,  who  went  to 
enjoy  its  wholesome  air,  and.  above 
all,  the  dissipation  that  recommended 
it  to  the  people  of  Alexandria;  fa- 
mous, or  rather  infamous,  as  it  was,  in 
the  time  of  the  Greeks  and  Eomans, 
for  the  most  wanton  amusements. 
Thither  they  repaired  in  crowds  by 
the  canal  for  that  object.  Day  and 
night  the  water  was  covered  with  boats 
carrying  men  and  women,  who  danced 
and  sang  with  the  most  unrestrained 
licence.  Arrived  at  Canopus,  they 
repaired  to  booths  erected,  on  the 
banks,  for  the  express  purpose  of  in- 
dulging in  scenes  of  dissipation.  The 
immorality  of  the  place  was  notorious, 
and  it  is  this  which  led  Seneca  to 
say,  "  No  one  in  thinking  of  a  retreat 
would  select  Canopus,  although  Ca- 
nopus might  not  prevent  a  man  being 
virtuous." 

The  degraded  state  of  public  morals 
in  that  town  appears  to  have  been 
confined  to  the  period  after  the  foun- 
dation of  Alexandria ;  and  the  Cano- 
pus we  read  of  was  a  Greek  town. 

The  jars  called  Canobic  or  Canopic, 
into  which  wrere  put  such  interior 
parts  of  the  human  body  as  could  not 
be  embalmed,  and  which  had  on  the 
lids  the  heads  of  the  four  genii  of  the 
dear),  were  so  called  from,  this  town. 

The  famous  trilingual  stone,  dis- 
covered at  San  (the  ancient  Tanis), 
and  thence  called  by  French  savans 
"  La  Pierre  de  San,"  is  known  to 
English  Egyptologists  as  the  "Decree 
of  Canopus,"  from  its  containing,  in 
Greek,  hieroglyphic,  and  demotic  cha- 
racters, the  text  of  a  decree  promul- 
gated by  Ptolemy  Euergetes  in  the 
year  B.C.  237,  at  Canopus.  At 
that  time  Canopus  was  the  religious 
capital  of  the  country.  The  stone  is 
in  the  Museum  of  Egyptian  Anti- 
quities at  Cairo,  in  the  account  of 
which  a  further  description  of  it  will 
be  found.  There  is  a  plaster  cast  in 
the  British  Museum. 

On  the  right  of  the  Canopic  canal 
was  the  Elaitic  nome,  so  called  from 
the  brother  of  the  first  Ptolemy ;  and 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Canopic  branch 


of  the  river  was  the  commencement  of 
the  base  of  the  Delta. 

Canopus  stood  near  the  present 
Abookeer,  so  well  known  in  modern 
times  from  the  victory  obtained  by 
the  English  fleet  under  Nelson,  re- 
corded in  our  annals  as  the  "  Battle 
of  the  Nile.*' 

The  principal  details  of  this  famous 
battle  are  too  well  known  to  need 
more  than  a  brief  recapitulation  here. 
On  the  1st  of  August,  1798,  Nelson 
discovered  the  French  fleet,  under 
Admiral  Brue'ys,  at  anchor  in  the 
form  of  a  curve  round  the  head  of 
Abookeer  Bay.  The  number  of  men- 
of-war  on  both  sides  was  equal,  but 
the  French  had  some  smaller  vessels 
besides,  and  a  decided  superiority  in 
men  and  guns.  Although  it  was 
already  late  in  the  day,  Nelson  de- 
termined to  attack  at  once.  The 
battle  lasted  until  daybreak  the  next 
morning,  and  ended  in  the  total  de- 
feat of  the  French,  with  the  loss  of 
14  vessels  out  of  17.  The  decisive 
moment  of  the  action  was  the  blowing 
up  of  the  French  Admiral's  ship 
Ij  Orient.  This  event  is  best  known 
perhaps  in  connection  with  the  touch- 
ing incident  of  the  captain  of  the 
Orient,  Casabianca,  and  his  son,  so 
beautifully  commemorated  by  Mrs, 
Hemans,  in  the  touching  lines  com- 
mencing— 

"  The  boy  stood  on  the  burning  deck, 
Whence  all  but  he  had  fled,"  &c. 

A  few  miles  to  the  eastward  of 
Abookeer  is  an  opening,  called  Ma- 
deeah  the  "Ford,"  or  "Ferry,"  by 
which  the  lake  Etko  communicates 
with  the  sea,  and  which  is  supposed  to 
j  be  the  old  Canopic  branch.  Near  it 
J  Pococke  places  Heracleum,  whence  the 
name  Heracleotic  applied  to  that 
mouth  of  the  river,  which  was  also 
called  Naucratic,  or  Ceramic. 

The  Canopic  was  the  most  westerly, 
as  the  Pelusiac  was  the  most  easterly, 
of  the  mouths  of  the  Nile.  Some 
ruins  still  mark  the  site  of  the  city  of 
Hercules,  to  whose  temple  the  slaves 
of  Paris  fled,  when  he  was  forced  by 
contrary  winds  to  take  refuge  in  the 
1  Canopic  branch  of  the  Nile.  The 


Egypt. 


ROUTE  1.  ROSETTA. 


103 


temple  stiil  existed  in  the  time  of  ' 
Herodotus,  and  even  of  Strabo. 

The  whole  road  from  Alexandria  | 
to  Eosetta  is  as  tedious,  dreary,  and 
bleak  in  winter,  as  it  is  hot  in  sum-  j 
mer.    After  traversing  a  level  plain, 
you  reach  Eosetta,  whose  gardens 
and  palms,  rising  above  the  surround-  j 
ing  sand-drifts,   are   an    agreeable  i 
change  after  this  gloomy  tract.  There  j 
is  a  constant  communication  by  tea 
between  Alexandria   and  Eosetta.;! 
but  the  passage  over  the  bar  of  the  ! 
river  is  always  disagreeable,  and  often 
dangerous,  so  that  the  journey  by  sea  I 
cannot  be  recommended. 

Rosetta — in  Coptic,   T-Badiit.  in 
Arabic,  Easheed — is  situated  on  the 
W.  bank  of  the  Xile.  near  its  mouth,  j 
This  branch  of  the  river  was  formerly  ! 
the  Bolbitine,  and  a  h  11  called  Aboo  1 
jNIandeer.  about  1|  mile  to  the  S.  of  ; 
of  the  modern  town,  is  supposed  to 
mark  the  site  of  the  ancient  town  of  j 
Bolbitinum.    Eosetta  was  founded  by  ! 
one  of  the  caliphs  about  a.d.  870.  For  j 
a  long  time  it  was  one  of  the  m  st 
important  commercial  towns  of  the 
country,  and  at  the    beginning  of 
the  present  century  it  still  hud  a 
population  of  about  25.0  10.  This 
has  now  diminished  to  14,000,  and 
a  great  proportion  of  the  houses  are 
deserted  and  in  ruins.     Its  former  | 
flourishing  condition  is   shown  by 
their  style  of  building,  which  is  very 
superior  to  that  of  other  Egyptian 
towns.    The  columns  at  the  doors,  the  j 
neatness  of  the  wooden  windows,  and 
the  general  appearance  of  their  waUs,  | 
are  particularly  striking. 

It  has  several  mosks,  Mann,  and 
bazaars,  and  is  surrounded  by  a  wall 
with  loopholes,  which  might  serve  to 
protect  it  against  a  band  of  xlrabs.  bur 
would  offer  little  resistance  to  artil- 
lery. The  northern  gate  has  two 
small  towers  at  its  side,  of  a  form  by 
no  means  common  in  Egypt;  and 
between  this  and  the  plain  are  the 
most  extensive  g  irdens. 

The  situation  of  Eosetta,  the  beauty 
and  extent  of  its  gardens,  and  the 
supposed  salubrity  of  its  air.  made  it 
formerly  a  favourite  summer  resort  of 
O'renes    and    Alexandrians;  and 


though  not  frequented  now  in  the 
same  way,  it  still  retains  the  same 
natural  advantages,  and  may  be 
regarded  as  one  of  the  prettiest  and 
most  agreeable  towns  in  Egypt. 
There  is  nothing  else,  however,  to 
attract  the  visitor  so  much  out  of 
his  ordinary  line  of  march  in  Egypt. 

Eosetta  is  but  little  known  in  his- 
tory. In  1SU7  it  was  the  scene  of  the 
unsuccessful  attempt  of  the  English 
to  restore  the  authority  of  the  Mem- 
looks,  which  ended  in  the  disastrous 
retreat  of  the  English  army.  It  is 
equally  barren  of  antiquities.  Here 
and  there  a  few  hieroglyphs  may  be 
seen  in  single  stones  built  into  mosks 
and  private  houses;  and  fragments 
of  granite  and  basalt  are  lying  about. 
But  it  has  acquired  a  special  archae- 
ological celebrity  from  the  celebrated 
trilingual  stone — known  as  the  "  Eo- 
setta Stone" — found  by  the  French 
in  1799,  while  digging  the  founda- 
tions of  a  fort,  a  short  distance  lower 
down  the  river.  This  tablet  contains 
a  decree  made  by  the  priests  of  Egypt 
in  honour  of  Etolemy  Epiphanes  in 
the  year  B.C.  196.  It  is  written  in  the 
Greek,  hieroglyphic,  and  demotic  or 
enchorial  characters ;  and  it  was  from 
a  comparison  of  the  Greek  letters  and 
the  hieroglyphs  on  this  stone  that  Dr. 
Young  and  Champollion  were  enabled 
first  to  decipher  the  old  Egyptian 
sacred  writing.  Unfortunately  the 
stone  was  but  a  fragment,  and  the 
search  for  the  upper  part  of  it  has 
hitherto  been  unsuccessful. 

The  river  at  Eosetta  is  perfectly 
fresh,  except  after  a  long  prevalence 
of  northerly  winds,  when  the  sea- 
water,  forced  upwards,  makes  it 
slightly  salt,  and  well-water  is 
brought  for  sale  to  the  town  and  the 
boats.  The  sea  is  distant  6  miles  by 
the  river,  or  3  miles  across  the  plain. 


104         RTES.  2-4. — ROSETTA  AND 


ALEXANDRIA  TO  CAIRO.       Sect.  T. 


ROUTE  2. 

EOSETTA  TO  ATFEH  AND  CAIRO,  BY 
THE  NILE. 

Miles. 

Rosetta  to  Aboo  Mandoor       . .      1  \ 

—  to  Berembal   8 

—  to  Daroot    9^ 

—  to  Atfeh    4 

Atfeh  to  Cairo  (see  Rte.  5)     . .  125£ 

148^ 

There  is  nothing  worthy  of  remark 
on  the  way  from  Rosetta  to  Atfeh. 

At  Metoobis  are  the  mounds  of  the 
ancient  town  of  Metubis,  and  at 
Daroot  and  Shindeeoon  are  the  sites 
of  other  towns. 

Atfeh  is  at  the  mouth  of  the  Mah- 
moodeeah  Canal,  where  it  joins  the 
Nile.   ^See  Rte.  5.) 


For  the  Mahmoodeeah  Canal  to  Kar- 
rawee,  see  Rte.  5. 

Damanhoor,  see  Rte.  6. 

Menoof,  by  some  supposed  to  be  the 
ancient  Nicium,  or  Prosopis,  was  once 
a  town  of  some  importance.  It  is  now 
only  noted  for  its  manufactory  of 
mats,  called  Menoof eeh,  much  es- 
teemed at  Cairo.  Menoof,  or  Manouf, 
is  the  same  name  that  was  given  to 
Memphis. 


ROUTE  4. 


ROUTE  3. 

ALEXANDRIA  TO  CAIRO,  BY  LAND, 
THROUGH  THE  DELTA. 

Miles. 

Alexandria  along  the  north 
bank  of  the  Mahmoodeeah 
Canal  to  es  Sid,  or  Maison 


Carre'e    5 

To  Karidon   13 

Birket  Ghuttas,  or  El  Birkeh  ..  3  J 

Karrawee  (crossing  the  canal)  . .  4§ 
Damanhoor  (after  leaving  the 

canal  and  crossing  the  plain)  1\ 

Nigeeleh,  or  to  Zowyet  el  Bahr  23£ 
Cross  the  river,  and  then  to 

Menoof   18J 

Shoobra-Shabeeah  by  Kafr  el 
Heinmeh,  then  crossing  the 

Damietta  branch   18 

8hoobra-el-Makkasch,  the  Pa- 
sha's villa    13£ 

N.W.  Gate  of  Cairo   4 


111 


ALEXANDRIA  TO  CAIRO,  BY  THE 
WESTERN  BANK. 

Miles. 

Alexandria  to  Zowyet  el  Bahr 


(see  Rte.  3)    57 

Algam  ,  9| 

Teraneh                                L  6£ 

Beni  Salameh    8 

El  Guttah  (or  el  Kuttah)  . .     . .  9 

Embabeh    16| 


Cross  the  river  at  Embabeh  to 
Boolak,  and  thence  to  Cairo . .  If 

108| 

Embabeh  is  only  remarkable  for 
having  been  a  fortified  post  of  the 
Memlooks,  and  as  the  town  which 
gave  its  name  to  the  battle  called  by 
the  French  "of  the  Pyramids,"  but 
by  the  Egyptians  ':  of  Embabeh."  It 
was  fought  on  the  21st  July,  1798, 
and  ended  in  the  complete  defeat  by 
Buonaparte  of  the  Egyptian  forces, 
which  consisted  of  24,000  infantry,  and 
of  10,000  cavalry,  known  under  the 


Egypt       route  5. — Alexandria  to  atfeh  and  cairo. 


105 


name  of  Memlooks.  Seven  thousand 
of  these  famous  horsemen  are  said  to 
have  perished.  An  admirable  account 
of  the  battle  is  given  in  M.  Thiers' 
'  History  of  the  French  Ke volution.' 

All  the  associations  connected  with 
Embabeh  in  the  minds  of  the  modern 
Cairenes  are  derived  from  its  lupins, 
which,  under  the  name  of  Embabeh 
Muddud,  are  loudly  proclaimed  in  the 
streets  to  be  "  superior  to  almonds." 
At  Embabeh  is  the  terminus  station 
of  the  railway  to  Upper  Egypt. 


ROUTE  5. 

ALEX  ANDRI A  TO  ATFEH  AND  CAIRO. 


Miles. 


Alexandria  to  es  Sid,  or  the  Mai- 

5 

13 

3£ 

4i 

Zowyet  el  Ghazal  

4J 

Kuins  at  Gheyk  

8i 

Atfeh   .. 

2 

11 

14 

Nikleh  

4 

40J 

io| 

28 

7 

11 

12 

12 

Boolak  (the  port  of  Cairo) 

4 

166J 


Few  now  go  by  water  from  Alex- 
andria to  Cairo ;  but  it  is  well  to 


mention  the  principal  objects  in  that 
part  of  the  country,  as  a  traveller 
may  wish  to  visit  them  on  some  other 
occasion. 

The  Mahmoodeeah  Canal,  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Alexandria,  has 
already  been  described.  Its  general 
appearance  after  the  gardens  and 
houses  are  passed  is  far  from  inte- 
resting. The  earth  thrown  up  from 
the  canal  forms  an  elevated  ridge, 
rising  far  above  the  adjacent  lands: 
and  the  only  objects  that  interrupt 
the  uniform  level  are  the  mounds  of 
ancient  towns,  whose  solitary  and 
deserted  aspect  adds  not  a  little  to  the 
gloominess  of  the  scene. 

At  a  place  called  Es  Sid  or  the 
Maison  Carrie,  the  English,  while 
besieging  the  French  in  Alexandria, 
cut  a  passage  in  order  to  admit  the 
sea- water  into  the  Lake  Mareotis ;  and 
from  its  having  been  closed  again,  the 
name  Sid,  signifying  "  a  dam,"  or 
"  stoppage,"  has  been  applied  to  it. 

The  Mahmoodeeah  follows  part  of 
the  ancient  Canopic  branch  of  the 
Nile,  and  the  old  canal  of  Fooah ; 
and  here  and  there,  near  its  banks, 
are  the  remains  of  ancient  towns. 
The  most  remarkable  in  its  immediate 
vicinity  are  those  (supposed  to  be)  of 
Schedia,  between  Karioon  and  Nishoo. 
Beginning  a  short  way  inland,  they 
extend  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile 
to  the  S.  end  of  the  large  mounds  of 
Nishoo,  and  contain  confused  remains 
of  stone  and  brick,  among  which  are 
two  fragments  of  stone  (apparently 
parts  of  the  same  block),  bearing  the 
names  of  the  Great  Barneses,  and 
some  capitals  and  fragments  of  late 
time.  The  most  remarkable  object  is 
a  series  of  massive  walls  in  an  isolated 
mound,  300  paces  to  the  south-east- 
ward of  these  fragments,  which  Mr. 
Salt  conjectured  to  be  the  docks  of 
the  state  barges,  kept  at  Schedia ;  but 
they  were  evidently  cisterns,  like 
those  in  Italy  and  at  Carthage.  They 
are  of  Boman  time,  built  of  stone, 
with  horizontal  courses  of  the  usual 
flat  bricks  or  tiles  at  intervals,  and 
buttresses  projecting  here  anil  there, 
to  give  them  greater  strength ;  the 


106 


ROUTE  5. — ALEXANDRIA  TO  CAIRO. 


Sect.  I. 


whole  originally  covered  with  a  casing 
of  stucco.  The  walls,  which  are  now 
15  ft.  high,  were  about  16  in 
number,  of  which  12  may  be  still  dis- 
tinctly seen,  and  the  spaci.  s  between 
them  were  about  215  feet  long  and  27 
broad,  being  considerably  larger  than 
the  second  cisterns  of  Carthage,  and 
only  inferior  in  number  and  in  length 
(but  not  in  breadth)  to  the  great  ones 
there,  which  are  110  paces  long  by  10, 
and  consist  of  16  spaces  or  cisterns. 
The  extremity  of  each  gallery  or 
cistern  is  rounded  off,  and  we  may 
suppose  that  they  had  also  the  usual 
arched  roofs.  A  canal  or  branch  of 
the  river  appears  to  have  run  through 
the  level  space,  about  750  ft.  broad, 
between  them  and  the  town.  The 
distance  of  Nishoo  from  Alexandria 
agrees  exactly  with  that  given  by 
Strabo  from  Schedia  to  that  city, 
which  he  calculates  at  4  schoenes,  or 
nearly  14  English  miles. 

Schedia  was  so  called  by  the  Greeks 
from  the  barrier,  or  bridge  of  boats, 
that  closed  the  river  at  this  spot, 
where  duties  were  levied  on  all  mer- 
chandise that  passed ;  and  the  name 
of  Nishoo,  applied  to  the  neighbouring 
mounds  and  the  modern  village,  may 
be  derived  from  the  Egyptian  nishoi, 
signifying  "  the  boats."  The  mounds 
of  Nishoo  are  in  four  almost  parallel 
lines,  the  two  outer  ones  about  250, 
the  centre  two  about  756  ft.  apart. 
They  contain  no  traces  of  building ; 
they  appear  to  be  entirely  of  earth, 
though  of  very  great  height,  and  were 
probably  the  result  of  excavations 
made  in  deepening  the  river,  or  the 
neighbouring  canal,  which,  from  the 
low  space  separating  the  two  centre 
mounds,  appears  to  have  passed  be- 
tween them. 

Schedia  was  a  bishop's  see  in  the 
time  of  Athanasius,  as  were  Menela'is 
and  Andropolis. 

At  Karioon  is  a  manufactory  of 
glass,  and  a  little  more  than  a  mile 
farther  is  another  of  pottery.  The 
canal  in  the  vicinity  of  Kairoon  in- 
creases in  breadth.  Chereu,  in  Coptic 
Chereus,  stood  near  this:  and  An- 
thylla  and  Archandra  in  the  plain 
between  the  Mahmoodeeah  and  Lake 
Etko. 


About  3|  m.  from  Karioon  is  the 
village  of  Birket  Ghuttas,  or  El 
Birkeh  ("  the  Lake  ") ;  and  at  Karra- 
wee  the  road,  which  has  thus  far 
followed  the  bank  of  the  canal,  turns 
off  to  Damanhoor. 

Near  Karrawee  are  mounds  of  an 
old  town  of  some  extent,  and  others 
are  seen  in  the  plain  to  the  S.  A  few 
miles  farther  the  canal  makes  a  bend 
northwards  to  Atfeh ;  quitting  the  bed 
of  an  old  canal,  which  joined  the  Nile 
farther  to  the  S„  just  below  Kah- 
maneeah. 

Atfeh. — Atfeh  stands  at  the  mouth 
of  the  canal,  upon  the  Bosetta  branch 
of  the  Nile.  It  is  a  miserable  village, 
abounding  in  dust  and  dogs ;  but  the 
first  view  of  the  Nile  is  striking,  and  a 
relief  after  the  canal.  In  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Atfeh  there  is  some 
excellent  snipe  -  shooting,  which  is 
much  patronised  by  the  sportsmen  of 
Alexandria  during  the  winter.  The 
excursion  for  this  purpose  may  be 
mad«  either  by  hiring  a  boat  at  Alex- 
andria and  going  along  the  canal,  or 
by  rail  to  Kafr-ez-Zyat  (see  Kte.  6), 
and  thence  taking  a  boat  down  the 
river.  The  former  method  is  the 
pleasantest. 

Fooah  —  Nearly  opposite  Atfeh  is 
Fooah,  conspicuous  with  its  minarets, 
and  a  picturesque  object  from  the  river, 
if  you  pass  it  during  the  high  Nile. 
It  occupies  the  site  of  the  ancient 
Metelis  (in  Coptic  Meleg,  or  Meledg), 
but  contains  no  remains  beyond  a  few 
granite  blocks,  now  used  as  the 
thresholds  of  doors,  with  hieroglyphic 
inscriptions,  containing  the  names  of 
Apries  and  other  kings  of  the  26th  or 
Sa'ite  dynasty.  Fooah  has  now  only 
a  manufactory  of  tarbooshes  or  red 
caps,  and  the  usual  we'rsheh  "manu- 
factory "  of  large  towns ;  but  in  the 
time  of  Leo  Africanus  it  was  very 
flourishing ;  and  though  its  streets 
were  narrow,  it  had  the  character  of  a 
large  town,  teeming  with  plenty,  and 
noted  for  the  appearance  of  its 
bazaars  and  shops.  "The  women," 
he  adds,  "  enjoy  so  much  freedom 
here,  that  their  husbands  permit  them 
to  go  during  the  day  wherever  they 
please ;  and  the  surrounding  country 


Egypt 


ROUTE  5.— POO  AH- 


— DESSOOK  SAIS. 


107 


abounds  in  date-trees."'  But  its  dates 
are  not  superior  to  others  of  the  neigh- 
bourhood ;  and  the  best  Egyptian 
dates  come  from  a  place  on  the  other 
side  of  the  Delta,  called  Korayn,  near 
Salaheeah,  which  are  known  at  Cairo 
as  the  aameree.  The  Ibreniee  are 
from  Nubia. 

Fooah  continued  to  be  long  a  flou- 
rishing town ;  and  Belon  describes  it, 
in  the  15th  centy.,  50  years  after  the 
conquest  of  Sultan  Selim,  as  second 
only  to  Cairo. 

During  the  wars  of  the  Crusaders, 
the  Christians  penetrated  into  Egypt, 
as  far  as  Fooah,  in  the  reign  of  Melek 
Adel ;  and  having  plundered  and 
burnt  the  town,  retired  with  much 
booty. 

Fooah  has  given  its  name  to  the 
madder,  which  was  first  planted 
there. 

DessooJc  is  well  known  in  modern 
times  for  the  fete  clebrated  there  in 
honour  of  Sheikh  Ibralieem  ed  Des- 
sookee,  a  Moslem  saint,  who  holds  the 
second  rank  in  the  Egyptian  calendar, 
next  to  the  Seyyid  el  Bedawee  of 
Tantah.  There  is  a  railway  from 
Dessook  to  Tantah  (see  Rte.  6),  and 
one  projected  to  Damanhoor. 

At  liahmaneeah  was  the  eD trance 
of  an  old  canal  that  went  to  Alexan- 
dria ;  which  some  suppose  to  be  the 
ancient  Canopic  branch,  placing  Nau- 
cratis  at  this  town.  Bahmaneeah 
was  a  fortified  po^t  of  the  French 
when  in  Egypt,  and  was  taken  by  the 
English  in  May,  1801,  previous  to 
their  inarch  upon  Cairo. 

Sais. — The  lofty  mounds  of  Sais  are 
seen  to  the  N.  of  the  village  of  Sa-el- 
Hagar,  "  Sa  of  the  Stone,"  so  called 
from  the  remains  of  the  old  town; 
which  are  now  confined  to  a  few 
broken  blocks,  some  ruins  of  houses, 
and  a  large  enclosure  surrounded  by 
massive  crude-brick  walls.  These  last 
are  about  70  ft.  thick,  and  of  very 
solid  construction.  Between  the 
courses  of  bricks  are  layers  of  reels, 
intended  to  serve  as  binders ;  and 
hieroglyphics  are  said  to  have  been 
met  with  on  some  of  the  bricks,  which 
may  perhaps  contain  the  name  of  the 
place,  or  of  the  king  by  whom  the 
walls  were  built. 


These  walls  enclose  a  space  mea- 
suring 2325  by  I960  ft.;  the  N.  side 
of  which  is  occupied  by  the  lake  men- 
tioned by  Herodotus,  where  certain 
mysterious  ceremonies  were  performed 
in  honour  of  Osiris.  As  he  says  it 
was  of  circular  form,  and  it  is  now  long 
and  irregular,  we  may  conclude  that 
it  has  since  encroached  on  part  of  the 
temenos  or  sacred  enclosures,  where 
the  temple  of  Minerva  and  the  tombs 
of  the  Sa'ite  kings  stood.  The  site  of 
the  temple  appears  to  have  been  in  the 
low  open  space  to  the  W.,  and  parts  of 
the  wall  of  its  temenos  may  be  traced 
on  two  sides,  which  was  about  720  it. 
in  breadth,  or  a  little  more  than  that 
around  the  temple  of  Tanis.  To  the 
E.  of  it  are  mounds,  with  remains  of 
crude-brick  houses,  the  walls  of  which 
are  partially  standing,  and  here  and 
there  bear  evident  signs  of  having  been 
burnt.  This  part  has  received  the 
name  of  "el  Kala,"  "the  Citadel,' 
from  its  being  higher  than  the  rest, 
and  from  the  appearance  of  two  mas- 
sive buildings  at  the  upper  and  lower 
end,  which  seem  to  have  been  intended 
for  defence.  It  is  not  impossible  that 
this  was  the  royal  palace.  Below  it  to 
the  S.  is  a  low  space,  now  cultivated, 
and  nearly  on  the  same  level  as  the 
area  where  probably  the  temple  stood. 

The  water  of  the  lake  is  used  for 
irrigating  this  spot,  but  it  is  generally 
dried  up  from  the  end  of  May  until 
the  next  inundation  fills  the  canals. 
On  its  banks,  particularly  at  the 
western  extremity,  grow  numerous 
reeds,  and  when  full  of  water  it  is 
frequented  by  wild  ducks  and  other 
water-fowl,  now  the  only  inhabitants 
of  ancient  Sais. 

Some  low  mounds,  and  the  ruins 
of  houses  about  KJ00  ft.  from  the 
walls  of  the  large  enclosure,  mark 
probably  the  site  of  the  ancient  town, 
the  S.  extremity  of  which  is  occupied 
"by  the  modern  village. 

There  are  no  remains  of  sculpture 
amidst  the  modem  or  ancient  houses, 
except  fragments  in  the  two  mosks 
and  at  the  door  of  a  house  ;  which  last 
has  the  name  of  King  Psammitichus  I., 
the  goddess  Neith,  and  the  town  of 
Ssa,  or  Sais. 


108 


ROUTE  5.  ALEXANDRIA  TO  CAIRO. 


Sect.  I. 


Sa'is  was  a  city  of  great  importance, 
particularly  during  the  reigns  of  the 
Sa'ite  dynasty,  who  ruled  Egypt  about 
150  years  (b.c.  687  to  b.c.  524),  until 
the  Persian  invasion  under  Cambyses ; 
and  some  claim  for  it  the  honour  of 
having  been  the  parent  of  a  colony 
which  founded  the  city  of  Athens  in 
1556  B.C.,  and  introduced  the  worship 
of  Minerva  on  the  shores  of  Greece. 

At  Sais  were  the  sepulchres  of  all 
the  kings  of  Egypt,  natives  of  the 
Sa'ite  nome.  They  stood  in  the 
temenos,  or  sacred  enclosure,  of  the 
temple  of  Minerva ;  and  it  was  here 
that  the  unfortunate  Apries  and  his 
rival  Amasis  were  both  buried.  The 
tomb  of  Apries  was  near  the  temple, 
on  the  1.  entering  the  temenos ;  that  of 
Amasis  stood  farther  from  the  temple 
than  those  of  Apries  and  his  prede- 
cessors, in  the  vestibule  of  this  enclo- 
sure. It  consisted  of  a  large  stone 
chamber,  adorned  with  columns  in 
imitation  of  palm-trees,  and  other 
ornaments,  within  which  was  an  (iso- 
lated) stone  receptacle,  with  double 
doors  (at  each  end),  containing  the 
sarcophagus.  It  was  from  this  tomb 
that  Cambyses  is  said  to  have  taken 
the  body  of  Amasis  ;  which,  after  he 
had  scourged  and  insulted  it,  he 
ordered  to  be  burnt ;  though  the 
Egyptians  assured  Herodotus  that 
the  body  of  some  other  person  had 
been  substituted  instead  of  the  king's. 
This  last  appears  to  have  been  added 
to  give  a  greater  air  of  probability  to 
a  story  against  the  Persians,  which 
there  is  great  reason  to  doubt,  from  the 
indulgent  conduct  of  Cambyses  to  the 
Egyptians  when  he  first  conquered 
the  country,  and  from  the  respect  paid 
to  kings  by  the  Persians ;  and  Cam- 
byses only  had  recourse  to  severity 
after  they  had  rebelled  against  him. 
"  They  also  show,"  continues  the  his- 
torian, "  the  sepulchre  of  him  (Osiris) 
whom  I  do  not  think  it  right  here  to 
mention.  It  stands  in  the  sacred 
enclosure,  behind  the  temple  of  Mi- 
nerva, reaching  along  the  whole 
extent  of  its  wall.  In  this  temenos  are 
several  large  stone  obelisks ;  and  near 
it  a  lake  cased  with  stone,  of  a  circular 
form,  and  about  the  size  of  that  at 


Delos,  called  Trocho'ides.  On  this 
lake  are  represented  at  night  the  suf- 
ferings of  him,  concerning  whom, 
though  much  is  known  to  me,  I  shall 
preserve  strict  silence,  except  as  far  as 
it  may  be  right  for  me  to  speak.  The 
Egyptians  call  them  mysteries.  I  shall 
observe  the  same  caution  with  regard 
to  the  institutions  of  Ceres,  called 
Thesmophoria,  which  were  brought 
from  Egypt  by  the  daughters  of  Da- 
n'aus,  and  afterwards  taught  by  them 
to  the  Pelasgic  women."  Sa'is  was 
the  place  where  the  "  fete  of  burning 
lamps  "  was  particularly  "  celebrated 
during  a  certain  night,  when  every 
one  lighted  lamps  in  the  open  air 
arrund  his  house.  They  were  small 
cups  full  of  salt  (and  water  ?)  and  oil, 
with  a  floating  wick  which  lasted  all 
night.  Strangers  went  to  Sa'is  from 
different  parts  of  Egypt  to  assist  at 
this  ceremony ;  but  those  who  could 
not  be  present  lighted  lamps  at  their 
own  homes,  so  that  the  festival  was 
kept,  not  only  at  Sa'is,  but  throughout 
the  country." 

From  the  accounts  given  of  it  the 
temple  of  Minerva  appears  to  have 
been  of  great  splendour.  "Amasis 
added  to  it  some  very  beautiful  propy- 
Ixa,  exceeding  all  others  both  in  height 
and  extent,  as  well  as  in  the  dimen- 
sions of  the  stones  and  in  othe  r 
respects.  He  also  placed  there  several 
large  colossi  and  androsphinxes,  and 
brought  numerous  blocks  of  extraor- 
dinary size  to  repair  the  temple,  some 
from  the  quarries  near  Memphis,  and 
the  largest  from  Elephantine,  a  dis- 
tance of  20  days'  sail  from  Sa'is." 

"  But,"  adds  Herodotus,  "  what  I 
admire  most  is  an  edifice  of  a  single 
block  brought  from  the  latter  place: 
2000  men,  all  boatmen,  were  employed 
three  years  in  its  transport  to  Sais.  It 
is  21  cubits  long  externally,  14  broad, 
8  high  :  and  its  measurements  within 
are  16  cubits  20  digits  long,  12  broad, 
and  5  high.  It  stands  at  the  en- 
trance of  the  sacred  enclosure;  and 
the  reason  given  by  the  Egyptians  for 
its  not  having  been  admitted  is,  that 
Amasis,  hearing  the  architect  utter  a 
sigh,  as  if  fatigued  by  the  length  of 
time  employed  and  the  labour  he  had 


Egypt. 


ROUTE  5. — SAIS. 


109 


undergone,  considered  it  so  bad  an 
omen,  that  he  would  not  allow  it  to 
be  taken  any  further;  though  others 
affirm  that  it  was  in  consequence  of  a 
man  having  been  crushed  while  moving 
it  with  levers."  At  Sa'is  was  also  a 
colossus  dedicated  by  Amasis,  75  ft. 
long,  similar  in  size  and  proportion 
to  one  he  placed  before  the  temple  of 
Pthah  at  Memphis,  which  was  lying 
on  its  back ;  and  the  grand  palace  of 
the  kings  in  the  same  city,  which 
Apries  left  to?  attack  Amasis,  and  to 
which  he  afterwards  returned  a  pri- 
soner, is  another  of  the  interesting 
monuments  mentioned  at  Sa'is. 

Recent  excavations  by  M.  Mariette 
at  the  site  of  Sa'is  have  served  only  to 
reveal  its  utter  state  of  ruin,  and  it  is 
impossible  to  fix  the  position,  or  ascer- 
tain the  plan,  of  any  of  the  splendid 
monuments  mentioned  by  the  his- 
torian. 

The  Egyptian  name  of  this  city  was 
written  Ssa,  which  is  retained  in  the 
modern  Sa ;  and  the  Sa'is  of  ancient 
authors  was  the  same,  with  a  Greek 
termination.  It  is  about  a  mile  from 
the  Nile,  on  the  rt.  bank,  and  in  order 
to  save  time,  if  the  Nile  is  low,  the 
traveller  may  land  when  in  a  line  with 
the  mounds,  and  send  his  boat  to  wait 
for  him  at  the  bend  of  the  river  near 
Kodabeh,  about  If  mile  higher  up. 
During  the  inundation  the  plain  is 
partly  flooded  and  intersected  with 
canals,  which  are  not  forded  without 
inconvenience  before  November. 

Seven  or  eight  miles  inland  to  the  W. 
from  Dahreeah,  between  Nikleh  and 
Shabdor,  is  Ramse'es,  on  the  Daman- 
hoor  canal.  This  Ramse'es,  or  rather 
its  predecessor,  is  unnoticed  by  profane 
writers,  and  it  is  too  far  from  the  spot 
where  the  Israelites  lived  to  have  any 
claim  to  the  title  of  one  of  the  two 
treasure-cities,  Pithom  and  Rameses, 
mentioned  in  Exodus.  And,  indeed, 
Rameses  is  expressly  stated  to  have 
been  the  place  whence  the  Israelites 
took  their  departure  for  Succoth  aud 
Etham  at  the  edge  of  the  Wilderness, 
on  their  way  to  the  Red  Sea. 

At  a  point  where  the  river  takes  a 
considerable  bend  to  the  E.,it  is  crossed 
by  the  Alexandria  and  Cairo  Railway, 


and  immediately  on  the  E.  bank  are 
the  village  and  station  of  Kafr-ez-Zyat. 
(See  Rte.  6.) 

Traces  of  an  old  canal,  running  to 
the  N.N.W.,  by  some  supposed  to  be 
the  Canopic  branch  of  the  Nile,  may 
be  seen  above  Nigeeleh,  which  is 
traditionally  called  the  Bahr  Yoosef. 
Not  far  from  this  should  be  the  site  of 
Gyntecopolis  and  Andropolis,  by  some 
supposed  to  be  the  same  city. 

About  two  or  three  miles  to  the 
westward  of  Kom-Shereek  are  the 
mounds  of  an  ancient  town,  on  the 
canal.  The  mounds  are  called  Tel  el 
Odameh  ("of  the  bones"),  from  the 
bodies  found  buried  amidst  them.  A 
little  higher  up  is  Tareeh,  near  which 
are  other  mounds  and  the  branch  of 
a  canal,  which  follows  the  course  of 
the  ancient  Lycus  canalis,  that  ran 
towards  the  lake  Mareotis.  Some 
supposed  Momemphis  to  have  stood 
here ;  but  as  it  was  near  the  road  to 
the  Natron  Lakes,  it  is  more  likely  to 
have  been  at  El  Booragat,  or  Kafr 
Daoot,  near  the  former  of  which  are 
the  mounds  of  an  old  town  of  consi- 
derable size.  At  Aboo-l-khawee  and 
Shabdor  are  the  shallowest  parts  of 
the  Rosetta  branch,  which  in  summer 
are  barely  passable  for  large  boats. 
About  Nader,  on  the  E.  bank,  are 
many  wild  boars,  which  are  found  in 
many  other  parts  of  the  Delta,  par- 
ticularly in  the  low  marshlands  to  the 
N.,  and  about  the  lake  Menzaleh. 
They  are  also  found  in  the  Fyoom. 

Teraneh  is  the  successor  of  Tere- 
nuthis.  About  1J  mile  to  the  W.,  be- 
yond the  canal,  are  mounds  of  con- 
siderable extent,  which  probably  mark 
its  ancient  site :  and  it  is  from  this 
place  that  the  road  leads  from  the  Nile 
to  the  Natron  Lakes.  The  inhabitants 
of  Teraneh  are  principally  employed 
in  bringing  the  natron  from  the  desert, 
which  often  is  farmed  from  the  Pasha 
by  some  rich  merchant ;  and  to  this  is 
attributable  the  prosperous  condition 
of  the  village.  The  lakes  are  distant 
from  Teraneh  about  12  hours' journey. 
(See  Rte.  11,  Sect.  II.) 

Near  Lekhraas  are  other  mounds, 
perhaps  of  the  city  of  Menelaus,  so 
called,  not  from  the  Greek  hero,  but 


110 


EOUTE  5.  ALEXANDRIA  TO  CAIRO. 


Sect.  I. 


from  the  brother  of  the  first  Ptolemy; 
and  between  Aboo-Nishabee  aud  Beni- 
Salameh  is  the  entrance  of  the  canal, 
cut  by  Mohammed  Ali  in  1820,  which, 
as  before  stated,  carries  the  water  to 
that  of  Alexandria. 

In  going  up  the  river  the  Pyramids 
are  perceived  for  the  first  time  from 
the  shore  a  little  above  Werdan,  when 
about  due  W.  of  Ashmoon  ;  and  here- 
abouts the  desert  has  invaded  the  soil 
on  the  W.  bank,  and  even  poured  its 
drifted  sand  into  the  Nile.  At  Ash- 
moon or  Oshmoun  are  lofty  mounds, 
but  no  sculptured  remains.  A  little 
beyond  Aboo-Ghaleb  the  pyramids  are 
seen  from  the  river,  and  continue  in 
sight  the  remainder  of  the  voyage  to 
Cairo.  About  2  m.  below,  or  N.W. 
of  Om-ed  deenar,  is  what  is  called  the 
Barrage  of  the  Nile  ;  and  about  the 
same  distance  above  that  village  is  the 
southern  point  or  apex  of  the  Delta. 
Here  the  Nile  divides  itself  into  the 
two  branches  of  Kosetta  and  Damietta, 
though  the  actual  commencement  of 
of  the  Delta  may  be  placed  about  two 
m.  further  S.,  a  little  above  the  village 
of  Menasheh,  at  the  upper  end  of  the 
Isle  of  Skelekan. 

The  object  of  the  Barrage  was  to 
retain  the  water  of  the  Nile,  in  order 
that  it  might  be  used  for  irrigating  the 
lands  when  the  inundation  had  re- 
tired :  one  dam  crossing  the  Kosetta, 
another  the  Damietta  branch.  After 
the  sacrifice  of  an  enormous  sum  of 
money,  the  project  has  been  dtfiu  - 
tively  abandoned,  and  the  Barrage 
remains  a  striking  but  useless  monu- 
ment of  engineering  enterprise. 

In  former  times  the  point  of  the 
Delta  was  much  more  to  the  south 
than  at  present.  Cercasora,  in  the 
]  .etopolite  nome,  which  was  just  above 
it  on  the  west  bank,  stood,  according 
to  Strabo,  nearly  opposite,  or  west  of, 
Heliopolis,  close  to  the  observatory 
of  Eudoxus.  In  Herodotus's  time 
the  river  had  one  channel  as  far  as 
Cercasora ;  but  below  that  town  it 
divided  itself  into  three  branches, 
which  took  different  directions,  one, 
the  Pelusiac,  going  to  the  east ;  an- 
other, the  Canopic,  turning  off  to  the 
west ;  and  the  third  going  straight  for- 


ward, in  the  direction  of  its  previous 
course  through  Egypt  to  the  point  of 
the  Delta,  which  it  divided  in  twain 
as  it  ran  to  the  sea.  It  was  not  less 
considerable  in  the  volume  of  its 
water,  nor  less  celebrated,  than  the 
other  two,  and  was  called  the  Seben- 
nytic  branch  :  and  from  it  two  others, 
the  Saitic  and  Mendesian,  were  de- 
rived, emptying  themselves  into  the 
sea  by  two  distinct  mouths. 

This  old  Sebennytic  branch  has 
been  renewed  in  a  fine  wide  canal, 
which  starts  from  the  point  of  the 
Delta  midway  between  the  two  modern 
branches  corresponding  to  the  old 
Pelusiac  and  Canopic,  and  continues 
as  far  as  Tantah. 

After  passing  the  palace  of  Shoobra, 
the  numerous  minarets  of  Cairo  may 
be  seen  from  the  river ;  and  a  shady 
avenue  of  trees  leads  from  Shoobra  to 
the  N.W.  entrance  of  the  city. 

Embabeh  (Bte.  4)  is  on  the  right, 
and  on  the  left  are  some  palaces  and 
country  houses  in  the  plain  between 
Shoobra  and  Boolak. 

Boolak  may  be  called  the  port  of 
Cairo.  It  formerly  stood  on  an  island, 
where  Macrisi  says  sugar-cane  was 
cultivated ;  and  the  old  channel  which 
passed  between  it  and  Cairo  may  still 
be  traced  in  parts,  particularly  to  the 
northward,  about  half-way  from  the 
Shoobra  road.  The  filling  up  of  this 
channel  removed  Cairo  farther  from 
the  Nile,  and  gave  to  Boolak  the  rank 
and  advantages  of  a  port. 

Owing  to  the  improvements  that 
have  taken  place  in  the  land  lying 
between  Boolak  and  Cairo,  and  the 
rapid  extension  of  the  city  in  the 
direction  of  the  river,  the  open  space 
formerly  existing  between  the  two 
will  soon  be  covered  wilh  houses. 
The  norihern  extremity  of  Boolak.  at 
which  the  traveller's  dahabeeah  will 
probably  anchor,  is  called  Bamleh. 
A  grt  at  collection  of  these  boats  for 
hire  will  be  seen  moored  to  the  bank  : 
and  the  process  of  building  and  re- 
pairing them  is  carried  on  with  great 
vigour  and  activity. 


Egypt.  ROUTE  6.  — ALEXANDRIA  TO  CAIRO.  Ill 


"ROUTE  6. 

ALEXANDRIA  TO  CAIRO  BY  RAILWAY. 
131  MILES. 

Three  trains  daily:  one  express  in 
4 1  hours,  and  two  ordinary  in  6  hrs. 

The  railway  between  Alexandria 
and  Cairo  was  the  first  ever  made  in 
the  East.  It  was  constructed  in  1855, 
and,  with  the  continuation  from  Cairo 
to  Suez  now  done  away  with,  was  the 
alternative  proposed  by  Stephenson 
for  the  Maritime  Canal  across  the 
Isthmus  of  Suez.  Owing  to  the  ex- 
treme flatness  of  the  country  the  cost 
was  comparatively  small,  there  being 
no  engiueerrng  difficulties  in  the  shape 
of  tunnels,  viaducts,  &c.  The  bridges 
over  the  two  branches  of  the  Nile 
(and  these  were  not  built  till  a  later 
date)  are,  in  fact,  the  only  structures 
of  importance.  Except  at  these 
bridges,  there  is  a  double  line  of  rails 
the  whole  way.  They  are  laid  on 
cast-iron  chairs,  which  look  like 
huge  saucers,  these  chairs  being  con- 
nected by  transverse  round  iron  bars 
to  keep  them  parallel.  This  same 
method  of  construction  has  been  em- 
ployed throughout  all  the  railways  in 
Egypt.  The  chairs  lie  on  an  embank- 
ment of  earth  thrown  up  to  the  height 
of  a  few  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
soil.  English  engineers  were  em- 
ployed in  the  making  of  this  line,  and 
for  a  long  time  the  engine-drivers, 
&c,  were  mostly  Englishmen ;  but 
now  the  employes  are  nearly  all 
natives.  The  guards  and  station- 
masters  can  generally  speak  English 
and  French.    The  daily  express  runs 


at  a  very  fair  rate  of  speed,  and  keeps 
time  with  a  regularity  that  might  put 
to  shame  many  an  English  company. 
So  much  cannot  always  be  said  for 
the  local  stopping  trains.  The  first- 
class  carriages  are  good,  and  the  per- 
manent way  being  well  kept,  they  run 
smoothly  and  easily. 

The  station  is  at  the  extreme  west 
of  the  town  beyond  the  canal.  On 
leaving  the  station  the  line  skirts  on 
the  right  the  Lake  Mareotis,  stretch- 
ing far  away  out  of  sight.  In  winter, 
after  the  rising  of  the  Nile,  the  water 
reaches  in  many  places  to  the  embank- 
ment, but  in  the  late  spring  and 
summer  there  is  a  wide  expanse  of 
swampy  marsh,  as  treacherous  to  the 
foot  as  it  is  disagreeable  to  the  eye 
and  unpleasant  to  the  nose.  Numbers 
of  aquatic  birds  may  often  be  seen 
feeding  close  to  the  railway,  but 
should  the  traveller,  encouraged  by 
their  apparent  tameness  as  he  looks 
at  them  from  the  carriage  window, 
attempt  on  some  other  occasion  to  try 
his  chances  with  the  gun,  he  will  find 
them  very  wary  and  unapproachable. 
On  the  left  is  the  Mnhmoodeeah  Canal, 
with  its  pretty  villas  and  gardens 
backed  by  high  ground,  on  which 
stands  Pompey's  Pillar.  A  little  fur- 
ther on  is  seen  the  Viceroy's  palace  at 
Pamleh.  The  line  now  quits  for  a 
time  the  canal  and  the  cultivated  land, 
and  runs  across  the  open  lake,  rejoin- 
ing the  canal  just  before  reaching 

17 \.  Kafr  Douar  Stat.,  a  favourite 
rendezvous  of  Alexandrian  sportsmen. 
Wild  boar  are  often  found  in  the 
neighbourhood.  Bordered  by  cotton- 
fields  on  one  side  and  marshes  on  the 
other,  the  line  reaches 

11  \.  Aboo  Hommoos  Stat.  The  Mad- 
moodeeah  Canal  here  turns  eastward 
till  it  joins  the  Eosetta  branch  of  the 
Nile  at  Atfeh. 

10.  Damanhnor  Stat,  (line  projected 
to  Dessook,  12  miles).  First  station  at 
which  express  stops,  45  min.  from  Alex- 
andria. A  large  village,  capital  of  the 
richly  cultivated  province  of  Beheyrah. 
It  lias  several  cotton  manufactories, 
and  a  few  respectable-looking  houses, 
but  otherwise  presents  the  usual  ap- 
pearance of  an  Arab  village ;  shape- 


112 


ROUTE  6.  ALEXANDRIA  TO  CAIRO. 


Sect.  I. 


less  huts  and  houses  of  crude  mud- 
bricks,  relieved  sometimes  in  their 
bare  monotony  by  the  graceful  outline 
of  a  few  minarets,  and  the  dome-like 
cupolas  of  a  Mussulman  cemetery ; 
but  only  really  picturesque  when 
nestled  in  a  grove  of  palms,  like  the 
hamlet  on  the  right  immediately  after 
leaving  the  station.  It  was  close  to 
Damanhoor  that  Napoleon  was  nearly 
taken  prisoner  by  the  Memlooks  in 
1798.  On  being  expostulated  with 
for  exposing  himself  to  such  a  risk,  he 
replied,  "JZ  n'est  point  ecrit  la  haul 
que  je  doive  jamais  etre  prisonnier  des 
MamelouJcs — prisonnier  des  Anglais,  a 
la  bonne  heure."  From  Damanhoor 
the  railway  passes  through  a  richly 
cultivated  plain,  unbroken  by  the 
slightest  elevation,  to 

16.  Tel-el-Baroot  Stat;  and  a  few 
miles  further  on  reaches  the  Kosetta 
branch  of  the  Nile,  65  m.  from  Alex- 
andria. The  river  is  crossed  by  a  fine 
iron  bridge  of  12  spans,  resting  on  hol- 
low iron  piles.  It  opens  for  the  passage 
of  large  vessels  in  a  very  ingenious 
manner.  A  part  of  the  roadway,  two 
spans  in  length,  turns  on  a  pivot  on 
the  piers  supporting  it  until  it  is 
brought  at  right  angles  to  the  bridge, 
thus  leaving  two  passages :  the  single 
pillars  above  and  below  the  bridge 
serve  to  support  the  two  ends  of  the 
part  thus  moved,  and  protect  it  from 
being  injured  by  vessels  driven  against 
it.  The  cost  of  this  bridge,  which  has 
only  a  single  line  of  rails,  with  a  foot- 
path alongside,  was  400,000Z.  Before 
its  construction,  trains  were  ferried 
over.  It  was  here  that  Achmet  Pasha, 
elder  brother  of  the  present  Viceroy, 
and  at  the  time  of  his  death  heir  to 
the  throne,  was  drowned  in  1856.  He 
was  returning  from  Alexandria  one 
night,  when  the  driver,  not  seeing  in 
the  darkness  that  the  ferry  boat  was 
not  in  its  place,  ran  the  train  over  the 
bank  into  the  river.  Immediately  on 
the  S.  side  of  the  bridge  is  the  station 
of 

lOf  m.  Kafr-ez-Zyat  Stat.  2  hrs. 
5  min.  by  express  from  Alexandiia. 
Trains  stop  here  15  min.  There  is  a 
buffet  and  restaurant,  and  a  very  fair 
lunch  may  be  had  fur  5  francs.    15  m. 


to  the  S.  of  Kafr-ez-Zyat,  on  the  right 
bank  of  the  river,  are  the  ruins  of  Sai's 
(see  Rte.  5).  We  have  now  entered  the 
Delta,  and  the  traveller  cannot  fail  to 
be  struck  with  the  amazing  fertility  of 
the  vast  plain  stretched  out  on  either 
side  of  him,  divided  not  by  hedges, 
but  by  innumerable  canals  and  raised 
dykes,  and  varied  in  its  flat  monotony 
only  by  the  brown  mound-like  vil- 
lages. 

11m.  Tantah  Junct.  Stat.  [Branch 
lines  to  Talkah  (opposite  Mansoorah), 
and  thence  to  Damietta,  passing  by 
Semanood,  Mahallet  Rokh,  Mahallet- 
el-Kebeer,  and  Shirbeen,  75  miles  ; 
to  Zifte,  via  Mahallet  Rokh,  33}  miles ; 
Dessook,  46|  miles  ;  and  to  Shibeen-el- 
Kom,  18  J  miles.  1  train  daily  each  way 
on  all  these  lines.]  Tantah  is  a  large 
and  important  town,  capital  of  the  pro- 
vince of  Gharbeeah.  It  boasts  of  a 
handsome  well-built  station  (the  best 
on  the  line),  and  a  palace  buDt  by  the 
present  Viceroy  for  his  visit  to  the 
annual  fairs  or  festivals. 

These  festivals,  which  are  cele- 
brated three  times  a  year — in  Janu- 
ary, April,  and  August — are  held  in 
honour  of  the  Seyyid  Ahmed-el-Be- 
dawee,  a  Moslem  saint  of  great  renown. 
He  was  born  at  Fez  in  a.h.  596  (a.d. 
1200),  and  having  passed  through 
Tantah  with  all  his  family  on  his  way 
to  Mecca,  established  himself  in  that 
place  on  his  return,  and  was  buried 
there  at  his  death.  He  seems  to  have 
succeeded  to  the  god  of  Sebennytus, 
the  Eg)'ptian  Hercules,  whose  attri- 
butes have  been  given  him  by  popular 
fancy  or  tradition.  It  is  the  Seyyid 
whose  aid  is  invoked  when  any  one  is 
in  need  of  strength  to  resist  a  sudden 
calamity;  the  effects  of  a  &torm,  or 
any  frightful  accident,  are  thought  to 
be  averted  by  calling  out  "  Ya  seyyid, 
ya  Bedawee;"  and  the  song  of  "Gab 
el  Yoosara,"'  "he  brought  back  the  cap- 
tives," records  the  might  and  prowess 
of  this  powerful  hero.  In  the  second 
call  to  prayer  chanted  by  the  muezzin 
an  hour  before  daybreak,  he  is  in- 
voked under  the  name  of  Aboo  Farrag, 
Sheykh  of  the  Arabs,  and  coupled  with 
El  Hasan  and  El  Hoseyn,  and  "all 
the  favourites  of  God." 


Egypt. 


EOUTE  6. — TANTAH — BENHA. 


113 


Each  of  the  fetes  lasts  S  days,  and 
those  in  the  spring  and  summer  are 
attended  by  an  immense  concourse 
of  people,  as  many  as  200,000  being 
sometimes  collected  together.  The 
open  space  round  the  town  is  covered 
with  tents  of  all  sorts  and  sizes :  the 
great,  square,  gaudy  coloured  tent  of 
the  rich  Sheykh  el  beled  (village 
chief),  with  horses,  camels,  and 
.  donkeys  picketed  all  about  it,  and 
flanked  on  both  sides  by  the  smaller 
tents  of  his  followers  and  dependents  ; 
the  deep,  oblong,  equally  gaudy 
booths  of  the  singing  and  the  dancing 
girls,  the  jugglers,  the  romance  re- 
citers, and  the  story  tellers;  round 
tents  of  various  sizes  and  conditions, 
from  the  blue-lined  one  of  the  well-to- 
do  fellah  down  to  the  ragged  bell  of 
his  poorer  neighbour ;  and,  most  pic- 
turesque of  all,  the  "  black  tents  of 
Kedar," — the  long,  low,  flat-topped 
tent  of  camel's-hair  blanket  that 
marks  now,  as  of  old,  the  temporary 
resting-place  of  the  wandering  Be- 
daween. 

Although  a  religious  festival,  plea- 
sure is  the  chief  object  of  the  pilgrims, 
and  a  few  fdfhahs  at  the  tomb  of  the 
saint  are  sufficient  to  satisfy  every 
pious  requirement,  and  to  induce  the 
hope  of  obtaining  his  blessing.  Busi- 
ness, however,  is  not  neglected.  The 
cattle  and  horse  fairs  held  during 
these  festivals  are  the  most  important 
in  Egypt.  Formerly  a  brisk  trade  in 
slaves  was  carried  on,  and  the  slave 
market  was  one  of  the  sights  of  the 
fair  ;  but  that  is  now  done  away  with, 
and  whatever  traffic  there  is  has  to  be 
done  in  secret. 

The  evening  is  the  time  at  which 
to  see  the  fete  at  its  height ;  and  a 
walk  through  the  streets  and  booths 
will  afford  many  a  curious  and  sug- 
gestive sight.  As  at  the  festival  of 
Bubastis,  in  old  times,  a  greater  quan- 
tity of  wine  was  consumed  than  at  any 
other  period  of  the  year,  so  at  Tantah, 
greater  excesses  are  committed  by  the 
modern  Egyptians  than  on  any  other 
occasion.  The  traveller  who  finds  him- 
self in  Egypt  at  the  time  of  either  of 
these  fetes  will  do  well  to  pay  Tantah 
a  visit.    He  will  have  a  good  oppor- 


tunity of  seeing  national  manners  and 
customs.  A  bed  may  be  obtained 
in  the  town.  England,  France,  and 
America  have  consular  agents  at 
Tantah. 

Still  the  same  rich  country  to 

11 J  m.  Birket-es-Sab  Stat.  20  min. 
from  this  the  line  crosses  the  Damietta 
branch  of  the  Nile  by  a  similar  bridge 
to  that  of  Kafr-ez-Zyat.  Passing  on 
the  left  a  handsome  palace  built  by 
Abbas  Pasha,  and  the  ruins  of  the  old 
town  of  Athribis. 

14  m.  Benha  Janet.  Stat,  is  reached. 
[Branch  line  via  Zagazig  and  Ismailia 
to  Suez,  122f  miles ;  and  via  Zagazig 
to  Mansoorah,  70|  miles,  ]  Benha- 
el-Assal,  "  Benha  of  Honey,"  is  an  un- 
important town  on  the  right  bank  of 
the  Damietta  branch.  It  was  at  one 
time  the  centre  of  the  cotton  trade  in 
that  part  of  the  Delta,  but  Zagazig 
has  now  taken  its  place,  and  no  vestiges 
of  its  former  occupation  remain  save 
some  ruined  and  deserted  cotton 
manufactories  :  nor  does  it  any  longer 
produce  the  honey  from  which  it 
derived  its  name.  It  is  recorded  by 
the  Arab  historian  that,  at  the  time  of 
Amer's  invasion,  the  presents  sent  to 
Mohammed  by  John  Mekaukes,  a 
rich  and  noble  Copt,  included  among 
other  things  a  jar  of  honey  from  Benha- 
el-Assal.  Its  chief  article  of  trade  now 
is  oranges,  of  which  the  groves  all 
around  its  neighbourhood  supply  large 
quantities  to  the  Cairo  market ;  and 
the  Yoosef  Effendi  oranges,  large 
juicy  mandarins  from  Benha,  are  con- 
sidered the  best  in  Egypt. 

The  ruins  of  the  old  town  of  Ath- 
ribis lie  to  the  N.E.  of  the  modern 
village.  They  present  somewhat  the 
appearance  of  a  huge  deserted  brick- 
field, with  here  and  there  heaps  of 
red  cinders.  The  town  appears  to 
have  been  of  considerable  extent, 
nearly  a  mile  in  length  E.  and  W., 
and  f  m.  N.  and  S.  It  was  inter- 
sected by  two  main  streets  crossing 
each  other  nearly  at  right  angles ;  and 
there  was  probably  a  square  at  the 
spot  where  they  met.  A  little  beyond 
this  quadrivium,  or  crossway,  to  the 
W.,  is  another  open  space,  apparently 
the  site  of  the  principal  temple,  anil 


114 


ROUTE  6.  ALEXANDRIA  TO  CAIRO. 


Sect.  I. 


traces  may  perhaps  be  discovered  of 
the  sacred  enclosure  on  the  outer  side. 
Of  the  granite  columns  and  other 
remains  that  existed  here  a  few  years 
ago  no  trace  is  left. 

Most  of  the  objects  found  at  Athri- 
bis  have  been  of  Eoman  or  Greek 
date ;  but  that  Athribis  possessed 
buildings  of  older  time  is  certain,  not 
only  from  the  antiquity  of  the  place, 
but  from  a  monument  found  there, 
which  has  been  brought  to  Europe. 
It  is  a  granite  lion,  bearing  the  name 
of  Rameses  the  Great,  who  did  more 
towards  the  embellishment  of  the  cities 
of  the  Delta  than  any  other  Pharaoh. 

To  the  N.  of  the  town  is  a  double 
row  of  low  mounds  resembling  the 
banks  of  a  canal,  or  the  remains  of 
walls ;  but  they  extend  only  to  a  cer- 
tain distance,  about  2000  ft.,  and  are 
closed  at  the  eastern  end,  so  that  they 
suit  neither  of  these  two. 

Many  of  the  houses  of  the  town 
have  been  burnt,  as  is  frequently  the 
case  in  Egyptian  towns ;  and  parts  of 
the  mounds  have  been  used  for  tombs, 
doubtless  in  after  times,  when  the 
limits  of  the  inhabited  part  were  con- 
tracted. They  may,  therefore,  be  re- 
ferred to  a  late  Roman  or  Christian 
epoch,  like  those  at  Bubastis  and 
other  towns  ;  and  thus  the  occurrence 
of  tombs  in  the  midst  of  houses,  which 
is  at  first  perplexing,  may  be  accounted 
for. 

The  mounds  are  constantly  de- 
creasing in.  size,  owing  to  the  crude- 
brick  dust,  of  which  they  are  chiefly 
composed,  being  taken  away  for 
repairing  embankments,  manuring  the 
land,  &c"  During  this  process  objects 
of  value  are  occasionally  found. 

2J  miles  to  the  1ST.  of  Benha  is  the 
Moez  Canal. 


The  express  does  not  stop  again 
before  reaching  Cairo,  but  passes 

7f  m.  Tookh  Stat.,  a  short  way  be- 
yond, which  the  Pyramids  may  be  seen 
in  the  distance  to  the  S.W. ;  and 

llf  m.  Kalioob  Junct.  Stat.,  whence 
branch  off  direct  lines  from  Cairo  to 
Suez  via  Zagazig,  and  to  Mansoorah 
via  Zagazig.  The  short  line  from 
Cairo  to  the  Barrage  also  strikes 
off  here.  The  towers  of  the  Barrage 
may  be  seen  to  the  W.  The  Libyan 
chain  of  hills  now  comes  into  view 
behind  the  Pyramids  to  the  W. ; 
while  on  the  E.  appear  the  Mokattam 
hills,  and  the  rocky  promontory  on 
which  stands  the  Citadel,  conspicuous 
by  the  tall  slender  minarets  of  the 
Mosk  of  Mohammed  Ali. 

After  passing  Kalioob  the  country 
becomes  much  more  wooded,  and  villas 
with  pretty  gardens  and  well-grown 
plantations  offer  a  pleasant  relief  to 
the  eye  after  the  unbroken  monotony 
of  the  country  hitherto  traversed.  On 
the  left  may  be  seen  in  the  distance 
the  mounds  of  Heliopolis,  the  gardens 
of  Matareeah,  the  plantations  of  Kooba, 
the  vast  buildings  of  the  Abbasseeah, 
and  the  racecourse.  On  the  right  is 
the  palace  of  Shoobra,  and  the  mag- 
nificent avenue  leading  from  it  to 
Cairo.  A  few  minutes  more,  and  the 
train  enters  the  station  of 

10  m.  Cairo  Terminus.  —  Omni- 
busses,  carriages,  and  donkeys  await 
the  traveller.  If  he  already  has  a  dra- 
goman he  need  take  no  trouble  about 
anything ;  but  if  not  so  provided,  he 
had  better  put  himself  into  the  hands 
of  the  commissionaire  of  the  hotel  to 
which  he  intends  going. 


Egypt 


(    H5  ) 


SECTION  II. 


CAIRO. 


General  Information. 


1.  Hotels. — 2.  Lodgings.  Houses.  — 3.  Cafe's.  Restaurants. — 4.  Post  Office. — 
5.  Bankers. — 6.  Consulates. — 7.  Physicians. — 8.  Sltops.  Tradespeople. — 
9.  Agents  for  forwarding  Goods. — 10.  Churches. — 11.  Conveyances. — 12. 
Railways. — 13.  Telegraphs.—  14.  Servants. — 15.  Boats  for  Nile  Voyage. 


1.  Hotels.  Shepheard's  Hotel,  kept 
by  Philip  Zech.  This  hotel  is  the  one 
most  frequented  by  English  and  Ame- 
rican families ;  it  has  been  much  im- 
proved in  every  way  of  late,  and  now  that 
it  is  no  longer  subject  to  the  incursion 
en  masse  of  Indian  travellers  on  their 
way  out  and  home,  is  fairly  quiet  and 
comfortable.  Mr.  Gross,  the  manager, 
is  unwearied  in  his  endeavours  to 
attend  to,  and  satisfy,  everybody's 
wants  and  requirements ;  but  the 
cuisine  is  capable  of  improvement,  and 
it  would  be  well  if  travellers  were 
allowed  the  option  of  paying  separately 
for  their  rooms  and  whatever  meals 
they  need,  instead  of  being  subject  to 
a  hard  and  fast  tariff  of  so  much  a 
day  for  board  and  lodging.  The 
terms  are  16s.  a  day  for  a  bedroom  and 
three  meals.  Sitting-rooms  10s.  to  11. 
extra.  Arrangements  for  sets  of 
rooms  and  separate  attendance  can  be 
made  by  families  intending  to  spend 
the  winter  at  Cairo.  The  situation  of 
this  hotel  is  very  pleasant,  overlooking 
the  Esbekeeyah,  and  there  are  small 
gardens  both  inside  and  outside  the 
quadrangle  which  it  forms. 

The  New  Hotel,  a  large  building 
very  well  situated  in  the  best  part  of 
the  Esbekeeyah,  immediately  opposite 
the  new  public  garden  and  the  opera- 
house.  It  was  built  by  the  Oriental 
Hotel  Company,  but  has  been  bought 
by  the  Khedive,  and  is  managed  for 


him  by  Pantalini,  the  proprietor  of 
the  Hotel  d'  Europe  at  Alexandria. 
The  terms  are  the  same  as  at  Shep- 
heard's. Arrangements  can  be  made 
for  a  lengthened  stay. 

Hotel  des  Ambassadeurs  in  the 
Esbekeeyah ;  cuisine  good,  but  rooms 
small  and  badly  situated. 

Hotel  d' Orient,  in  the  Esbekeeyeh. 

Hotel  du  Nil,  rather  inconveniently 
situated  in  a  street  leading  out  of  the 
Mooskee,  but  nice  and  pleasant-look- 
ing when  reached.  It  is  very  highly 
recommended  for  the  goodness  of  the 
food  and  the  general  accommodation 
combined  with  cheapness,  the  terms 
being  only  12s.  a  day  fur  board  and 
lodging. 

Hotel  Auric. 

2.  Lodgings,  Houses.     There  are 
some  good  furnished  flats  to  be  let  in 
Cairo,  but  they  must  be  taken  for  the 
season,  and  the  rents  are  very  high. 
As  houses  are  springing  up  in  all  di- 
!  rections  to  the  north  and  west  of  the 
j  city,  rents  may  probably  in  a  few  years 
I  be  lower.    Furnished  lodgings  of  an 
i  inferior  kind  may  be  found  in  the 
I  Mooskee,  and  the  streets  leading  from 
it,  and  on  the  N.E.  side  of  the  Es- 
bekeeyah.   Nearly  all  the  new  houses 
that  are  building  are  for  letting  in 
flats  unfurnished,  but  very  high  rents 
are  asked  at  present.    Part  of  an  old 
Arab  house  may  often  be  hired  at  a 


Egypt. 


CAFES ;  POST  OFFICE  ;  BANKERS,  ETC. 


117 


moderate  sum,  but  the  approach  as 
a  rule  will  be  disagreeable,  and  the 
rooms  will  require  a  good  deal  doing 
to  them  to  make  them  habitable.  If 
things  continue  to  progress  as  at 
present,  Cairo  in  a  few  years  will  no 
doubt  offer  as  many  facilities  for  a 
winter  residence,  in  the  way  of  fur- 
nished apartments  and  houses,  as  the 
usual  places  of  resort  in  France  and 
Italy;  but  at  present  peop'e  going  to 
Egypt  for  the  first  time,  if  they  intend 
remaining  the  winter  at  Cairo,  had 
better  make  arrangements  at  one  of 
the  hotels,  as  the  expense  of  lodgings 
and  servants  will  certainly  be  no  less, 
and  the  trouble  considerably  greater. 
Information  as  to  lodgings  and  houses 
may  be  obtained  from  D.  Robertson 
and  Co. 

3.  Cafes,  Restaurants.  Auric's, 
near  the  Egyptian  Post  Office,  is  a 
very  excellent  restaurant.  Set  "de- 
jeuner a  la  fourchette,  4  francs ;  dinner 
5  francs.  Breakfasts  and  dinners  may 
also  be  had  d  la  carte  in  private  rooms. 
The  Cafe  Shoobra,  in  the  Shoobra 
Road,  has  a  restaurant  attached. 
There  are  several  cafes  in  the  Es- 
bekeeyah,  of  which  that  called  the 
Cercle  is  the  most  frequented.  Beer- 
shops  also  abound,  Vienna  beer  being 
a  favourite  beverage  of  the  European 
element  at  Cairo. 

4.  Post  Office.  The  British  Post 
Office  for  the  receipt  and  despatch  of 
letters  direct  from,  and  to,  England, 
Malta,  Gibraltar,  and  America,  is  at  the 
British  Consulate  in  the  Esbekeeyah. 
The  mails,  via  Southampton  and 
Brindisi,  are  made  up  the  day  before 
the  steamers  leave  Alexandria.  Let- 
ters from  England  and  America  are 
sent  up  from  Alexandria  by  the  first 
train  after  the  arrival  of  the  steam- 
ers. Letters  may  also  be  re- 
ceived from,  and  sent  to,  England  or 
America  through  the  French  Post 
Office,  at  the  Office  of  the  Messageries 
in  the  Esbekeeyah.  A  bag  for  the 
French  steamer  is  made  up  at  the 
British  Post  Office.  Letters  may  be 
received  from,  or  sent  to,  India,  China, 
Australia,   &c,  either   through  the 


British  or  French  Post  Offices.  The 
Egyptian  Post  Office,  a  new  and  well- 
arranged  building,  forming  part  of  a 
large  block  of  houses  at  the  S.E.  corner 
of  the  Esbekeeyah  is  for  the  receipt 
and  despatch  of  letters  from,  and  to, 
any  part  the  Egyptian  dominions  daily, 
and  all  European  countries,  except 
France  and  England.  People  who  in- 
tend spending  the  winter  in  Egypt  had 
better  have  letters  addressed  either  to 
the  Poste  Restante,  the  hotel  to  which 
they  intend  going,  or  their  banker's. 
Arrangements  can  be  made  at  the 
hotels,  the  bankers,  and  the  consulates 
for  the  sending  of  letters  to  Upper 
Egypt,  and  letters  from  Upper  Egypt 
can  be  forwarded  through  the  same 
means ;  it  should  be  mentioned,  how- 
ever, that  very  little  reliance  can  be 
placed  on  the  postal  arrangements 
south  of  Cairo,  notwithstanding  the 
facilities  recently  afforded  by  the  ex- 
tension of  the  railway  beyond  Minieh. 
Thebes,  where  there  is  a  British  and 
American  consular  agent,  is  the  safest 
point. 

5.  Bankers.  Bank  of  Egypt,  in  the 
Mooskee;  H.  Oppenheim,  Neveu,  and 
Co.,  in  the  Esbekeeyah  near  the  Opera- 
house  ;  Tod,  Rathbone  and  Co.,  Ro- 
setti  Gardens.  Most  of  the  banks  of 
Alexandria  have  agencies  at  Cairo. 

6.  Consulates.  English.  —  Col. 
Stanton,  R.E.,  C.B.,  H.  B.  M's.  Agent 
and  Consul-General  resides  during  the 
winter  months  at  Cairo ;  Consul,  E.  T. 
Rogers,  Esq. ;  office  in  the  Esbekeeyah 
attached  to  the  house  of  the  Consul- 
General :  hours  10  to  4.    American. — 


7.  Physicians.  Dr.  Grant,  of  Aber- 
deen, for  many  years  resident  at  Cairo, 
and  well  acquainted  with  the  ailments 
incidental  to  the  country,  and  the 
peculiarities  of  the  climate  ;  he  resides 
in  the  Esbekeeyah.  Dr.  Reil,  German, 
speaking  English  and  French,  long 
resident  in  Egypt.  Dr.  Sachs,  of 
Vienna.  Mr.  Broadway,  dentist ;  and 
Mr.  Waller,  dentist;  both  in  the 
Mooskee. 


118 


CAIRO  :   SHOPS  ;  CHURCHES  ;  CONVEYANCES  ;  Sect.  I. 


8.  Shops,  Tradespeople.  The  Eu- 
ropean shops  at  Cairo  are  not  as  a  rule 
to  be  recommended ;  the  things  are 
dear  and  generally  inferior ;  but  new 
shops  are  constantly  being  opened, 
and  some  improvement  may  be  looked 
for. 

Booksellers.  D.  Robertson  and  Co.,  in 
the  Esbekeeyah,  between  Shepheard's 
Hotel  and  the  English  Consulate. 
This  is  a  branch  of.  the  shop  at  Alex- 
andria, and  is  well  supplied  with 
books,  stationery,  photographs,  &c. 
There  is  a  reading-room  attached 
with  English  and  American  newspa- 
pers. Messrs.  D.  R.  and  Co.  have 
the  superintendence  of  the  voyages  up 
the  Nile  that  are  made  during  the 
winter  by  the  steamers  of  the  Azizieh 
Company,  and  application  for  places 
should  be  made  to  them.  A  list  of 
dragomen  is  kept,  and  contracts  ar- 
ranged. Kauffman,  in  the  Mooskee, 
for  German  and  French  books.  Some 
very  excellent  photographs  of  Egypt, 
by  a  Constantinople  artist  called 
Sebah,  may  be  obtained  here. 

Photographers.  —  Schseft,  Rosetti 
Gardens,  is  a  first-rate  artist  for  cartes- 
de-visite  and  groups  ;  Delie,  Mooskee, 
is  also  good.  The  best  views  of  Egypt 
are  those  of  Frith  (small),  to  be  ob- 
tained at  Robertson's,  and  Sebah's 
(large),  at  Kauffmann's. 

Chemists. — Nardi, Mooskee;  Rouyer, 
Esbekeeyah ;  Voss,  Esbekeeyah. 

General  Outfitters. — Grima,  Moos- 
kee ;  Paschal,  Esbekeeyah ;  and  Cecil e, 
Mooskee,  for  articles  of  clothing. 
Flags  for  a  dahabeeah  may  be  ob- 
tained at  Grima's  and  Cecile's. 

Provision  and  Wine  Merchants. — 
Ablett,  Mooskee  :  Grima,  Mooskee  ; 
Raduan,  Station  Road. 

Jeweller—  Ricci,  Esbekeeyah. 

Hairdressers.  —  Lauze,  Mooskee  ; 
Gravil,  Esbekeeyah. 

For  native  shops  see  Bazaars. 

9.  Agents  for  forwarding  Goods. 
— D.  Robertson  &  Co.  will  undertake 
the  sending  of  things  to  England.  It 
should  be  borne  in  mind  that  the 
exportation  of  all  objects  of  antiquity, 


either  old  Egyptian  or  Arabic,  is 
strictly  forbidden  by  the  Egyptian 
Government. 


10.  Churches. — The  service  of  the 
Church  of  England  is  performed  every 
Sunday  during  the  winter  season  in  a 
room  at,  the  New  Hotel.  Subscriptions 
have  for  some  time  past  been  collected 
for  building  an  English  church,  and 
the  Khedive  has  given  a  capital  piece 
of  ground  near  the  Esbekeeyah  for  the 
site.  It  is  greatly  to  be  hoped  that 
means  will  soon  be  taken  to  profit  by 
this  liberal  gift,  and  that  sufficient 
funds  will  be  collected,  not  only  for 
building  a  church,  but  also  for  pro- 
viding a  salary  for  a  permanent  chap- 
lain, at  least  during  six  months  of  the 
year.  Service  according  to  the  forms 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  is  held 
every  Sunday  at  11  a.m.,  and  3  p.m., 
at  the  American  Mission  Schools  in 
the  Esbekeeyah.  German  Lutheran 
Church :  the  foundation-stone  of  the 
new  building,  near  the  Boolak  Road, 
was  laid  by  the  Prince  Imperial  of 
Germany  in .  1867.  Roman  Catholic 
Church,  in  the  Frank  quaiter,  to  the 
left  of  the  Mooskee.  Coptic  Cathedral 
in  the  Copt  quarter,  near  the  Esbe- 
keeyah.   Greek  Church  ;  &c. 


11.  Conveyances.  —  Carriages  now 
abound  in  Cairo ;  there  is  a  regular 
tariff,  as  at  Alexandria,  but  it  is  of 
little  practical  use,  and  a  bargain  had 
better  be  made  beforehand.  Inside 
the  town  2s.  an  hour  is  a  fair  pay- 
ment ;  short  courses,  Is. ;  for  the  whole 
day,  16s.  to  11.  More  is  expected 
after  dark,  and  on  Sundays,  Fridays, 
and  holydays.  The  continually  in- 
creasing number  of  broad  roads  and 
streets  makes  it  possible  to  get  about  * 
in  carriages  in  a  way  that  a  few  years 
ago  was  quite  impossible ;  but  for  the 
Oriental  parts  of  the  city  a  donkey 
will  still  be  found  to  be  the  plea- 
santest  means  of  conveyance.  Donkeys 
may  be  hired  for  from  2s.  to  3s.  a  day  ; 
short  courses,  6d. ;  excursions  for  the 
whole  day  outside  the  town,  5s.  :  but 
Loth  carriage-drivers  and  donkey-boys 


Egypt. 

are  a  race  very  difficult  to  satisfy,  and 
a  demand  for  more  will  always  be 
preferred,  as  also  a  request  fur  bak- 
sheesh. 

12.  Railways.  —  The  terminus  of 
the  Alexandria  and  Cairo  line,  and  its 
branches  to  the  different  parts  of  the 
Delta,  and  of  the  Isthmus  of  Suez 
line,  is  on  the  N.  side  of  the  city, 
beyond  the  great  canal.  There  are 
3  trains  daily  to  Alexandria,  in  con- 
nection with  the  daily  train  on  each 
branch ;  and  2  daily  to  Suez,  via  Za- 
gazig  and  Ismailia.  The  terminus  of 
the  Upper  Egypt  line  is  at  Embabeh, 
on  the  left  bank  of  the  river  below 
Boolak,  but  the  most  convenient  sta- 
tion for  Ca;ro  is  Geezeh,  opposite  Old 
Cairo  :  1  train  daily,  early  in  the 
morning.  The  daily  express  train 
between  Cairo  and  Alexandria  might 
be  taken  as  a  model  of  punctuality  by 
any  country,  but  so  much  cannot  be 
said  for  the  local  trains  on  any  of  the 
lines. 

13.  Telegraphs.  —  English  Tele- 
graph Co.,  in  the  same  block  of 
buildings  as  the  Egyptian  Post-office. 
Messages  to  all  parts  of  the  world,  and 
some  places  in  Egypt.  Twenty  words 
to  London,  via  Malta  and  Falmouth, 
addresses  included,  1Z.  14s.;  to  any 
other  part  of  England,  Is.  more. 
Egyptian  Government  Telegraph — To 
all  parts  of  Europe,  via  Syria  and 
Constantinople,  and  throughout  the 
whole  of  the  Egyptian  dominions. 

14.  Servants. — The  monthly  pay  of 
servants  is  much  the  same  at  Cairo 
and  Alexandria. 

The  following  may  be  taken  as  a 
fair  scale  of  monthly  payment  for 
different  kinds  of  servants,  when  hired 
for  the  Nile  voyage  : — 

£ 

Good  dragoman  of  any  national- 
ity, speaking  English,  French, 
or  Italian,  with  canteen      ..  15-20 
The  same,  without  canteen    ..  8-12 
Under  servant,  or  waiter,  speak- 


119 

ing  a  little  of  some  European  ^ 

language    4-6 

Good  man-cook  of  any  nation- 
ality   10-12 

Ordinary  man-cook   6-8 

The  traveller,  however,  who  visits 
Egypt  for  the  first  time,  will  have 
little  need  to  trouble  himself  about 
servants'  wages,  as  he  will  find  it 
much  more  convenient  and  satisfactory 
to  adopt  what  is  now  the  usual  plan, 
and  pay  a  dragoman  a  fixed  sum  for 
providing  him  with  boat,  servants, 
food,  &c. 

There  are  dragomen  of  every  sort 
and  kind,  good,  bad,  and  indifferent  ; 
and  the  traveller,  who  has  to  choose 
from  among  the  numbers  who  present 
themselves  at  Alexandria  and  Cairo, 
must  take  his  chance.  But  it  is  seldom 
that  the  really  good  ones,  who  con- 
fessedly are  at  the  head  of  their  pro- 
fession, fail  to  give  satisfaction.  Their 
charges,  however,  are  very  extrava- 
gant; and  travellers  who  are  not  so 
particular  as  to  comfort  and  luxuries, 
may  find  a  very  fair  dragoman  who 
will  do  everything  at  a  lower  rate. 

All  who  can  should,  before  leaving 
England,  get  a  dragoman  recommended 
to  them  by  friends  who  have  had  ex- 
perience of  him :  it  will  save  them  a 
great  deal  of  trouble,  and  they  will 
feel  more  sure  of  the  sort  of  man  they 
have  to  deal  with. 

Of  course  it  is  possible  to  do  with- 
out a  dragoman  for  the  Nile  voyage, 
and  look  after  everything  for  oneself ; 
but  whoever  tries  it  should  be  gifted 
with  an  abnormal  amount  of  patience. 
More  on  this  subject  will  be  found  in 
the  Introduction  to  Sect.  III. 

Persons  intending  to  remain  the 
winter  at  Cairo,  may  hire  servants  at 
a  lower  rate  than  that  given  in  the 
above  scale.  Native  servants,  par- 
ticularly such  as  are  more  especially 
needed  for  a  residence  in  the  town,  such 
as  porters  (bowab),  grooms  (syce),  &c, 
should  be  hired  through  the  medium 
of  the  Sheykh  of  the  guild  to  which 
they  belong,  as  that  functionary  will 
settle  what  wages  they  ought  to  re- 
ceive, and  be  responsible  for  their 
conduct  and  behaviour. 


RAILWAYS  ;  TELEGEAPHS  ;  SERVANTS. 


120 


CAIEO:  NILE  VOYAGE. 


Sect.  II. 


15.  Boats  for  the  Nile  Voyage, 
Steamees.  — There  are  various  kinds 
of  boats,  all  more  or  less  similar  in 
construction  though  differing  in  name, 
to  be  seen  on  the  Nile,  but  the  one 
which  claims  special  attention,  as  that 
in  which  the  traveller  makes  his 
voyage  on  the  river,  is  called  a  "  daha- 
beeah."  Dahabeeahs  vary  much  in  size 
and  method  of  arrangement,  but  the 
smallest  have  at  least  two  or  three 
cabins  and  a  bath,  and  the  largest  have 
from  six  to  eight  single-bed  cabins, 
with  a  saloon  cabin  in  the  centre,  and 
another  at  the  stern,  which  can  also  be 
used  as  a  double  or  single  bedroom  ; 
bath,  pantry,  (fee.  The  usual  sized 
dahabeeah  contains  three  single-bed 
cabins,  a  centre  saloon  cabin,  a  stern 
cabin  to  be  used  either  as  double  or 
single  bedroom,  or  sitting-room,  a 
bath,  &c.  The  hire  of  these  boats  is 
always  varying,  and  it  is  almost  im- 
possible to  set  down  any  fixed  sum ; 
but  the  following  may  be  taken  as  a 
fair  average  rate  per  month : — 

£ 

A  large,  well  fitted-up  boat  for 

6  or  8  persons   90-110 

A  medium  sized  boat  for  4  or  6 
persons   60-80  j 

A  small  boat  for  2  or  3  persons  40-50 


The  difference  between  those  that  will 
accommodate  the  same  number  of 
persons  consists  in  the  furniture  and 
fittings-up. 

There  are  a  few  very  large,  well 
fitted-up  dahabeeahs,  for  which  as 
much  as  170Z.  to  200Z.  a  month  have 
been  asked  and  obtained.  When  the 
owner  of  the  boat  is  a  native,  a  reduc- 
tion can  always  be  obtained  in  the 
price  asked,  and  in  every  case  much 
may  be  done  by  judicious  bargaining. 
There  is  a  smaller  kind  of  boat  also 
adapted  for  Nile  travelling,  called  a 
cangia.  but  they  are  only  to  be  recom- 
mended on  the  score  of  economy,  having 
very  scant  accommodation,  and.  being 
badly  fitted  up. 

The  government  steamers  belonging 
to  the  Azizieh  Company  generally  leave 
Cairo  for  the  first  cataract  at  Assooan 
every  three  weeks  from  November  to 
March ;  but  their  times  of  departure 
are  uncertain,  and  depend  a  good  deal 
upon  the  number  of  travellers  waiting 
to  go.  The  time  occupied  in  the  trip 
to  Assooan  and  back  is  20  days,  and 
the  fare  421.,  table  wine  included.  Full 
information  can  be  obtained  at  D. 
Kobertson  and  Co.'s  shop  in  the  Es- 
bekeeyah. 


Sect.  II. 


CAIKO  :  HISTORY  AND  TOPOGRAPHY. 


.121 


Description  of  Cairo. 

L  History  and  Topography. — 2.  Oriental  Character  of  the  Town. — 3.  Climate 
4.  Population, —  5.  Local  Government. — 6.  Manufactures  and  Industry. — 
7.  Gates.  Walls. — 8.  Canals.  Lakes. — 9.  Citadel. — 10.  Moslcs.  Churches. 
— 11.  Tombs. — 12.  Sebeels  or  Public  Fountains. — 13.  Streets.  Public  Places. 
— 14.  Baths. — 15.  Bazaars. — 16.  Palaces. — 17.  Schools.  Libraries.  Mu- 
seum.— 18.  Hospitals.  Benevolent  Societies. — 19.  Theatres.  Amusements. 
— 20.  Beligious  Festivals. — 21.  Modes  of  seeing  Cairo  and  Neighbourhood. 
— 22.  Drives.  Excursions :  I.  Shoobra. — II.  Heliopolis. — III.  The  "  Petri- 
fied Forest."  —  IV.  The  Barrage. — V.  Old  Cairo  and  the  Nilometer. — 
VI.  The  Pyramids. — VII.  Sakkdrah. 


1.  HlSTOEY     AND     TOPOGRAPHY.  — 

Masr  el  Kaherah,  called  by  the 
natives  Masr,  and  by  Europeans  Cairo, 
is  situated  in  latitude  30°  6  and  longi- 
tude 31°  26',  on  the  right  or  E.  bank  of 
the  Nile,  in  the  sloping  plain  lying  be- 
tween that  river  and  a  projecting 
angle  of  the  Mokattam  Hills.  It  was 
founded  by  Gowher,  a  general  of  El 
Moez,  or  Aboo  Tummim,  the  first  of 
thel  Fowatem  or  Fatemite  dynasty 
who  ruled  in  Egypt.  He  was  sent  in 
the  year  358  of  the  Hegira,  a.d.  969. 
with  a  powerful  army  from  Kayrawan 
(in  the  modern  Regency  of  Tunis), 
the  capital  of  the  Fowatem,  to  invade 
Egypt :  and  having  succeeded  in  con- 
quering the  country,  he  founded  a 
new  city,  under  the  name  of  Masr  el 
Kaherah.  It  is  probable  that  an  old 
Egyptian  town  called  Loui-Tkeshrdmi 
had  formerly  occupied  some  part  of 
the  site  chosen,  though  the  exact  spot 
is  unknown ;  but  we  learn  from  Arab 
writers  that  two  villages  existed  there 
before  the  time  of  Gowher,  once  called 
El  Maks,  where  the  Copt  quarter  now 
stands,  and  the  other  El  Kuttneea. 
In  362  (a.d.  973)  the  new  city  became 
the  capital  instead  of  Fostat;  which 
then,  by  way  of  distinction,  received 
the  name  of  Masr  el  Atee'kah  (old 
Masr,  called  by  Europeans  Old  Cairo). 
El  Moez  soon  afterwards  arrived  with 
the  whole  of  his  court,  and  the  Fowa- 
tem, bringing  with  them  the  bones  of 
{.Egypt.-] 


their  ancestors,  for  ever  relinquished 
the  country  whose  sovereignty  they 
had  also  usurped,  and  which  they  still 
retained,  by  leaving  a  viceroy  in  the 
name  of  their  monarch. 

The  epithet  Kaherah  (Cairo)  is  de- 
rived from  Kaher,  and  signifies  "  vic- 
torious." 

The  firr-t  part  of  the  city  erected  by 
Gowher  was  what  is  still  called  el 
Kasrayn  or  "the  two  palaces,"  one  of 
which,  formerly  the  residence  of  Sala- 
din  and  other  kings,  has  been  long 
occupied  by  the  Mahkemeh,  or  Cadi's 
Court. 

The  walls  of  Cairo  were  built  of 
brick,  and  continued  in  the  same  state 
till  the?reign  of  Yoosef  Salah-ed-deen, 
the  founder  of  the  Eiyoobite  dynasty 
in  Egypt,  and  well  known  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  Crusades  under  the  name 
of  Saladin.  Shortly  before  his  arrival, 
and  during  the  troubles  that  obscured 
the  latter  end  of  the  reign  of  the  Fo- 
watem, whom  he  expelled,  Cairo  had 
been  attacked  by  the  Franks,  and 
partly  burnt  on  their  approach,  about 
the  year  1176.  Their  designs  against 
the  city  were  unsuccessful;  but  in 
order  to  place  it  effectually  beyond 
the  reach  of  similar  attempts,  Saladin 
raised  around  it  a  stronger  wall  of 
stone  masonry;  and  observing  that 
the  elevated  rock  to  the  south  of  the 
city  offered  a  convenient  position  for 
the  construction  of  a  fortress,  to  com- 
G 


122 


CAIRO  :  HISTORY  AND  TOPOGRAPHY  : 


Sect.  II. 


mand  and  protect  it,  he  cleared  the 
spot,  and  erected  on  it  the  citadel.  At 
the  same  time  the  extent  of  the  city 
was  considerably  increased,  the  new 
walls  including  within  their  circuit 
all  that  part  lying  between  the  Bab 
Zuweyleh  and  the  citadel.  Since  that 
period,  the  city  has  very  much  ex- 
tended itself,  principally  to  the  W. 
and  N.,  and  many  of  the  old  gates  are 
now  found  in  the  interior. 

Cairo  was  the  residence  of  the  caliph, 
and  capital  of  his  dominions,  until  the 
overthrow  of  the  Memlook  sovereignty 
in  Egypt  by  Sultan  Selim  in  1517, 
and  the  abolition  of  the  nominal  Abba- 
seeyah  caliphate.  It  then  became  the 
capital  of  the  Turkish  province  of 
Egypt,  and  continued  so  until  its  cap- 
ture by  the  French  after  the  so-called 
battle  of  the  Pyramids  in  1798.  Their 
occupation  lasted  three  years,  when 
the  city  was  again  taken  by  the  Turks 
and  English  in  1801.  In  1811  Mo- 
hammed Ali,  by  his  massacre  of  the 
Memlooks  in  the  citadel,  attained 
almost  absolute  power  in  Egypt,  and 
Cairo  became  once  more  the  capital 
of  a  virtually  independent  kingdom. 
Many  improvements  in  the  state  of 
the  city  were  made,  in  his  reign,  but 
the  greatest  changes  have  taken  place 
since  the  accession  of  the  present 
Khedive  in  1863.  New  streets  have 
been  opened  through  the  centre  of 
the  city,  new  quarters  laid  out  and 
designed,  and  the  general  aspect  in 
many  parts  completely  changed. 

In  shape,  Cairo  is  an  irregular  ob- 
long, about  3  m.  in  length  and  2  m.  in 
breadth,  and  occupies  an  area  of  more 
than  3  sq.  m.,  an  extent  which  will  be 
considerably  increased  when  the  new 
quarter  of  Ismaileeyah  is  completed, 
and  all  the  ground  lying  between  the 
city  and  its  suburb  Boolak  covered 
with  houses.  "  The  capital  of  Egypt 
is  seated  like  a  bird  on  a  hill,  the 
whole  of  which  it  covers  with  out- 
spread wings  ....  High  above  all 
stretches  upwards  the  citadel,  with  the 
dome  and  minarets  of  its  magnificent 
mosque.  The  grand  site  has  been 
most  happily  occupied,  and  suddenly 
seen  as  the  city  was  by  us,  with  the 
last  rays  of  the  evening  light  flitting 


over  the  buildings,  and  every  line  of 
the  architecture  clearly  and  sharply 
defined  against  the  darkening  sky,  it 
appeared  more  like  a  dream  of  fairy- 
land, or  a  &cene  in  a  play,  or  a  picture 
of  Turner's,  than  a  real  and  living 
town.  In  addition  also  to  the  per- 
fection of  its  own  site,  Cairo  possesses 
with  London,  with  Paris,  Vienna,  and 
many  a  capital,  the  advantage  of  being 
placed  amid  some  of  the  prettiest 
scenery  in  the  country  over  which  it 
rules." — Fred.  Eden. 

The  whole  of  the  Oriental  part  of 
the  city  is  divided  into  quarters,  sepa- 
rated from  each  other  by  gates,  which 
are  closed  at  night.  A  porter  is  ap- 
pointed to  each,  who  is  obliged  to  open 
the  door  to  all  who  wish  to  pass 
through,  unless  there  is  sufficient 
reason  to  believe  them  to  be  improper 
persons,  or  not  furnished  with  a  lamp, 
which  every  one  is  obliged  to  carry 
after  the  E'sher.  The  majority  of 
these  quarters  consist  of  dwelling- 
houses,  and  are  known  by  a  name 
taken  from  some  public  building,  from 
some  individual  to  whom  the  property 
once  belonged,  or  from  some  class  of 
persons  who  live  there :  as  the  Hart 
es  Suggain,  "  Quarter  of  the  Water- 
carriers  ; "  the  Hart  en  Nassara,  or 
Hart  el  Kobt,  "the  Christian,"  or 
"  Copt,  quarter ; "  the  Hart  el  Yahoorl, 
"Jews'  quarter;"  the  Hart  el  Frang, 
"Frank  quarter:"  and  the  like. 

The  Copt  quarter  occupies  one  side 
of  the  Esbekeeyah.  It  is  built  much 
on  the  same  principle  as  the  rest  of 
the  town ;  but  some  of  the  houses  are 
very  comfortably  fitted  up,  and  present 
a  better  appearance  than  is  indicated 
by  their  exterior.  It  has  a  gate  at 
each  end,  and  others  in  the  centre, 
two  of  which  open  on  the  Esbekeeyah. 
The.  Copt  quarter  stands  on  the  site 
of  the  old  village  of  El  Maks. 

The  Jews'  quarter  consists  of  nar- 
row dirty  streets  or  lanes,  while  many 
of  the  houses  of  the  two  opposite  sides 
actually  touch  each  other  at  the  upper 
stories.  The  principal  reasons  of  their 
being  made  so  narrow  are  to  afford 
protection  in  case  of  the  quarter  being 
attacked,  and  to  make  both  the  streets 
and  houses  cooler  in  summer. 


Egypt- 


OEIENTAL  CHAKACTEK  OF  THE  TOWN. 


123 


The  old  Frank  quarter  is  usually 
known  to  Europeans  by  the  name  of 
the  Mooskee,  supposed  to  be  corrupted 
from  Miskawee.  This  last  is  said  to 
have  been  given  it  in  very  early  times 
(according  to  some,  in  the  reign  of 
Moez,  the  founder  of  the  city),  in  con- 
sequence of  its  being  the  abode  of  the 
water-carriers ;  and,  according  to  the 
same  authority,  when  the  city  was  en- 
larged, and  their  huts  were  removed 
to  make  way  for  better  houses,  the 
streets  which  extended  through  this 
quarter  (from  what  is  now  the  Darb 
el  Barabra  to  the  Hamzowee)  still  re- 
tained the  name  of  Darb  al  Miskawee. 
This,  however,  appears  not  to  have  been 
the  real  origin  of  the  name ;  and  some 
derive  it  from  mi-k,  "  musk,"  but  for 
what  reason  does  not  appear.  Others, 
again,  suppose  it  to  have  been  the 
street  of  the  Mo^kee  or  Russians.  The 

name  is  written  in  Arabic  ^SL^^moj 

and  Macrizi  says  the  bridge  or  Kan- 
tarat  el  Moskee,  was  built  by  the  Ameer 
Ghazaleh,  who  died  in  Syria  530  a.h. 
(a.d.  1136.)  It  was  here  that  the  first 
Franks  who  opened  shops  in  Cairo  were 
permitted  to  reside,  in  the  reign  of 
Yoosef  Salah-ed-deen  (Saladin).  But 
the  number  of  houses  occupied  by  them 
in  later  times  having  greatly  increased, 
the  Frank  quarter  has  extended  far 
beyond  its  original  limits,  and  the 
Mooskee  now  includes  several  of  the 
adjacent  streets.  This  quarter  is  some- 
times called  by  the  natives  the  "  Hart 
el  Frang." 

The  Esbekeeyah  is  now  considered 
as  a  separate  quarter,  and  the  ground 
to  the  W.  of  it,  in  which  houses  are 
rapidly  springing  up,  is  called  Is- 
maileeyah.  To  the  S.  is  the 
quarter  of  Abdeen.  These  three  are 
now  the  fashionable  quarters.  The 
whole  of  the  Esbekeeyah  and  of  the 
Ismaileeyah,  and  part  of  Abdeen,  are 
provided  with  good  roads  and  pave- 
ments, and  lighted  with  gas.  This 
last  improvement  renders  the  carrying 
of  a  lantern  (fandos)  at  night  no 
longer  necessary  nor  obligatory  in 
these  quarters. 

For  administrative  purposes  Cairo  is 
now  divided  into  10  quarters  or  Kooms : 


Esbekeeyah,  Bab  esh  Shareeyah,  Ab- 
deen, Darb  el  Gammameez,  Darb  el  Ah- 
mar,  Gemeleeyah,  Shessoon,  Kaleefa, 
Boolak,  and  Old  Cairo. 

2.  Okiental  Chaeactee  of  the 
Town. — The  narrowness  of  the  streets 
of  Cairo,  and  their  great  irregularity, 
may  strike  an  European  as  imper- 
fections in  a  large  city ;  but  their 
Oriental  character  fully  compensates 
for  this  objection,  and  of  all  Eastern 
towns  none  is  so  interesting  in  this 
respect  as  the  Egyptian  capital.  Nor 
is  this  character  confined  to  the 
bazaars,  to  the  mosks,  or  to  the  pecu- 
liarities of  the  exterior  of  the  houses ; 
the  interiors  are  of  the  same  original 
Arab  style,  and  no  one  can  visit  the 
hareems  and  courts  of  the  private 
dwellings  of  the  Caiienes  without  re- 
calling the  impressions  he  received 
on  reading  the  '  Arabian  Nights.'  The 
disposition  of  the  different  parts  of  the 
interior  of  the  house  is,  to  an  European 
eye,  singularly  confused,  without  the 
appearance  of  plan  or  systematic 
arrangement ;  but  the  picturesque  style 
of  the  courts,  the  inlaid  marble,  the 
open  fonts,  the  mandarah  with  a  facade 
of  two  arches  supported  on  a  single 
column,  the  elaborate  fretwork  of  wood 
forming  the  mushrebeeyah,  or  projecting 
window,  and  the  principal  room  with 
its  lantern  (a  sort  of  covered  implu- 
vium),  its  divans,  deep  window-stats, 
and  stained-glass  windows,  have  a 
pleasing  effect,  and  remind  us  of  the 
descriptions  of  old  Saracenic  mansions. 
In  Lane's  '  Modern  Egyptians '  will 
be  found  a  full  and  minute  description 
of  an  Egyptian  house.  The  traveller 
may  not  have  the  opportunity  of 
seeing  any  good  specimen  of  an  Arab 
house  inhabited  and  kept  in  repair  ; 
but  he  will  be  able  to  obtain  some 
idea  of  the  richness  of  the  interior 
decorations  by  a  visit  to  two  very 
interesting  old  houses,  one  opposite 
the  Hotel  du  Sphinx  in  a  street  lead- 
ing from  the  right-hand  side  of  the 
Mooskee,  and  the  other  in  the 
slipper  bazaar  in  the  Darb  es 
Zaahdeh,  opposite  the  house  of 
Fuad  Effendee.  The  new  streets  and 
other  improvements  are  playing  sad 
havoc  with  the  old  buildings  of  Cairo, 
G  2 


124 


CAIRO :  ORIENTAL  CHARACTER  OP  THE  TOWN  ;        Sect.  II, 


and  many  an  interior  has  been 
destroyed  without  any  care  being 
taken  to  preserve  the  beautiful  wood- 
work and  encaustic  tiles  which  are 
especially  remarkable,  the  latter  for 
their  pattern  and  colours,  and  the 
former  for  their  delicacy  of  carv- 
ing and  inlaying.  Notwithstanding 
Western  encroachments,  however, 
Cairo  has  not  quite  lost  its  thoroughly 
Oriental  character,  and  the  stranger, 
if  he  wishes  it,  may  still,  as  Miss 
Martineau  said  more  than  20  years 
ago,  "surrender  himself  to  the  most 
wonderful  and  romantic  dream  that 
can  ever  meet  his  waking  senses." 

"  It  has  been  said  that  Alexandria 
has  nothing  of  an  Eastern  town  but 
its  filth.  This  cannot  be  said  of  Cairo. 
It  may  be  doubted  whether  Baghdad 
itself  is  more  absolutely  Oriental  in 
its  appurtenances.  When  once  the 
Englishman  has  removed  himself  400 
yards  from  Shepheard's  Hotel,  he  be- 
gins to  feel  that  he  is  really  in  the  East. 
Within  that  circle  ....  he  is  still  in 
Great  Britain.  The  donkey-boys  curse 
in  English  instead  of  Arabic.  The  men 
go  much  sauntering  about ;  though 
they  do  wear  red  caps,  have  cheeks 
as  red  ;  and  the  road  is  broad  and 
Macadamised  and  Britannic.  Cairo 
is  a  beautiful  city.  It  is  full  of 
romance,  of  picturesque  Oriental  won- 
ders, of  strange  sights,  strange  noises, 
and  strange  smells.  When  one  is  well 
in  the  town,  every  little  narrow  lane, 
every  turn  (and  the  turns  are  inces- 
sant), every  mosque,  and  every  shop, 
creates  fresh  surprise." — Ant  Trollope, 

"  To  our  new  eyes  everything  was  pic- 
ture. Vainly  the  hard  road  was  crowded 
with  Moslem  artizans,  home  returniug 
from  their  work.  To  the  mere  Moslem 
observer,  they  were  carpenters,  masons, 
labourers,  and  tradesmen  of  all  kinds. 
We  passed  many  a  meditating  Cai- 
rene,  to  whom  there  was  nothing  but 
the  monotony  of  an  old  story  in  that 
evening  and  in  that  road.  But  we 
saw  all  the  pageantry  of  Oriental  ro- 
mance quietly  donkey ing  into  Cairo. 

"  I  saw  Fadladeen  with  a  gorgeous 
turban,  and  a  long  lash.  His  chi- 
bouque, bound  with  coloured  silk  and 
gold  threads,  was  borne  behind  him 


by  a  black  slave.  Fat  and  fuming 
was  Fadladeen  as  of  old ;  and  though 
Fermouz  was  not  by,  it  was  clear  to 
see  in  the  languid  droop  of  his  eye 
that  choice  Arabian  verses  were  sung 
by  the  twilight  in  his  mind. 

"  Yet  was  Venus  still  the  evening 
star ;  for  behind  him,  closely  veiled, 
came  Lalla  Kookh.  She  was  wrapped 
in  a  vast  black  silken  bag,  that  bulged 
like  a  balloon  over  her  donkey.  But 
a  star-suffused  evening  cloud  was  that 
bulky  blackness,  as  her  twin  eyes 
shone  forth  liquidly  lustrous. 

"  Abou  Hassan  sat  by  the  city  gate, 
and  I  saw  Haroun  Alrashid  quietly 
come  up  in  that  disguise  of  a  Mosul 
merchant.  I  could  not  but  wink  at 
Abou,  for  I  knew  him  so  long  ago  in 
the  '  Arabian  Nights.'  But  he  rather 
stared  than  saluted,  as  friends  may  in 
a  masquerade.  There  was  Sinbad  the 
Porter,  too,  hurrying  to  Sinbad  the 
Sailor.  I  turned  and  watched  his  form 
fade  in  the  twilight,  yet  I  doubt  if  he 
reached  Bagdad  in  time  for  the  Eighth 
History. 

"  Scarce  had  he  passed  when  a  long 
string  of  donkeys  ambled  by,  bearing 
each  one  of  the  inflated  balloons.  It 
was  a  hareem  taking  the  evening  air. 
A  large  eunuch  was  the  captain,  and 
rode  before.  The  ladies  came  gaily 
after,  in  single  file,  chatting  together  ; 
and  although  Araby's  daughters  are 
still  '  born  to  blush  unseen,'  they 
looked  earnestly  upon  the  staring 
strangers.  Did  those  strangers  long 
to  behold  that  hidden  beauty  ?  Could 
they  help  it,  if  all  the  softness  and 
sweetness  of  hidden  faces  radiated 
from  melting  eyes  ? 

"  Then  came  Sakkas,  men  with  hog- 
skins  slung  over  their  backs,  full  of 
water.  I  remembered  the  land  and 
the  time  of  putting  wine  into  old 
bottles,  and  was  shoved  back  beyond 
glass.  Pedlars — swarthy  fatalists,  in 
lovely  lengths  of  robe  and  turban — 
cried  their  wares.  To  our  Frank  ears 
it  was  nothing  but  Babel  jargon.  Yet 
had  erudite  Mr.  Lane  accompanied  us 
— Mr.  Lane,  the  Eastern  Englishman, 
who  has  given  us  so  many  golden 
glimpses  into  the  silence  and  mystery 
of  Oriental  life,  like  a  good  genius 


Egypt 


climate;  population. 


125 


revealing  to  ardent  lovers  the  very 
hallowed  heart  of  the  hareem — we 
should  have  understood  those  cries. 

"  We  should  have  heard, '  Sycamore 
figs — 0  grapes ! '  meaning  that  said 
figs  were  offered,  and  the  sweetness 
of  sound  that  '  grapes '  hath  was  only 
bait  for  the  attention ;  or,  '  Odours  of 
Paradise,  0  flowers  of  the  henna ! ' 
causing  Moslem  maidens  to  tingle  to 
then-  very  nails'  ends ;  or,  indeed,  these 
pedlar  poets,  vending  water-melons, 
sang,  '  Consoler  of  the  embarrassed, 
O  Pips  ! 5  Were  they  not  poets  there, 
these  pedlars,  and  full  of  all  Oriental 
extravagance?  For  the  sweet  asso- 
ciation of  poetic  names  shed  silvery 
sheen  over  the  actual  article  offered. 
The  unwary  philosopher  might  fancy 
that  he  was  buying  comfort  in  a  green 
water-melon,  and  the  pietist  dream  of 
mementoes  of  heaven  in  the  mere 
earthly  vanity  of  henna.  But  the 
philanthropic  merchant  of  sour  limes 
cries,  '  God  made  them  light — limes ! ' 
meaning  not  the  fruit,  nor  the  stomach 
of  the  purchaser,  but  his  purse.  Will 
they  never  have  done  with  hiero- 
glyphics and  sphinxes,  these  Egyp- 
tians '?  Here  a  man,  rose-embowered, 
chants,  '  The  rose  is  a  thorn,  from  the 
sweat  of  the  prophet  it  bloomed ! ' 
meaning  simply, '  Fresh  roses.' 

"  These  are  masquerade  manners, 
but  they  are  pleasant.  The  maiden 
buys  not  henna  only,  but  a  thought  of 
heaven.  The  poet  not  water-melons 
only,  but  a  dream  of  consolation  which 
truly  will  he  need."—  G.  W.  Curtis. 

3.  Climate. — Nothing  can  be  plea- 
santer  nor  more  salubrious  than  the 
climate  of  Cairo  during  the  winter 
months ;    the  days  are  warm  and 
bright,  and  the  nights  are  cool  and 
refreshing.    The  thermometer  seldom 
falls  lower  than  40°  Fahr.,  or  rises  | 
above  70°  Fahr.  in  the  shade  during  j 
the  months  of  December,  January,  and  ! 
February,  except  during  a  Khamseen  j 
wind.    The  air  is  dry,  pure,  and  ex-  i 
hilarating :  occasionally  there  is  a  j 
slight  damp  fog  in  the  evening  and 
early  morning,  but  it  soon  passes  off. 
In  the  spring  months,  though  the  heat 
of  the    sun   increases  considerably 
during  the  day,  the  nights  are  still 


comparatively  cool.  Even  in  the 
hottest  part  of  the  summer,  except 
when  a  Khamseen  wind  is  blowing, 
the  early  mornings  are  fresh  and  plea- 
sant, and  after  the  Nile  has  well  begun 
to  rise  in  July,  the  increasing  water 
and  north  winds  help  to  cool  the 
air;  but  damp  exhalations  from  the 
river  are  prevalent  during  the  months 
of  September,  October,  and  November, 
especially  after  the  inundation  has  be- 
gun to  subside.  Eain  seldom  falls  : 
now  and  then  in  the  early  part  of  the 
year  there  are  three  or  four  showers, 
and  occasionally,  perhaps  once  in  five 
years,  a  severe  storm  passes  over  the 
city.  The  new  part  of  the  Esbekeeyah 
quarter,  and  the  Abbasseeyah  road, 
are  the  healthiest  places  for  a  resi- 
dence. The  neighbourhood  of  the 
Shoobra  Koad,  being  under  water 
during  the  inundation,  is  damp  and 
unhealthy  in  the  autumn  and  early 
winter.  In  the  remarks  on  the  climate 
of  Egypt  in  Sect.  I.  will  be  found 
further  information  applicable  to 
Cairo. 

4.  Population. — At  the  time  of 
the  French  expedition  in  1797,  the 
population  of  Cairo  was  estimated  at 
260,000.  Since  then  it  has  been 
gradually  increasing,  and  according 
to  the  last  returns  it  now  amounts, 
including  the  suburbs  of  Boolak  and 
Old  Cairo,  to  about  37,000,  which 
may  be  roughly  divided  thus  : — 

Native  Muslims   ....  260,000 

Native  Copts   25,OuO 

Abyssinians,  Nubians,  &c.  .  25,000 

Turks   10,000 

Jews,  Levantines,  &c.     .    .  30,000 

Europeans   20,000 

The  native  of  Cairo  is  very  proud  of  the 
appellation  of  "Masree,"  or  Cairene, 
by  which  he  is  always  distinguished 
among  his  fellows,  and  considers  him- 
self immensely  superior  to  his  brethren 
of  the  Delta  and  Saeed ;  and  indeed 
there  are  marked  mental  and  physical 
differences  between  them.  The  town- 
bred  Cairene  is  much  quicker  and 
more  intelligent  than  his  country 
cousin,  and  he  may  generally  be  dis- 
tinguished by  certain  outward  signs, 
such  as  a  peculiar  tint  of  tawny  com- 
plexion, large  big  mouth,  with  thick 


126 


CAIEO  :  LOCAL  GOVERNMENT  ; 


Sect.  II. 


well-formed  lips,  fat  broad  nose,  enor- 
mous legs,  and  a  general  look  of  sturdi- 
ness.  The  native  population  of  Cairo 
were  formerly  exempt  from  the  con- 
scription, and  enjoyed  other  privileges 
and  immunities,  but  these  are  being 
gradually  withdrawn. 

5.  Local  Government.  Cairo,  like 
Alexandria,  forms  a  government  dis- 
tinct from  the  province  in  which  it  is 
situated.  It  has  its  own  governor, 
who  is  assisted  by  a  deputy.  Police 
cases  are  decided  by  the  Zabit,  or  pre- 
fect of  police,  whose  office  is  at  the 
Zaptieh,  close  to  the  street  leading  to 
the  palace  of  Abdeen.  An  attempt 
has  been  made  to  establish  a  muni- 
cipal police,  but  with  no  great  success. 
But  the  same  rule  holds  good  here  as 
at  Alexandria :  if  the  defendant  is  a 
foreigner  he  must  be  taken  before  his 
own  consular  court.  Commercial  cases 
between  natives  and  foreigners  are 
decided  by  a  mixed  tribunal,  half 
Egyptian  and  half  European. 

Questions  of  property  and  family 
disputes  are  settled  at  the  "Mali- 
kemeh"  (Place  of  Judgment),  or  Cadi's 
court,  which  has  its  head-quarters 
in  Cairo.  This  court  occupies  a  portion 
of  the  old  palace  of  the  Sultans,  which 
succeeded  to  one  of  the  Kasrayn  or 
"  two  palaces,"  built  by  Gowher 
el  Kaed,  the  founder  of  Cairo ;  and 
close  to  it  is  a  fine  vaulted  chamber, 
one  part  of  the  abode  of  Saladin.  This 
last,  as  well  as  its  adjoining  com- 
panion, is  now  a  ruin,  and  occupied 
by  mills ;  its  large  pointed  arches 
have  lost  all  their  ornaments  except 
the  Arabic  inscriptions  at  the  pro- 
jection of  their  horseshoe  base ;  and 
the  devices  of  its  once  richly-gilded 
ceiling  can  scarcely  be  distinguished. 
At  the  end  is  a  lofty  mahrdb,  or  ara- 
besque niche  for  prayer,  similar  to 
those  in  the  mosks,  which  are  some- 
times admitted  into  large  houses  for 
the  same  purpose.  This  chamber  has 
now  been  destroyed,  or  enclosed,  and 
can  no  longer  be  seen.  The  Cadi 
(Kadee)  is  appointed  by  the  Sultan,  and 
is  sent  from  Constantinople.  His 
tenure  of  office  lasts  only  a  year. 

The  crowded  state  of  the  Mahkemeh 


sufficiently  shows  how  fond  the 
Cairenes  are  of  litigation,  every  petty 
grievance  or  family  quarrel  being 
referred  to  the  Cadi's  Court. 

The  fees  of  the  Cadi  are  four-fifths 
of  all  that  is  paid  for  cases  at  the 
court,  the  remaining  fifth  going  to  the 
bash-kateb  and  other  scribes  under 
him. 

Minor  cases,  as  disputes  between 
husband  and  wife,  if  they  cannot  be  re- 
conciled below  in  the  hall  by  the  advice 
of  a  Mteb  (scribe),  are  taken  up  to  the 
effendee.  When  settled  in  the  hall, 
a  small  fee  is  demanded  for  the  chari- 
table intervention  of  the  scribe »  which 
is  his  perquisite,  for  not  troubling  his 
superiors  with  a  small  case.  Deci- 
sions respecting  murder,  robbery,  the 
property  of  rich  individuals,  and  other 
important  matters,  are  pronounced 
by  the  Cadi  himself.  In  cases  of 
murder,  or  wounding  or  maiming,  if 
the  friends  of  the  deceased  or  the 
injured  party  consent  to  an  adjust- 
ment, certain  fines  are  paid  by  way 
of  requital.  These  are  fixed  by  law, 
regulated,  however,  by  the  quality 
of  the  persons.  Eansom  for  murder 
(deeah  el  KuteeT)  is  rated  at  50  purses 
(about  250Z.) ;  an  eye  put  out  in  an 
affray,  half  that  cleeali ;  a  tooth  one 
tenth,  and  so  on. 

The  rank  of  a  plaintiff  or  defendant, 
or  a  bribe  from  either,  often  influences 
the  decision  of  the  judge.  In  fact, 
bribery  and  the  testimony  of  false 
witnesses  is  carried  to  an  incredible 
extent  in  Muslim  courts  of  law. 

The  markets  are  under  the  inspec- 
tion of  an  officer  called  the  Mohtesib. 

Every  quarter  in  the  metropolis  has 
its  sheykh,  whose  permission  must  be 
obtained  for  living  in  that  quarter, 
and  who  maintains  order  amongst  its 
inhabitants. 

All  the  various  trades  and  manu- 
factures have  their  respective  sheykhs, 
to  whom  all  disputes  in  connexion 
with  their  trades  must  be  referred. 
And  the  different  classes  of  servants 
are  also  under  the  authority  of  par- 
ticular sheykhs,  who  are  responsible 
for  the  good  conduct  of  those  they 
recommend. 

The  octroi  duty  has  lately  been  re- 


Egypt 


HAXUTACTUEES  ;  GATES,  WALLS. 


127 


established  in  Cairo,  and  every  article 
of  consumption  brought  in  from  the 
country  is  taxed  before  entering  the 
<:ity. 

6.  Manbfactuebs  and  Ixdustky. 
— The  chief  native  manufactures  of 
Cairo  are  gold  and  silver  jewellery, 
silk  and  cotton  stuffs,  embroidery, 
native  saddles,  &c.  Many  European 
industries  have  lately  been  intro- 
duced. A  return  published  in  1871 
gives  the  number  of  people  employed 
in  different  recognized  occupations  at 
150,066,  and  divides  them  into  64 
different  categories.  The  most  nume- 
rous corporation  are  the  porters, 
14.037 ;  then  come  tbe  vendors  of  eat- 
ables, 11.793:  glaziers,  10.000;  boat- 
men of  the  Xile.  9116:  donkey  and 
camel  drivers,  7112 ;  and  so  on,  inclu- 
ding among  others,  3876  water-car- 
riers; 3297  coffee-house  keepers;  3111 
barbers ;  2630  goldsmiths ;  1160 
chicken  rearers ;  1012  hotel  keepers  ; 
831  potters ;  288  coffee  and  tobacco 
cutters,  down  to  35  plumbers.  This 
list  is  probably  more  curious  than 
accurate,  but  it  will  serve  to  give 
some  idea  of  the  principal  occupations 
followed. 

The  occupations  most  likely  to 
strike  the  attention  of  the  stranger 
are  what  may  be  called  the  itinerant 
ones,  such  as  that  of  the  "  sakkah " 
or  water-carrier,  who  sells  water  from 
house  to  house,  carrying  it  in  skins, 
sometimes  on  the  back  of  a  camel  or 
donkey,  and  sometimes  on  his  own 
back.  The  water  company,  which 
has  begun  its  operations  in  Cairo,  will 
sadly  interfere  with  this  branch  of 
trade.  A  variation  of  the  "  sakkah  " 
proper  are  the  "  sakkah  sharbeh  "  and 
the  "  hemalee,"  who  supply  passengers 
with  water  in  the  streets,  the  former 
pouring  the  water  into  a  brass  cup 
from  a  skin  with  a  brass  spout,  the 
latter  having  a  huge  porous  earthen- 
ware vessel,  with  a  sprig  of  orange 
stuck  in  its  mouth.  There  is  also  the 
"  sharbetlee,"  who  sells  an  infusion 
of  raisins,  or  liquorice,  or  some  other 
sweet  substance.  Another  itinerant 
occupation  is  that  of  the  "muselli- 
katee,"  or  pipe  cleaner,  who  goes  about 


1  with  a  bundle  of  long  wires,  and  a 
bag    of   tow,    his    implements  for 
cleaning  the  shibiik  or  long  pipe, 
j  A  favourite  occupation  at  Cairo  is 
!  that  of  a  beggar.    Very  little  food 
|  and  raiment  are  necessary  in  this 
:  climate,  and  starvation  is   a  thing 
almost  unheard  of.    Blind  people,  and 
;  those  on  whom  nature  has  bestowed 
j  some  disfigurement  of  person,  are 
certain  of  gaining  a  subsistence  by 
begging. 

I  The  hatching  of  eggs  by  artificial 
heat  has  been  carried  on  in  Egypt 

j  since  the  time  of  the  Pharaohs.  One 
of  the  principal  egg-hatching  ovens, 
called  in  Arabic  "maamal  el  ferakh," 
is  at  Cairo.  A  full  description  of 
them,  and  the  process  of  incubation, 
is  given  in  Lane's  '  Modern  Egyp- 
tians.' The  season  during  which 
they  are  in  operation  is  two  or  three 
months  in  the  spring.  The  peasants 
supply  the  eggs,  and  generally  receive 
one  chicken  for  every  two  eggs. 
Chicken's  eggs  require  20  days, 
turkeys'  30.  The  temperature  required 
is  about  100°  Fakr. 

7.  Gates,  Walls. — It  has  been  al- 
ready stated  that  the  walls  of  Cairo 
were  rebuilt  by  Saladin,  and  the  cir- 
cuit of  the  city  considerably  extended 
on  the  south  beyond  the  Bab  Zuwey- 
leh,  and  on  the  north  as  far  as  the 
Bdb  el  Radeed  ("  Gate  of  Iron "). 
This  gate,  the  site  of  which  is  near 
the  N.W.  corner  of  the  Esbekeeyah, 
has  been  taken  down,  and  the  city 
has  extended  some  distance  beyond  it 
in  the  direction  of  the  Abbasseeyah 
road.  The  old  walls  may  still  be 
seen  along  the  N.E.  side  of  the  city, 
beginning  from  the  northern  end 
of  the  new  street  leading  from  the 
station  to  the  Esbekeeyah.  In  this 
part  are  two  of  the  most  remark- 
able gates,  the  Bdb  el  Fotooli  and  the 
Bdb  en  Xasr,  the  latter  a  very  hand- 
some and  imposing  structure.  A 
staircase  beneath  the  gateway  gives 
admission  to  the  walls,  which  can  be 
easily  traversed  on  foot  as  far  as  the 
Bab  el  Fotooh.  At  the  time  of 
the  French  occupation  this  part  of  the 
wall  was  utilised  for  the  purposes  of 


128 


CAIKO  :  CANALS,  LAKES  ;  CITADEL  ; 


Sect.  il 


defence,  and  the  names  given  to  the 
different  towers  may  still  be  seen 
"written  up.  The  line  of  defence  was 
continued  by  some  small  stone  forts 
on  the  E.  side  of  the  city,  erected  on 
mounds  that  cover  a  part  of  the  old 
walls.  The  only  other  gate  worthy  of 
mention  is  the  Bdb  Zuweyleh  in  the 
interior  of  the  town.  Its  massive 
towers,  surmounted  by  the  elegant 
minaret  of  the  adjacent  mosk,  make  it 
a  conspicuous  and  picturesque  object. 
It  was  at  this  gate  that  Toman  Bey, 
the  last  of  the  Memlook  sultans,  was 
executed  by  Sultan  Selim  in  1517. 
On  the  W.  side  of  the  town,  near  the 
road  leading  to  Old  Cairo,  is  the  Bdb 
el  Look. 

8.  Canals,  Lakes.  —  The  narrow 
ditch  which,  beginning  at  old  Cairo, 
passes  through  the  centre  of  the  city, 
and  thence  continues  on  to  Heliopolis, 
is  called  emphatically  El  Khaleeg, 
"  The  Canal ;"  and  it  is  the  cutting  of 
this  which  is  attended  with  so  much 
ceremony  in  the  month  of  August, 
and  gives  the  signal  for  the  opening 
of  the  other  canals  in  Egypt.  It  is 
the  successor  of  the  so-called  Amnis 
Trajanus,  which  joined  at  some  un- 
known spot  the  great  canal  from 
Zagazig,  then  on  the  Pelusiac  branch 
of  the  Nile,  to  Suez.  It  has  long 
since  ceased  to  do  more  than  convey 
water  to  the  city ;  and  it  is  probable 
that,  were  it  not  for  an  old  prestige  in 
its  favour,  the  Government  would 
close  the  latter  altogether,  and  make 
of  its  bed  a  cmvenient  street;  which 
would  have  the  additional  advantage 
of  freeing  the  houses  on  its  banks 
from  the  noxious  vapours  that  rise 
when  the  water  has  retired  and  left  a 
bed  of  liquid  mud. 

A  broad  navigable  canal,  called  the 
Ismaileeyah  Canal,  has  been  begun, 
starting  from  Boolak,  near  Kasr  en 
Nil,  which  is  intended  to  join  the 
modern  Fresh-Water  Canal  from  Zag- 
azig to  Suez,  and  so  give  water-com- 
munication between  Cairo  and  the 
Eecl  Sea.  It  passes  near  the  railway 
station,  the  road  from  which  into  the 
town  crosses  it  over  a  neat  bridge  ; 
and  there  is  a  similar  bridge  over  it 
on  the  road  to  Boolak. 


Most  of  the  small  lakes  which  for- 
merly existed  in  the  interior  of  Cairo 
nt  the  period  of  the  inundation  have 
been  filled  up. 

9.  Citadel.— The  Citadel  (El  Ka- 
lah)  whs  built  by  Saladin,  in  1166, 
of  stone  brought  from  small  pyra- 
mids at  Geezeh,  and  formed  part  of 
his  general  plan  for  strengthening 
the  town,  and  protecting  it  from 
assault ;  but  it  can  hardly  be  said  to 
have  been  well  chosen  for  this  object, 
as  it  is  completely  commanded  by 
Mount  Mokattam;  and  it  was  by 
erecting  a  battery  in  the  fort,  on  the 
projecting  point  called  Gebel  ej  Joo- 
ahee,  immediately  behind  it,  that 
Mohammed  Ali  compelled  the  sur- 
render of  the  citadel,  then  in  the 
possession  of  Khoorshid  Pasha.  Ac- 
cording to  the  Arab  historian  of  the 
day,  however,  Saladin  is  said  to 
have  fixed  upon  the  spot  because  it 
was  found  that  meat  kept  fresh  there 
twice  as  long  as  anywhere  else  in 
Cairo.  The  city  side  is  well  defended 
by  the  natural  abruptness  of  the 
rocks,  and  is  also  strongly  armed  and 
regularly  fortified.  A  good  carriage- 
road  leads  up  from  the  open  square 
called  Er  Rumeyleh  to  the  principal 
outer  entrance-gate,  and  continues  on 
through  another  gate  into  the  interior 
of  the  citadel.  Another  way  in  is  by 
the  Bab  el  Azab,  a  fine  massive  gate- 
way flanked  by  two  enormous  towers. 
It  was  in  the  narrow  and  tortuous 
lane  leading  from  this  gate  that  the 
massacre  of  the  Memlooks  took  place 
by  order  of  Mohammed  Ali,  on  the 
1st  of  March,  1811.  As  soon  as  they 
had  passed  through  the  Bab  el  Azab, 
it  and  the  upper  gate  were  shut,  and 
they  were  thus  caught  in  a  trap.  All 
were  shot  except  one,  Emin  Bey,  who 
escaped  by  leaping  his  horse  over  a 
gap  in  the  then  dilapitated  wall.  The 
spot  is  shown  a  little  to  the  north  of 
the  Bab  el  Azab.  There  was  probably 
a  large  accumulation  of  rubbish  be- 
low the  gap  which  broke  the  fall. 

The  citadel  is  in  itself  a  small  town, 
and  contains  many  objects  worth  see- 
ing. 

The  palace  built  by  Mohammed 


Egypt- 


MOSK  OP  MOHAMMED  ALL 


129 


Ali,  which  has  taken  the  place  of  the 
old  palace  of  Saladin,  contains  some 
very  handsome  rooms,  especially  a 
bath-room  all  of  alabaster.  The  view 
from  some  of  the  rooms  is  very  fine. 
It  is  now,  with  the  exception  of  a 
part  occupied  by  the  Prince  Here- 
ditary, only  used  for  state  receptions. 
The  ministerial  divans,  which  used 
to  have  their  offices  in  it,  have  now 
been  removed  to  the  west  end  of  the 
city. 

The  old  palace  of  Saladin,  com- 
monly called  Joseph's  Hall,  was 
pulled  down  in  1829  to  make  room  for 
the  new  Mosk  of  Mohammed  Ali. 
The  most  remarkable  object  in  this 
palace  was  a  vast  hall  supported  on 
32  columns  of  rose  granite  taken  from 
ancient  temples;  but  these  columns 
were  broken  when  the  building  was 
pulled  down.  The  two  minarets  still 
standing  to  the  E.  of  the  mosk  formed 
part  of  the  old  mosk  of  Kalaoon, 
which  stood  in  the  centre  of  the 
palace  court. 

The  Mosk  of  Mohammed  Ali  was 
commenced  by  that  prince,  but  not 
finished  till  after  his  death.  It  con- 
sists of  an  open  square,  surrounded 
by  a  single  row  of  columns,  10  on  the 
N.  and  S.,  13  on  the  W.,  and  12  on 
the  E.,  where  a  door  leads  to  the 
inner  part,  or  house  of  prayer ;  as  in 
the  Tooloon,  and  other  mosks  of  a 
similar  plan.  The  columns  have 
a  fancy  capital  supporting  round 
arches,  and  the  whole,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  outer  walls,  is  of 
Oriental  alabaster.  But  it  has  not 
the  pure  Oriental  character  of  other 
works  in  Cairo ;  and  it  excites  ad- 
miration for  the  materials  rather  than 
for  the  style  of  its  architecture.  Its 
minarets,  too,  which  are  of  the  Turk- 
ish extinguisher-order,  are  painfully 
elongated,  in  defiance  of  all  propor- 
tion ;  they  interfere  with  the  very 
appearance  of  all  around  them,  and 
that  too  in  a  city  remarkable  for  so 
many  elegant  models  of  Saracenic 
time.  The  decoration  of  the  interior 
is  in  very  bad  taste,  and  the  large 
European  lustre  hanging  from  the 
roof,  and  the  wretched  lanterns  strung 
about  in  every  direction,   help  to 


offend  the  eye.  The  vast  size  and  the 
richness  of  the  materials  produce, 
however,  on  the  whole,  a  fine  effect  ; 
and  it  is  well  worth  seeing  when 
lighted  up  in  the  evening  during  the 
month  of  Eamadan.  Immediately  on 
the  right  on  entering  is  the  tomb  of 
the  founder. 

From  the  platform  on  the  S.  side  of 
the  mosk  is  a  grand  and  commanding 
view  of  the  city  and  the  surrounding 
country,  taking  in  the  arsenal  im- 
mediately below, — theKumeyleh,  and 
the  fine  mosk  of  Sultan  Hassan,  just 
outside  the  gates  of  the  citadel, — 
the  numerous  minarets  of  Cairo, — 
and,  in  the  distance,  the  Pyramids, — 
with  the  valley  of  the  Nile,  to  Sak- 
karah  on  the  south,  and  to  the  point  of 
the  Delta  on  the  north.    Miss  Marti- 
neau  says :   "I  would  entreat  any 
stranger  to  see  this  view  first  in  the 
evening — before   sunset.     I   saw  it 
three  times  or  more.    In  the  morning- 
there  was  much  haze  in  the  distance, 
and  a  tameness  of  colour  which  hurts 
the  eye.  At  noon  there  was  no  colour 
at  all :  all  colour  being  discharged  in 
the  middle  of  the  day  in  Egypt,  ex- 
cept in  shady  places.    In  the  evening 
the  beauty  is  beyond  description. 
The  vastness  of  the  city,  as  it  lies 
stretched  below,  surprises  every  one. 
It  looks  a  perfect  wilderness  of  flat 
roofs,  cupolas,  minarets,  and  palm- 
tops, with  an  open  space  here  and 
there  presenting  the  complete  front 
of  a  mosque,  and  gay  groups  of  people, 
and  moving  camels, — a  relief  to  the 
eye,  though  so  diminished  by  distance. 
The  aqueduct  is  a  most  striking 
feature,  running  off  for  miles.  The 
city  of  tombs   was   beautiful  and 
wonderful,  its  fawn  -  colour  domes 
rising  against  the  somewhat  darker 
sand    of    the    desert.     The  river 
gleamed  and  wound  away  from  the 
dim  south  into  the  blue  distance  of 
the  north,  the  green  strips  of  culti- 
vation on  its  banks  delighting  the 
eye  amidst  the  yellow  sands.  Even 
to  the  west  the  Pyramids  looked  their 
full  height  and  their  full  distance, 
which  is  not  the  case  from  below. 
The  platform  of  the  Great  Pyramid  is 
here  seen  to  be  a  considerable  hill  of 
g  3 


130 


cairo  :  Joseph's 


WELL;  MOSKS. 


Sect.  II. 


itself;  and  the  fields  and  causeways 
which  intervene  between  it  and  the 
river  lie  as  in  a  map,  and  indicate  the 
true  distance  and  elevation  of  these 
mighty  monuments.  The  Lybian 
hills,  dreary  as  possible,  close  in  the 
view  behind  them,  as  the  Mokattam 
range  does  above  and  behind  the 
citadel.  This  view  is  the  great  sight 
of  Cairo,  and  that  which  the  stranger 
contrives  to  bring  into  his  plan  for 
almost  every  day." 

On  the  E  side  of  the  citadel  hill 
is  Joseph's  Well,  so-called  probably, 
like  Joseph's  Hall,  from  the  other 
name  of  Saladin  (Yoosef),  who,  when 
the  site  for  his  fortress  was  being 
cleared,  discovering  a  well  that  had 
been  cut  by  the  ancients,  ordered  it  to 
be  cleared  of  the  sand  that  then  filled 
it.  It  is  probable  that  the  original 
well  was  hewn  in  the  rock  by  the 
ancient  Egyptians,  like  the  tanks  on 
the  hill  behind  the  citadel,  near  the 
Kobbet  el  Hawa;  and  this  is  ren- 
dered more  probable  from  there  having 
been,  as  has  been  said,  an  old  town 
called  Loui-Tkeshromi  on  the  site  of 
the  modern  city.  The  well  is  com- 
posed of  two  parts,  of  which  the  upper 
is  about  160  feet  deep,  and  the  lower 
130,  making  a  total  depth  of  290  feet. 
The  descent  is  by  a  gently-sloping 
staircase,  and  a  wide  landing-place 
marks  the  division  between  the  two 
parts  of  the  well,  which,  it  may  be 
remarked,  are  not  in  a  direct  vertical 
line.  The  bottom  of  the  well  is  sup- 
posed to  correspond  with  the  level  of 
the  Nile.  The  water  is  raised  by 
bullocks  or  donkeys  to  the  first  stage, 
and  thence  by  the  same  means  to  the 
top.  Water  is  also  brought  to  the 
citadel  by  the  aqueduct  direct  from 
the  Nile  at  Old  Cairo. 

10.  Mosks,  Chueches.  —  Cairo  is 
said  to  contain  about  400  mosks.  They 
are  called  Gdma  (or  Jama,  pi.  Gowd- 
ma),  "  a  place  of  meeting,"  or  "  syna- 
gogue ;"  the  other  name  Musged  being 
from  seged,  "to  bow  down,"  whence 
segddee,  "  a  prayer-carpet."  Many  of 
them  are  in  ruins,  but  the  great  num- 
ber of  those  that  are  still  in  repair, 
and  used  for  the  daily  prayers,  must 


be  apparent  to  any  one  who  passes 
through  the  streets,  or  sees  their 
numerous  minarets  from  without. 

"  The  mosques  of  Cairo  are  so  nume- 
rous, that  none  of  them  is  inconve- 
niently crowded  on  Friday ;  and  some 
of  them  are  so  large  as  to  occupy  spaces 
three  or  four  hundred  feet  square. 
They  are  mostly  built  of  stone,  the 
alternate  courses  of  which  are  gene- 
rally coloured  externally  red  and  white. 
Most  commonly  a  large  mosque  con- 
sists of  porticoes  surrounding  a  square 
open  court,  in  the  centre  of  which  is  a 
tank  or  fountain  for  ablution.  One 
side  of  the  building  faces  the  direc- 
tion of  Mekkek,  and  the  portico  on 
this  side,  being  the  principal  place  of 
prayer,  is  more  spacious  than  those 
on  the  three  other  sides  of  the  court : 
it  generally  has  two  or  more  rows 
of  columns,  forming  so  many  aisles, 
parallel  with  the  exterior  walls.  In 
some  cases  this  portico,  like  the  other 
three,  is  open  to  the  court;  in  other 
cases  it  is  separated  from  the  court 
by  partitions  of  wood,  connecting  the 
front  row  of  columns.  In  the  centre 
of  its  exterior  wall  is  the  'Mehrab' 
(or  niche),  which  marks  the  direction 
of  Mekkeh ;  and  to  the  right  of  this 
is  the  '  Mimbar '  (or  pulpitj.  Opposite 
the  Mehrab,  in  the  fore  part  of  the 
portico,  or  in  its  central  part,  there  is 
generally  a  platform  called  '  dikkeh,' 
surrounded  by  a  parapet,  and  sup- 
ported by  small  columns;  and  by  it, 
or  before  it,  are  one  or  two  seats,  hav- 
ing a  kind  of  desk  to  bear  a  volume  of 
the  Kur-an,  from  which  a  chapter  is 
read  to  the  congregation.  The  walls 
are  generally  quite  plain,  being  simply 
whitewashed ;  but  in  some  mosques 
the  lower  part  of  the  wall  of  the 
place  of  prayer  is  lined  with  coloured 
marbles,  and.  the  other  part  orna- 
mented with  various  devices  executed 
in  stucco,  but  mostly  with  texts  from 
the  Kur-an  (which  form  long  friezes, 
having  a  pleasing  effect),  and  never 
with  the  representation  of  any  thing 
that  has  life.  The  pavement  is  covered 
with  matting,  and  rich  and  poor  pray 
side  by  side ;  the  man  of  rank  or 
wealth  enjoying  no  peculiar  distinc- 
tion or  comfort,  unless  (which  is  some 


Egypt- 


CAIRO  : 


MOSKS. 


131 


times  the  case)  he  has  a  prayer-carpet 
brought  by  his  servant  and  spread  for 
him. 

The  large  mosques  are  open  from 
daybreak  till  a  little  after  the  'eshe, 
or  till  nearly  two  hours  after  sunset. 
The  others  are  closed  between  the 
hours  of  morning  and  noon  prayers; 
and  most  mosques  are  also  closed  in 
rainy  weather  (except  at  the  times 
of  prayer),  lest  persons  who  have 
no  shoes  should  enter,  and  dirt  the 
pavement  and  matting.  Such  per- 
i  sons  always  enter  by  the  door  nearest 
the  tank  or  fountain  (if  there  be  more 
than  one  door),  that  they  may  wash 
before  they  pass  into  the  place  of 
prayer ;  and  generally  this  door  alone 
is  left  open  in  dirty  weather.  The 
mosque  El-Azhar  remains  open  all 
night,  with  the  exception  of  the  prin- 
cipal place  of  prayer,  which  is  called 
the  '  maksoorah,'  being  partitioned  off 
from  the  rest  of  the  building.  In 
many  of  the  large  mosques,  particu- 
larly in  the  afternoon,  persons  are 
seen  lounging,  chatting  together,  eat- 
ing, sleeping,  and  sometimes  spinning 
or  sewing,  or  engaged  in  some  other 
simple  craft ;  but  notwithstanding 
such  practices,  which  are  contrary 
to  precepts  of  their  prophet,  the  Mus- 
lims very  highly  respect  their  mosques. 
There  are  several  mosques  in  Cairo 
( as  the  Azhar,  Hassaneyn,  &c.)  before 
which  no  Frank,  nor  any  other  Chris- 
tian, nor  a  Jew,  were  allowed  to  pass, 
till  of  late  years,  since  the  French  in- 
vasion."— E.  W.  Lane. 

"  The  mosques  are  extremely  inter- 
esting ;  partly  from  their  architectural 
beauty ;  more  so  from  their  purposes, 
and  the  pleasure  of  seeing  these  pur- 
poses fulfilled.  Nothing  charmed  me 
so  much  about  them  as  the  spectacle 
of  the  houseless  poor,  who  find  a  refuge 
there.  In  the  mosque  of  Sultan  Has- 
san, when  we  had  mounted  a  long 
flight  of  steps  from  the  street,  and 
more  stairs  which  led  to  the  barrier 
where  Ave  must  put  on  slippers,  we 
entered  a  vast  court,  sacred  to  all  who 
have  hearts,  whether  they  be  heathens, 
Mohammedans,  or  Christians,  for  the 
solace  and  peace  which  are  to  be  found 


there.  The  greater  part  of  this  court 
was  once  open  to  the  sky;  its  floor 
was  of  inlaid  marble ;  and  in  the 
centre  was  the  tank  where  the  wor- 
shippers perform  their  ablution  before 
praying.  The  steps  to  the  roofed  plat- 
form at  the  upper  end  were  matted ; 
and  on  these  steps  some  men  were  at 
prayer.  On  the  platform  sat  a  man 
making  a  garment — spreading  out  his 
cloth  upon  the  mat,  and  running  the 
seams  as  much  at  his  ease  as  if  lie 
had  been  in  a  home  of  his  own.  This 
was  a  homeless  man,  and  here  he  was 
welcome.  Several  poor  people  were 
sitting  talking  cheerfully ;  and  under 
this  roof,  and  on  this  mat,  they  were 
welcome  to  sleep,  if  they  had  no  other 
place  of  rest.  Some  children  were  at 
play  quietly  on  the  marble  pavement. 
We  are  accustomed  to  say  that  there 
is  no  respect  of  persons,  and  that  all 
men  are  equal  within  the  walls  of  our 
churches ;  but  I  never  felt  this  so 
strongly  in  any  Christian  place  of 
worship  as  in  this  Mohammedan  one, 
with  its  air  of  freedom,  peace,  and 
welcome  to  all  the  faithful.  I  felt 
myself  an  intruder  there,  in  a  retreat, 
which  should  be  kept  sacred  for  those 
who  go  to  it  not  as  a  church,  but  as  a 
religious  home." — Harriet  Martineau. 

Miss  Martineau  afterwards  quotes 
Lord  Houghton's  poem  of  The  Mosque,. 
which  may  appropriately  be  inserted 
here : — 

"  A  simple  unpartittoned  room, — 
Surmounted  by  an  ample  dome, 
Or,  in  some  lands  that  favoured  lie, 
With  centre  open  to  the  sky, 
But  roofed  with  arched  cloisters  round, 
That  mark  the  consecrated  bound, 
And  shade  the  niche  to  Mekkeh  turned, 
By  which  two  massive  lights  are  burned ; 
With  pulpit  whence  the  sacred  word 
Expounded  on  great  days  is  heard ; 
With  fountains  fresh,  where,  ere  they  pray, 
Men  wash  the  soil  of  earth  away ; 
With  shining  minaret,  thin  and  high, 
From  whose  fine  trellised  balcony, 
Announcement  of  the  hours  of  prayer 
Is  uttered  to  the  silent  air. 
Such  is  the  Mo?que— the  holy  place, 
Where  faithful  men  of  every  race, 
Meet  at  their  ease,  and  face  to  face. 

"  Not  that  the  power  of  God  is  here 
More  manifest,  or  more  to  fear ; 
Not  that  the  glory  of  His  face 
Is  circumscribed  by  any  space  ; 


132 


CA1E0  :  MOSK 


OF  TOOLOON. 


Sect.  II. 


But  that,  as  men  are  wont  to  meet 
In  court  or  chamber,  mart  or  street, 
For  purposes  of  gain  or  plpa^ure, 
In  friendliness  or  social  leisure, — 
So  for  the  greatest  of  all  ends 
To  which  intelligence  extends, 
The  worship  of  the  Lord,  whose  will 
Created  and  sustains  us  still, 
And  honour  to  the  Prophet's  name. 
By  whom  the  saving  message  came, 
Believers  meet  together  here, 
And  hold  this  precinct  very  dear. 

"  The  floor  is  spread  wiih  matting  neat, 
Unstained  by  touch  of  shodden  feet, — 
A  decent  and  delightful  seat ! 
Where,  after  due  devotions  paid, 
And  legal  ordinance  obeyed, 
Men  may  in  happy  parlance  join, 
And  gay  with  serious  thought  combine  ; 
May  ask  the  news  from  far  away ; 
May  fix  the  business  of  to-day ; 
Or,  with  1  God  willing,'  at  the  close 
To-morrow's  hopes  ami  deeds  dispose. 

"  Children  are  running  in  and  out, 
With  silver-sounding  laugh  and  shout; 
No  more  disturbed  in  their  sweet  play, 
No  more  disturbing  those  who  pray, 
Than  the  poor  birds  that  fluttering  fly 
Among  the  rafters  there  on  high, 
Or  seek  at  times,  with  grateful  hop, 
The  corn  fresh  sprinkled  on  the  top. 

"  So,  lest  the  stranger's  scornful  eye 
Should  hurt  this  sacn-d  family — 
Lest  inconsiderate  word  should  wound 
Devout  adorers  with  their  sound — 
Lest  careless  feet  should  stain  the  floor 
With  dirt  and  dust  from  out  the  door, — 
Tis  well  that  custom  should  protect 
The  place  with  prudence  circumspect, 
And  let  no  unbeliever  pass 
The  threshold  of  the  faithful  mass; 
That  as  each  Muslim  his  hareem 
Guards  ever  from  a  jealous  dream, 
So  should  no  alien  feeling  scathe 
This  common  home  of  public  faith ; 
So  should  its  very  name  dispel 
The  presence  of  the  infidel." 

A  visit  to  the  principal  rnosks  of 
Cairo,  such,  as  those  of  Tooloon,  Sultan 
Hassan,  &c,  is  attended  with  no 
difficulty  now,  and  it  is  seldom  that 
the  traveller  is  refused  admittance  to 
any  of  those  most  usually  visited; 
but  if  he  should  desire  to  see  some 
of  the  less  well-known  ones,  he  had 
better  get  an  order  from  the  Consu- 
late, which  will  procure  him  the 
attendance  of  a  cawass  from  the  Zup- 
tieh,  or  police-station,  to  accompany 
the  traveller,  and  ensure  his  admit- 
tance and  freedom  from  insult.  This 
cawass  will  expect  a  fee,  and  small 
sums  must  be  given  to  the  guardians 


of  the  mosks.  It  is  always,  however, 
open  to  the  guardian  of  a  mosk  to 
refuse  admittance  if  he  so  chooses; 
but  it  is  seldom  done  now.  It  is  con- 
venient to  take  a  large  pair  of  woollen 
socks  to  draw  over  the  shoes  on  enter- 
ing, as  it  is  much  less  trouble  than 
changing  the  shoes  for  slippers.  And 
ladies  should  certainly  never  neglect 
to  wear  a  thin  veil  when  they  visit 
any  of  the  mosks. 

The  first  in  point  of  antiquity  is 
the  mosk  of  Ahmed  ebn  Tooloon,  ge- 
nerally known  as  the  Jama  (Gama) 
Tooloon.  It  is  said  to  be  built  on  the 
plan  of  the  Kaaba,  at  Mecca,  which 
seems  to  have  been  that  of  all  the 
oldest  mosks  founded  by  the  Mus- 
lims. It  was  three  years  in  building, 
and  cost  72,000Z.  At  one  time  it 
was  a  university,  and  was  endowed 
with  nine  professorial  chairs.  The 
centre  is  an  extensive  open  court, 
about  100  paces  square,  surrounded 
by  colonnades  ;  those  on  three  of  the 
sides  consisting  of  two  rows  of  co- 
lumns, 25  paces  deep,  and  that  on  the 
eastern  end  of  five  rows,  all.  support- 
ing pointed  arches.  These  arches  are 
of  a  very  graceful  shape,  retaining  a 
little  of  the  horseshoe  form  at  the 
base  of  the  archivolt,  as  it  rises  from 
the  pier ;  and  in  a  wall  added  after- 
wards to  connect  the  mosk  with  the 
base  of  the  principal  minaret  is  one 
round  horseshoe  arch,  which  is  rarely 
met  with  in  Egypt.  Around  the 
mosk  is  an  outer  wall,  now  encum- 
bered in  part  by  houses,  at  each  angle 
of  which  rose  one  of  the  minarets ; 
that  on  the  N.W.  corner  being  the  one 
used  for  the  call  to  prayer.  This  mosk 
is  the  oldest  in  Cairo,  having  been 
founded  90  years  before  any  other 
part  of  the  city,  in  the  year  879  a.d., 
or  265  of  the  Hegira,  as  is  attested  by 
two  Cufic  inscriptions  on  the  walls  of 
the  court,  a  date  which  accords  with 
the  era  of  that  prince,  who  ruled  in 
Egypt  from  868  to  884.  If  not  re- 
markable for  beauty,  it  is  a  monument 
of  the  highest  interest  in  the  history 
of  architecture,  as  it  proves  the  exist- 
ence of  the  pointed  arch  about  three 
hundred  years  before  its  introduction 
into  Ed  gland,  where  that  style  of 


Egypt- 


CAIRO  :  MOSK 


OF  TOOLOON. 


133 


building  was  not  in  common  use  until 
the  beginning  of  1200,  and  was  scarcely- 
known  before  the  year  1170. 

There  is  reason  to  believe  that  the 
pointed  arch  was  used  in  some  parts 
of  Europe  as  early  as  the  beginning 
of  1100  ;  but  it  was  then  evidently  a 
novel  introduction,  generally  mixed 
with  the  older  round-headed  arch,  and 
not  exclusively  adopted  throughout 
any  building.  And  since  we  here  find 
a  mosk  presenting  the  pointed  style  in 
all  its  numerous  arches,  we  may  con- 
clude not  only  that  the  Saracens  em- 
ployed it  long  before  its  introduction 
into  Europe,  but  that  we  were  in- 
debted to  them  for  the  invention. 
The  mosk  of  Tooloon  is  not  the  oldest 
Muslim  building  in  Egypt  in  which 
this  style  of  architecture  is  found. 
The  Mloraeter  at  Eoda  presents  a 
still  earlier  instance ;  and  it  may  in- 
deed be  reasonably  concluded  that  in 
the  East  the  pointed  arch  is  much 
older  than  has  been  generally  sup- 
posed. That  it  should  have  been  in- 
troduced from  thence  into  Europe  is 
not  at  all  improbable ;  and  the  time  of 
its  first  appearance  naturally  leads  to 
the  conclusion  that  the  Crusaders 
made  us  acquainted  with  the  style  of 
building  they  had  seen  during  their 
wars  against  the  Saracens. 

Along  the  cornice,  above  the  arches 
within  the  colonnades,  are  Cufic  in- 
scriptions on  wood,  many  of  which 
have  long  since  fallen.  The  style  of 
the  letters  is  of  the  same  ancient  cha- 
racter as  in  the  stone  tablets  before 
mentioned ;  and,  indeed,  were  the  date 
not  present  to  determine  the  period  of 
its  erection,  the  style  of  the  Cufic 
alone  would  suffice  to  fix  it  within 
a  very  few  years,  that  character  hav- 
ing undergone  very  marked  changes 
in  different  periods  of  its  use;  and 
what  is  singular,  the  oldest,  which  is 
the  most  simple  and  least  ornamented, 
has  a  nearer  resemblance  to  the  Arabic 
than  that  in  vogue  about  the  time 
when  the  modern  form  of  letters  was 
introduced.  The  Arabic  character 
was  first  adopted  about  950  a.d.,  but 
Cufic  continued  in  use  till  the  end  of 
the  Fowatem  or  Fatemite  dynasty ; 
and  on  buildings,  Arabic  and  Cufic 


were  both  employed,  even  to  the  reign 
of  Sultan  el  Ghoree,  a.d.  1508. 

The  wooden  pulpit,  and  the  dome 
over  the  front  in  the  centre  of  the 
quadrangle,  are  of  the  Melek  Mun- 
soor  Hesam  ed  deen  Lageen.  and  bear 
the  date  696  of  the  Heg'ira,  in  Arabic 
characters. 

The  minaret  of  the  Tooloon,  which' 
rises  from  the  exterior  wall  of  circuit, 
has  a  singular  appearance,  owing  to 
the  staircase  winding  round  the  out- 
side. Its  novel  form  is  said  to  have 
originated  in  the  absent  habits  of  its 
founder,  and  an  observation  of  his 
Wizeer.  He  had  observed  him  uncon- 
sciously rolling  up  a  piece  of  parch- 
ment into  a  spiral  form ;  and  having 
remarked,  "  It  was  a  pity  his  majesty 
had  no  better  employment,"  the  King, 
in  order  to  excuse  himself,  replied, 
"  So  far  from  trifling,  I  have  been 
thinking  that  a  minaret  erected  on 
this  principle  would  have  many  ad- 
vantages ;  I  could  even  ride  up  it  on 
horseback :  and  I  wish  that  of  my 
new  mosk  to  be  built  of  the  same 
form."  The  cornice  of  this  staircase 
appears  to  have  been  of  amber. 

From  its  summit  is  one  of  the  finest 
views  of  the  town ;  and  though  in- 
ferior in  extent,  it  possesses  an  advan- 
tage over  that  from  the  platform  of 
Joseph's  Hall,  in  having  the  citadel 
as  one  of  its  principal  features.  Un- 
fortunately the  staircase  is  so  broken 
down  that  no  one  is  now  allowed  to 
ascend.  The  hill  on  which  the  mosk 
stands  was  formerly  called  el  Kuttaeea, 
and  was  chosen  by  Ahmed  ebn  et 
Tooloon  as  a  place  of  residence  for 
himself  and  his  troops  :  but  it  was  not 
till  long  after  the  foundation  of  Cairo 
that  this  hill  was  enclosed  within  the 
walls,  and  became  part  of  the  capital 
of  Egypt.  Its  modern  name  is  Kalat- 
el-Kebsh,  "the  Citadel  of  the  Earn';" 
and  tradition  pretends  that  it  records 
the  spot  where  the  ram  was  sacrificed 
by  Abraham.  Nor  is  this  the  only 
fanciful  tradition  connected  with  the 
hill,  or  the  site  of  the  mosk  of  Too- 
loon. Noah's  ark  is  reported  to  have 
rested  at  the  very  spot  where  a  Nebk 
tree  still  grows,  within  a  ruined  en- 
closure in  the  court  of  the  mosk ;  and 


134 


CAIEO  :  MOSK  OF  AZHAR. 


Sect.  II. 


the  name  of  Gebel  O'skoor  is  believed 
to  have  been  given  it,  iu  consequence 
of  the  thanksgiving  he  there  offered 
to  the  Deity  for  his  rescue  from  the 
perils  of  the  flood.  Here  too  is  what 
is  called  the  Mustabat  Pharaoon, 
''Pharaoh's  bench"  (or  "seat";:  a 
name  which  probably  records  the 
existence  of  an  ancieut  town  on  this 
rocky  height.  Here  too  once  stood 
the  old  stone  sarcophagus  which  had 
the  name  of ''the  Lovers'  Fountain." 

The  Az'har,  or  "  splendid  "  mosk, 
was  originally  founded  by  G-owher 
el  Kaed,  the  general  of  Moez,  about 
the  year  970  ;  but  that  which  is 
now  seen  is  of  a  later  date,  having 
been  subsequently  rebuilt  and  consi- 
derably enlarged,  principally  by  Sul- 
tan Beybars,  Kaid  Bey,  and  Sultan 
Ghdree.  Each  part  bears  an  inscrip- 
tion relative  to  the  era,  and  authors, 
of  its  successive  restorations,  to  the 
year  1762.  It  is  of  considerable  size, 
and  ornamented  with  more  than  400 
columns  of  granite,  porphyry,  and 
marble  taken  from  old  Egyptian 
temples.  It  is  not  only  the  College 
of  Cairo,  but  the  principal  University 
of  the  East.  On  one  side,  towards 
Mecca,  of  the  large  square  court,  is 
the  place  of  prayer,  a  spacious  portico ; 
on  the  other  three  sides  are  smaller 
porticoes,  divided  into  apartments  for 
the  use  of  natives  from  different  parts 
of  Egypt  and  the  entire  East ;  each 
province  or  country  having  its  sepa- 
rate apartment.  In  each  apartment 
is  a  library  for  the  students.  The 
University  formerly  possessed  large 
properties,  which  were  taken  from  it 
by  Mohammed  Ali.  The  professors 
now  receive  no  salaries,  nor  do  the 
students  pay  for  instruction.  The 
former  teach  privately  and  copy  books, 
and  sometimes  receive  presents.  The 
students,  who  are  generally  poor,  live 
by  the  same  means.  In  a  chapel 
adjacent,  300  blind  men  are  main- 
tained from  funds  bequeathed  for  that 
purpose.  The  number  of  students 
registered  in  Feb.  1872  was  944-1,  and 
of  professors  314.  As  in  the  ancient 
temple  of  Jerusalem  and  the  modern 
Beyt  Allah  at  Mecca,  idlers  of  all  de- 
scriptions resort  here  to  buy  and  sell, 


read  and  sleep,  and  enjoy  the  coolness 
of  its  shady  and  extensive  colonnades. 

Close  to  the  so  nth-west  angle  is 
another  handsome  mosk ;  and  a  little 
farther  to  the  north  is  the  small  but 
celebrated  Hassaneyn,  dedicated  to 
the  two  sons  of  Ali,  El  Hasan  and  El 
Hoseyn,  whose  relics  it  contains.  It 
is  said  that  the  head  of  Hoseyn,  and 
the  hand  of  Hasan,  are  preserved 
there.  Like  the  Azhar,  it  was  built 
or  restored  at  different  periods,  the 
last  addition  dating  in  1762,  and  bear- 
ing the  name  of  Abd  er  Bahman  kehia; 
but  none  of  the  earliest  part  is  now 
visible.  It  has  again  quite  recently 
been  restored.  The  mooled  or  birth- 
day of  the  Hassaneyn  is  one  of  the 
principal  fetes  of  Cairo,  when  a  grand 
illumination,  with  the  usual  amuse- 
ments of  Eastern  fairs,  continues  for 
eight,  and  sometimes  more  days,  in 
this  quarter  of  the  town.  The  tomb 
of  the  patron  saint  on  such  occasions 
is  always  covered  with  the  Kisweh,  or 
sacred  envelope  of  embroidered  cloth 
or  velvet;  which  calls  to  mind  the 
clothing  of  the  statues  with  the  lepov 
Koo-fAov,  in  the  temples  of  ancient 
Egypt.  Another  great  occasion  at 
this  mosk  is  the  "  Ydm  ashoorah  " — 
the  tenth  day  of  the  month  Mohar- 
ram,  being  the  anniversary  of  the  day 
on  which  El  Hoseyn  was  slain  at  the 
battle  of  Karbala.  The  shrines  of 
El  Hasan  and  El  Hoseyn  are  on  the 
Mecca  side  of  the  mosk ;  they  cannot 
be  entered  by  Christians.  In  conse- 
quence of  the  double  dedication,  there 
are  two  "  kibleks  "  in  this  mosk. 

Of  the  early  mosks,  that  have  re- 
tained their  original  style  of  architec- 
ture from  the  period  of  their  founda- 
tion, the  oldest,  next  to  the  Tooloon, 
is  that  of  Sultan  el  HdJtem,  near  the 
Bab  en  Nasr,  one  of  the  principal 
gates  of  Cairo. 

The  arches  are  all  pointed,  with  a 
slight  horseshoe  curve  at  the  base ; 
and  as  the  date  of  its  erection  is  nearly 
200  years  before  that  style  of  archi- 
tecture became  general  in  Engand,  it 
offers,  as  already  stated,  another  im- 
portant proof  of  its  early  adoption 
in  Saracenic  buildings.  Sultan  el 
Hakem,  or  El  Hakem  be-omr-Illak, 


Egypt 


CAIRO  :  MOSK  OF  SULTAN  HASSAN. 


135 


the  third  caliph  of  the  Fatemite  dy- 
nasty, reigned  from  996  to  1024  a.d. 
This  eccentric  and  immoral  prince 
was  the  founder  of  the  sect  of  Druses, 
still-  extant  in  Syria.  He  pretended 
to  be  vested  with  a  divine  mission, 
and.  aided  by  Hamzeh.  and  by  Derari. 
another  Ismaelian.  succeeded,  in  ob- 
taining many  proselytes,  by  whom  he 


was  looked  upon  as  a  prophet,  or  even 
as  an  incarnation  of  the  Deity  him- 
self; and  it  is  worthy  of  remark,  that, 
in  an  inscription  over  the  western 
door  of  the  mosk,  his  name  is  followed 
by  the  same  expressions  that  usually 
accompany  that  of  the  founder  of 
Islam.*  In  Arabic  letters  it  is  as 
follows : — 


\  {S\A\  .... 

 "El  Haketn  bs-omr-Illah,"Prince  of  the  Faithful,  the  blessings  of  God  he  unto  him  and 

to  bis  ancestors,  the  pure.   In  the  month  Eegeb,  the  year  a.h.  393,"  or  a.d.  1003. 


Both  the  minarets  of  this  mosk  \ 
were  fortified  by  the  French  during 
their  possession  of  Egypt,  a  square  | 
tower  having  been  built  round  them 
to  about  two-thirds  of  their  height.  | 
On  the  one  nearest  the  Bab  el  Fotooh, 
facing  the  walk  along  the  ramparts, 
is  the  name  given  it  by  the  French,  j 
"Fort  Yaille."    The  whole  building 
has  now  become  a  complete  ruin. 

The  finest  mosk  in  Cairo  is  unques- 
tionably  die  "Jdma-t-esSoltdn  Hassan,"  j 
commonly  called  Sultan  Hassan,  im- 
mediately  below  the  citadel,  between  j 
the  Bumeyleh  and  the  Soog  es  Sxtllah.  j 
Its  lofty  and  beautifully  ornamented 
porch,  the  rich  cornice  of  its  towering 
walls,  its  minaret,  and  the  arches  of  ; 
its  spaeious  court,  must  delight  every  ! 
admirer  of  architecture.    And  so  im- 
pressed are  the  Cairenes  with  its  supe-  | 
riority  over  other  mosks,  that  they  j 
believe  the  king  ordered  the  hand  of  | 
the  architect  to  be  cut  off.  in  order  to  j 
prevent  his  building  any  other  that  j 
should  vie  with  it ;  absurdly  ascribing 
to  his  hand  what  was  due  to  his  head. 
The  same  story  is  applied  to  other  J 
fine  buildings,  of  which  they  wish  to 
express  their  admiration,  as  lo  the  two 
minarets  of  Samalood  and  Asyoot,  in 
Upper  Egypt.    The  building  of  this  i 
mosk  was  begun  in  1357,  and  took  j 
three  years  to  complete,  at  a  cost  of  i 
6001  a  day.    Its  total  length  is  490 
feet,  and  the  height  of  the  great 
minaret  260  feet. 

The  interior  is  of  a  different  form 


from  the  mosks  of  early  times,  and  from 
the  generality  of  those  at  Cairo  :  con- 
sisting of  an  hypasthral  court,  with 
a  square  recess  on  each  side,  covered 
by  a  noble  and  majestic  arch;  that  on 
the  east  being  much  more  spacious 
than  the  other  three,  and  measuring 
69  ft.  5  in.  in  span.  At  the  inner  end 
of  it  are  the  niche  of  the  imam,  who 
prays  before  the  congregation  on 
Friday,  and  the  mimbar  or  pulpit  ; 
and  two  rows  of  handsome  coloured 
glass  vases  of  Syrian  manufacture, 
bearing  the  name  of  the  sultan,  are 
suspended  from  the  side  walls.  Be- 
hind, and  forming  the  same  part  of 
building,  is  the  tomb,  which  bears  the 
date  of  764  of  the  Hegira  (a.d.  1363), 
two  years  later  than  his  death,  which 
happened  in  the  mouth  of  Jumad  el 
owel,  a.h.  762.  It  is  surmounted  by 
a  large  dome,  like  many  others,  of 
wood  and  plaster,  on  a  basement  and 
walls  of  stone,  and  the  ornamental 
details  are  of  the  same  materials.  On 
the  tomb  itself  is  a  large  copy  of  the 
Koran,  written  in  beautiful  distinct 
characters,  and  over  it  are  suspended 
three  of  the  coloured  lamps. 

The  blocks  used  in  the  erection  of 
this  noble  edifice  were  brought  from 
the  pyramids ;  and  though  we  regret 
that  one  monument  should  have  been 
defaced  in  order  to  supply  materials 
for  another,  we  must  confess  that  few 

*  They  were  also  applied  to  Ali,  and  to  some 
of  the  most  reverend  companions  of  the  Prophet, 
but  not  to  persons  of  later  times. 


136 


CAIRO  :  MOSK  OF 


SULTAN  KALAOON. 


Sect.  II. 


buildings  conlcl  summon  to  their  aid 
greater  beauty  to  plead  an  excuse, 
while  we  regret  that  it  is  not  likely 
to  be  as  durable  as  those  ancient 
structures.  The  mosk  of  el  Ghoree, 
the  Morostan,  the  citadel,  and  other 
buildings,  were  indebted  for  stone  to 
the  same  monuments,  which  were 
to  them  the  same  convenient  quarry 
as  the  Coliseum  to  the  palaces  at 
Eome.  The  unsightly  huts  which 
clung,  barnacle-like,  to  this  splendid 
monument,  have  been  removed,  and 
it  is  now  completely  isolated.  In  the 
clearance  of  houses  which  has  taken 
place  all  round,  four  handsome  mosks 
have  been  brought  to  light,  the  domes 
of  two  of  which,  Mahmoodeeyah  and 
Emeer  Akher,  are  extremely  elegant; 
and  the  minaret  of  the  third,  Mar- 
danee,  is  a  model  of  grace  and  light- 
ness. 

The  mosk  of  Sultan  Kalaoon  is  near 
the  bazaar  of  the  Khan  Khaleel,  and 
was  attached  to  the  Morostan  or  mad- 
house, founded  by  that  philanthropic 
prince  in  a.h.  684,  or  1287  a.d.  In 
the  Morostan  itself  is  another  mosk 
built  by  the  same  king,  whose  name  is 
found  at  the  E.  end,  "mowlana  oo 
seedna  es  Soltan  el  Melek  el  Munsoor 
Sayf  ed  dooneea  oo  ed  deen  Kalaoon 
es  Salehee,"  in  an  inscription  of  four 
lines,  with  the  date  of  's  684  a.h., 
in  the  month  of  Jumad  el  owel ; " 
and  over  the  door  of  the  main  en- 
trance of  the  building  another  in- 
scription says  the  whole  was  begun 
in  the  month  of  Reebeh  el  akher  683, 
and  finished  in  Jumad  el  owel  684; 
being  only  13  months.  It  is  said  that 
the  king  offered  a  large  reward  to  the 
architect  and  builders  if  finished 
within  the  year.  This,  however,  they 
failed  in  doing ;  but  it  was  completed 
in  the  short  space  of  time  mentioned  in 
the  inscription,  only  one  month  over  the 
period  prescribed  ;  which  fully  refutes 
the  notion  that  Sultan  Kalaoon  only 
laid  the  foundations,  and  that  the 
Morostan  was  finished  by  his  son  Naser 
Mohammed. 

The  first  Morostan  in  Egypt  is  said 
to  have  been  built  by  Aboolgaysh 
Khamaraweeh,  the  son  and  successor 
of  Ahmed  ebn  Tooloon,  about  the 


year  890  a.d.  ;  or,  according  to  some, 
by  Ahmed  ebn  Tooloon  himself.  The 
following  story  is  related  as  the 
cause  of  its  foundation.  A  lady  of 
distinction,  having  become  obnoxious 
to  her  husband,  was  put  away  on  the 
plea  of  insanity,  and  given  in  charge 
to  persons  who  took  care  of  mad 
people ;  but  having  escaped  from  her 
place  of  confinement  at  the  moment 
the  king  happened  to  be  passing  by,  she 
threw  herself  at  his  feet,  and  implored 
his  protection.  The  injustice  of  her 
detention,  and  the  many  cases  of  mis- 
management detected  on  this  occasion, 
determined  the  king  to  found  a  public 
institution,  where  similar  practices 
could  not  take  place  ;  and  he  therefore 
made  two  Morostans  or  madhouses,  one 
near  the  Kara  Meydan  (where  this 
scene  took  place),  the  other  between 
the  Kalat  el  Kebsh  and  the  island 
of  Boolak.  Little  less  than  400 
years  after,  was  founded  the  present 
Morostan,  which,  though  con- 
ducted in  a  disgraceful  manner  in 
late  times,  speaks  highly  for  the 
humane  intentions  of  its  founder. 
By  his  orders,  the  patients,  whatever 
might  be  the  nature  of  their  com- 
plaints, were  regularly  attended  by 
medical  men,  and  by  nurses  attached 
to  the  establishment ;  and  their  minds 
were  relieved  by  the  introduction  of  a 
band  of  music,  which  played  at  inter- 
vals on  a  platform  (that  still  exists;  in 
the  court  of  the  interior. 

The  lunatics  are  now  located  in  a 
hospital  at  Boolak. 

,  •  In  the  mosk  is  the  tomb  of  its 
founder,  who  was  the  first  of  the  Kala- 
ooneeyah,  or  Salaheeyah,  a  division  of 
the  Baharite  dynasty.  He  died  in  the 
year  1290  a.d.  The  tomb  of  his  son 
Naser  Mohammed  forms  part  of  the 
same  mass  of  buildings.  That  of 
Sultan  Kalaoon  is  handsome  ;  it  is  on 
the  right,  as  the  mosk  is  on  the  left, 
of  the  passage,  as  you  enter  the  princi- 
pal door  of  the  Morostan ;  and,  like  the 
mosk,  it  is  supported  on  large  columns 
surmounted  by  arches,  which  in  the 
latter  are  of  elongated  shape,  and  in 
the  former  slightly  partaking  of  the 
horseshoe  form.  Their  spandrils,  and 
the  windows  above,  are  ornamented 


Egypt- 


CAIRO!  MOSK  OF  EL  GHOREE. 


137 


with  light  tracery;  and  the  Mehrab,  or 
niche  for  prayer,  inlaid  with  mother- 
of-pearl  and  mosaic  work,  not  unlike 
the  Byzantine  taste,  with  rows  of  small 
columns  dividing  it  into  compartments, 
has  a  rich  and  curious  effect. 

After  passing  the  mosk-tomb  of 
Kalaoon,  you  come  to  that  of  Sultan 
Berkook;  which,  like  others  of  that 
time,  consists  of  an  open  court,  with 
large  arches  at  each  side,  one  of  which, 
larger  and  deeper  than  the  other  three, 
is  the  eastern  or  Mecca  end.  Attached 
to  it  is  the  tomb  of  his  wife  and 
daughter,  where  a  fine  illuminated  copy 
of  the  Koran  is  shown,  said  to  be  all 
written  by  the  latter,  who  was  called 
the  Princess  Fatima  (Fatmeh).  Sultan 
Berkook  himself  was  buried  in  one  of 
the  tombs  of  the  Memlook  kings,  out- 
side the  city. 

The  Shdrdwee  is  another  celebrated 
mosk,  dedicated  to  one  of  the  principal 
saints  of  Cairo. 

The  Modiud,  founded  between  the 
years  1412  and  1420  a.d.,  is  a  hand- 
some mosk  with  pointed  arches,  having 
slight  traces  of  the  horseshoe  form,  at 
the  base  of  the  archivolt,  like  many 
others  of  the  pointed  style  at  Cairo. 
The  court-yard  of  this  mosk  has  a 
rather  pretty  appearance,  the  fountain 
being  overshadowed  by  several  well- 
grown  palm  and  lebbekh  trees. 
Bound  three  sides  runs  a  double  row 
of  columns,  while  there  are  three 
rows  on  the  fourth  side,  which  forms 
the  sanctuary,  and  to  the  right  and 
left  of  which  are  the  tombs.  The 
decorations  of  this  mosk  are  very  rich. 
It  is  commonly  known  at  Cairo  as  the 
*■  Gama  el  Ahmar,"  or  red  mosk,  from 
the  colour  of  its  exterior.  It  is  close 
to  the  gate  called  Bab  Zuweyleh; 
which,  with  the  two  elegant  minarets 
that  rise  above  it,  is  a  noble  specimen 
of  eastern  architecture.  This  gate 
was  formerly  the  entrance  of  the  city 
on  the  south  side,  before  the  quarter 
now  connecting  it  with  the  citadel  was 
added. 

The  mosk  of  El  Ghoree  stands  at  the 
extremity  of  the  bazaar,  called  after  him 
El  Ghoreeyah,  and  from  its  position 
is  one  of  the  most  picturesque  build- 
ings in  Cairo.    On  approaching  it  by 


the  Ghoreeyah,  which  is  of  more  than 
ordinary  breadth,  you  perceive  the 
grand  effect  of  its  lofty  walls;  and 
the  open  space  in  which  it  stands, 
together  with  the  variety  of  costumes 
in  the  groups  that  throng  that  spot, 
and  the  grand  doorway  of  the  tomb 
on  the  opposite  side,  offer  a  beautiful 
subject  for  the  pencil  of  an  artist. 
The  interior  of  this  mosk  is  worth 
seeing  for  the  beautiful  inlaid  work 
in  marbles  and  other  stones  with 
which  it  is  decorated  :  the  reredos,  if 
one  may  so  call  it,  is  especially  hand- 
some. The  tomb  of  El  Ghoree  stands 
on  the  other  side  of  the  street :  there 
are  also  two  other  tombs  of  the  same 
king,  one  at  El  Kaitbay,  and  the  other 
on  the  road  to  Heliopolis,  called 
Kobbet  el  Ghoree ;  as  if  the  number 
of  tombs  were  intended  to  compensate 
him  for  not  having  been  buried  in 
Egypt ;  though  the  Cairenes  affirm 
that  his  body  was  really  brought  from 
Syria,  and  deposited  in  that  of  the 
Ghoreeyah.  He  was  killed  in  1517  near 
Aleppo,  in  a  conflict  with  the  Turks 
under  Sultan  Selim,  who  then  -ad- 
vanced into  Egypt ;  and  Toman  Bay, 
who  was  elected  by  the  Memlooks  as 
his  successor,  having  been  defeated 
near  Heliopolis,  was  the  last  of  the 
Memlook  monarchs  of  the  country. 
This  mosk  has  therefore  an  addi- 
tional interest  in  being  the  last  reli- 
gious edifice  erected  by  the  Memlook 
Sultans  of  Egypt. 

The  mosk  of  the  Sitteh  or  Seyyideli 
Zeyneb,  the  grand-daughter  of  the 
Prophet,  is  situated  in  the  south- 
western quarter  of  the  city.  It  is  of 
comparatively  recent  construction, 
having  been  built  at  the  end  of  the 
last  century,  and  though  elaborately 
ornamented  is  not  very  handsome. 
The  clock-tower  is  remarkable ;  and  a 
new  wall  on  the  western  side,  with 
richly  carved  windows  and  ornaments 
has  lately  been  added,  but  is  not  com- 
pleted. The  tomb  is  in  a  small  but 
lofty  apartment  of  the  mosk,  crowned 
with  a  dome.  It  is  an  oblong  monu- 
ment, covered  with  silk,  and  sur- 
rounded by  a  bronze  screen,  with  a 
wooden  canopy.  Only  women  are 
allowed  to  enter  the  bronze  enclosure. 


138 


caiko  : 


TOMBS  : 


Sect.  II. 


The  festival  of  the  "  Seyyideh,"  which 
lasts  for  about  a  fortnight,  takes  place 
in  the  7th  month  Eegeb. 

The  oldest  mosk  in  Egypt — that 
of  Amer  or  Amrou — will  be  found 
described  in  the  Excursion  to  Old 
Cairo. 

Under  the  same  heading  will  also 
be  found  a  description  of  the  in- 
teresting Coptic  churches  at  Old 
Cairo.  In  Cairo  itself  there  are  no 
churches  worth  a  visit  for  their  own 
sake. 

11.  Tombs,  Cemeteries. — The  old 
historical  tombs  at  Cairo  may  be  di- 
vided into  three  classes.  a.  The 
tombs  of  the  Caliphs.  /3.  The  tombs 
of  the  Baharite  Memlook  Sultans. 
7.  The  tombs  of  the  Circassian  Mem- 
look  Sultans. 

a.  The  tombs  of  the  Caliphs  occupied 
the  site  of  what  is  now  the  Bazaar  of 
Khan-Khale'el,  but  they  were  all  de- 
stroyed when  the  bazaar  was  built  by 
El  Ashraf  Salah  ed  deen  Khaleel  in 
1292  a.d.,  with  the  exception  of  that 
of  Es  Saleh  Eiyoob.  This  monarch  was 
the  seventh  caliph  of  the  Eiyoobite 
dynasty,  and  died  in  1250  a.d.,  or  647 
of  the  Hegira,  as  is  stated  by  the  Cufic 
inscription  over  the  door.  It  was  during 
his  reign  that  the  rash  attempt  was 
made  by  St.  Louis  to  surprise  Cairo, 
in  1249 ;  which  ended  in  the  defeat 
of  the  Crusaders,  the  death  of  the 
Count  d'Artois,  and  the  capture  of  the 
French  king.  On  the  death  of  Es  Saleh, 
his  Memlooks  conspired  and  killed 
his  son  ;  and  after  the  short  reigns  of 
his  widow  and  the  Melek  el  Ashraf 
Moosa,  who  was  deposed  in  his  4th 
year,  the  first  Memlook  dynasty  was 
established  in  Egypt  under  the  name 
of  "  Dowlet  el  Memaleek  el  Bahreeyah," 
or  "  Toorkeeyah,"  known  to  us  as 
the  Baharite  dynasty.  Among  them 
were  several  of  the  Memlooks  of 
Es  Saleh. 

j8.'  The  tombs  of  the  Baharite  Mem- 
look Sultans  are  also  inside  the  town, 
near  the  Khan-Khaleel.  Those  of 
Sultan  Beybars,  Naser  Mohammed, 
and  some  others,  are  worthy  of  a  visit. 
Beybars,  or  Ez  Zaher  Beybars  el  Ben- 


dukdaree,  was  the  fourth  prince  of 
this  dynastv,  and  reigned  from  1260 
to  1277.  That  of  En  Naser  Moham- 
med, the  son  of  Sultan  Kalaoon,  stands 
dose  to  the  Morostan  and  the  mosk  of 
his  father,  and  is  remarkable  for  an 
elegant  doorway,  with  clustered  pillars 
in  the  European  or  Gothic  style,  such 
as  might  be  found  in  one  of  our 
churches,  and  therefore  differing  in 
character  from  Saracenic  architecture. 
Over  this  door  is  an  inscription  pur- 
porting that  the  building  was  erected 
by  the  Sultan  Mohammed,  son  of  the 
Sultan  el  Melek  el  Munsoor  ed  deen 
Kalaoon  es  Salehee.  The  date  on  the 
lintel  is  698  a.h.  (or  a.d.  1299),  and 
on  the  body  of  the  building  695. 
The  minaret  which  stands  above  this 
Gothic  entrance  is  remarkable  fur  its 
lace-like  fretwork,  uncommon  in  Cairo, 
but  which  calls  to  mind  the  style  of 
the  Alhambra,  and  of  the  Al  Cazar  at 
Seville. 

7.  The  tombs  of  the  Circassian  or 
Borghite  Memlook  Sultans.  —  The 
greater  part  of  these  tombs  stand  out- 
side the  town,  a  short  distance  to  the 
E.  of  the  Bab  en  Nasr.  They  are  fre- 
quently erroneously  called  by  Euro- 
peans "  of  the  Caliphs,"  but  are  better 
known  to  the  Cairenes  as  El  Kaitbey 
(Kaedbai),  a  name  taken  from  that  of 
the  principal  building,  which  is  of  El 
Ashraf  Aboo-l-Nusr  Kaedbai  es  Za- 
heree,  the  19th  sultan  of  this  dynasty, 
who  died  and  was  buried  there  in 
1496  a.d.  The  minaret  and  dome  of 
his  mosk  are  very  elegant,  and  claim 
for  it  the  first  place  among  these 
splendid  monuments,  though  some 
others  may  be  said  to  fall  little  short 
of  it  in  beauty ;  and  those  of  El  Ber- 
kook and  El  Ashraf  have  each  their 
respective  merits.  El  Berkook.  or 
Ez  Zaher  Berkook,  was  the  first  sultan 
of  this  dynasty,  and  was  renowned  for 
having .  twice  repulsed  the  Tartars 
under  Tamerlane  in  1393-4. 

To  each  of  these  tombs  a  mosk  is 
attached,  as  to  the  others  already  men- 
tioned in  Cairo;  and  in  the  latter  place 
it  may  often  be  doubted  whether  the 
tomb  has  been  attached  to  the  mosk, 
or  the  mosk  to  the  tomb. 

It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  these 


Egypt 


CEMETERIES  ;  FOUNTAINS. 


139 


interesting  monuments  are  suffered  to 
full  to  decay  :  the  stones  have  some- 
times even  been  carried  away  to  serve 
for  the  construction  of  other  buildings ; 
and  there  is  reason  to  fear  that  in 
another  fifty  years  they  will  be  a  heap 
of  ruins.  In  their  architecture  they 
resemble  some  of  the  mosks  of  Cairo ; 
and  the  same  alternate  black  and  white, 
or  white  and  red,  courses  of  stones 
occur,  as  in  those  within  the  city, 
which  call  to  mind  the  same  peculiarity 
in  some  of  the  churches  of  Italy.  The 
stone  of  which  they  are  principally 
built  is  the  common  stone  of  the  neigh- 
bouring hills.  The  black  limestone 
is  brought  from  the  vicinity  of  the 
convent  of  St.  Antony,  in  the  eastern 
desert ;  but  the  red  bands  in  the  mosks 
of  Cairo  are  merely  painted  on  the 
originally  white  surface. 

There  are  other  tombs  called  "of 
the  Memlooks,"  to  the  south  of  the 
city,  usually  designated  by  the  Cai- 
renes  as  the  Imam  esli  Sliafe'ee,  from 
the  chief  of  that  branch  of  Muslims 
whose  tomb  there  forms  a  conspicuous 
object.  It  is  easily  recognised  by  its 
large  dome,  surmounted  by  a  weather- 
cock in  the  form  of  a  boat.  It  is  said 
to  have  been  built  by  Yoosef  Salah  ed 
deen  (Saladin),  from  which  it  received, 
according  to  Pococke,  the  name  of  es 
Salaheeyah.  Near  this  is  the  sepulchre 
of  Mohammed  Ali  and  his  family, 
consisting  of  a  long  corridor  and  two 
chambers,  each  covered  by  a  dome,  in 
the  inner  one  of  which  is  the  tomb  of 
the  Pasha  himself.  The  others  are 
of  Toossoom  and  Ismail  Pasha,  his 
sons  :  of  Mohammed  Bey  Defterdar  ; 
of  Zohra  Pasha,  his  sister;  of  his  first 
wife  ;  of  Mustafa  Bey  Delli  Pasha,  his 
wife's  brother  ;  of  Ali  Bey  Saloniklee, 
and  his  wife,  a  cousin  of  the  Pasha ;  of 
Toossoom  Bey,  Shereef  Pasha's  bro- 
ther, and  his  wife;  of  Hoseyn  Bey, 
the  nephew  ;  of  the  younger  children 
of  the  Pasha :  and  of  ibraheem  Pasha's 
sister,  Tafe'edeh  Hanem,  the  wife  of 
Moharrem  Bey.  Many  of  the  tombs 
near  to  the  city  on  this  side  are  also 
curious,  and  offer  interesting  subjects 
for  the  pencil  of  an  artist. 

The  large  burial-grounds  of  Cairo 
are  situated  outside  the  walls.  Of 


these,  that  just  mentioned  of  Imam  esh 
Shafe'ee,  otherwise  called  Toorab  el 
Korafah,  is  the  most  extensive.  There 
is  also  one  near  the  citadel,  and 
another  just  outside  the  Bab  en  Nasr. 
If  the  traveller  is  in  Cairo  at  the 
season  of  Bairam,  it  is  worth  his  while 
to  pay  a  visit  to  these  cemeteries,  as 
the  people  all  turn  out  to  spend  the 
day  with  their  dead  relatives,  and 
prayers  and  feasting,  tears  and  merry- 
making combined,  produce  a  varied 
and  curious  effect. 

The  European  cemeteries  are  close  to 
Old  Cairo.  But  the  most  distinguished 
name  among  those  who  have  their 
last  resting-place  in  the  capital  of 
Egypt  must  not  be  looked  for  there ; 
Burekkardt,  the  celebrated  traveller, 
who  died  in  Cairo  in  1817,  a  pro- 
fessing and  professed  Muslim,  better 
known  in  the  East  by  the  name  of 
"  Sheykh  Ibraheem,"  was  buried  in 
the  cemetery  outside  the  Bab  en  Nasr. 
For  a  long  time  the  grave  remained 
unmarked;  but,  thanks  to  the  pious 
care  of  the  English  Consul,  Mr.  Rogers, 
it  has  been  rescued  from  oblivion, 
and  a  handsome  tombstone,  in  the 
Mohammedan  style,  now  marks  the 
spot. 

12.  "  Sebeels,"  or  Public  Foun- 
tains. —  These  are  for  the  purpose 
of  providing  water  for  the  poor 
gratuitously.  They  are  supplied 
with  water  brought  from  the  Nile 
on  the  backs  of  camels.  Some  of 
those  of  older  date  in  the  centre 
of  the  city  merit  admiration  as 
curious  specimens  of  the  peculiarities 
of  Oriental  taste,  abounding  in  great 
luxuriance  of  ornament.  Two  of  the 
most  remarkable  of  these  are  near  the 
Mosk  of  Sultan  Hassan;  and  many 
are  to  be  seen  in  the  street  which 
follows  the  course  of  the  Canal 
(Khaleeg),  towards  the  gate  of  Seyyi- 
deh  Zeyneb.  Of  the  more  modern 
fountains,  built  according  to  Constan- 
tinople taste,  those  of  Toossoon  Pasha 
and  of  Ismail  Pasha,  sons  of  Moham- 
med Ali,  and  that  near  the  station 
built  by  the  present  Khedive's  mother, 
are  the  best  specimens. 

There  is  generally  a  room  immedi- 


140 


CAIRO  :  STREETS, 


PUBLIC  PLACES  ; 


Sect.  II. 


ately  above  the  fountain  devoted  to 
the  purposes  of  a  free  day-school, 
maintained  by  the  same  charitable 
foundation  as  the  fountain. 

The  drinking  -  places  for  cattle 
(J]6d)  are  also  kept  up  by  the  same 
means,  and  often  have  schools  attached 
to  them. 

There  are  more  than  300  public 
fountains  in  Cairo. 

13.  Streets,  Public  Places. — In 
all  the  quarters  of  the  interior  of 
the  city,  the  streets  are  very  narrow ; 
and  in  consequence  of  the  Cairene 
mode  of  building  houses,  each  story 
projecting  beyond  that  immediately 
below  it,  two  persons  may  shake  hands 
across  the  street  from  the  upper  win- 
dows. This  narrowness  of  the  streets 
is  common  to  many  towns  in  hot 
climates,  having  for  its  object  greater 
coolness ;  and  so  small  a  portion  of 
blue  sky  is  sometimes  seen  between 
the  projecting  meshrebeeyahs,  or  the  ap- 
proaching tops  of  the  houses,  that  they 
might  give  a  very  suitable  answer  to 
the  lines  in  Virgil, — 

"  Die  quibus  in  terris,  et  eris  mini  magnus 
Apollo, 

Tres  pateat  cceli  spatium  non  amplius 
ulnas." 

"  The  streets  of  Cairo,"  says  Dr. 
Russell,  "  wind  in  and  out  at  discre- 
tion, through  a  mass  of  houses,  mosks, 
and  bazaars,  very  much  as  mites 
march  through  a  cheese.  The  word 
'  street '  gives  no  conception  of  the 
lane  which  scarcely  ever  yields  a  view 
of  100  yards  in  front  or  behind,  and 
which  at  times  seems  to  end  abruptly 
in  the  cordial  greeting  of  two  houses 
at  opposite  sides." 

To  indicate  by  name  any  of  these 
streets  would  be  useless,  but  the  prin- 
cipal and  most  frequented  ones  are  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  the  different 
bazaars,  through  which  they  in  most 
cases  pass. 

Before  the  accession  of  the  present 
Khedive,  the  only  tolerably  broad 
street  in  Cairo  was  the  Mooskee,  run- 
ning from  the  S.E.  comer  of  the 
Esbekeeyah  to  the  street  leading  from 
the  Ghoreeyah  to  the  Khan  Khaleel, 


and  this  has  a  narrow  tortuous  bit  in  it 
nearly  as  bad  as  any  of  the  worst  lanes. 
In  this  street  are  some  of  the  principal 
European  shops,  and  in  the  upper 
part  of  it  are  some  good  Syrian  and 
Levantine  shops.  It  is  now  prolonged 
to  the  Bab  el  Ghoreeyah,  at  the  extreme 
eastern  limit  of  the  city. 

Several  new  broad  streets  have  been 
opened  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
Esbekeeyah,  among  which  may  be 
mentioned  two  leading  to  the  Palace 
of  Abdeen,  the  one  from  the  S.E. 
corner,  near  the  Ministries  of  Finance 
and  the  Interior,  and  the  other  from 
the  S.W.  corner  near  the  Opera  House ; 
and  that  leading  from  the  N.E.  corner, 
through  the  Copt  quarter,  to  the  rail- 
way station.  Other  new  ones  are 
projected  through  some  of  the  crowded 
quarters. 

The  Esbekeeyah  is  the  largest  and 
the  best  known  public  place  in  Cairo. 
Before  Mohammed  Ali's  time  it  used 
to  be  one  large  sheet  of  water  during 
the  inundation.  He  cut  a  canal 
round  it  in  order  to  keep  the  water 
from  the  centre,  and  laid  it  out  as  a 
garden,  with  trees  planted  on  the 
bank  of  the  canal.  In  Said  Pasha's 
time  it  became  the  favourite  locale 
of  low  European  coffee-shops  and  beer- 
houses. In  1867  the  present  Khedive 
began  transforming  it  into  its  present 
state.  The  trees  were  cut  down,  and 
the  whole  of  the  area  filled  up  to  the 
level  of  the  surrounding  ground:  a 
part  was  then  cut  up  into  building- 
plots,  and  the  remainder  enclosed 
within  high  iron  railings,  and,  after 
many  changes  of  plan,  finally  laid  out 
as  a  sort  of  public  garden,  after  the 
Continental  fashion,  with  cafes,  al 
fresco  theatres,  grottoes,  ornamental 
water,  &c.  The  cost  of  making  this 
garden  was  totally  disproportionate  to 
its  size  and  appearance,  and  so  must 
be  the  money  spent  in  keeping 
it  up.  Turf  is  an  exotic  in  Egypt 
that  can  only  be  made  to  look  even 
decently  green  by  keeping  it  sodden 
with  water ;  and  the  only  idea  of  a 
garden  in  a  country  where  the  sun 
shines  so  powerfully  should  be  shady 
trees  and  thick  shrubberies,— a  com- 
bination which,  as  this  garden  is  laid 


Egypt. 


BATHS,  BAZAAES. 


141 


out,  can  never  be  realized.  It  may  \ 
prove,  however,  useful  in  the  early 
morning  for  children  and  nurses,  and 
an  agreeable  lounge  in  the  afternoon 
when  the  sun  is  low  and  a  good  band 
is  playing. 

Most  of  the  principal  hotels  are  in  i 
the  Esbekeeyah.  Shepheard's  and  the  | 
New  Hotel  occupy  the  greater  part  of  j 
the  W.  side.    On  the  N.  side  are  shops  i 
and  houses.    The  E.  side  is  irregular 
in  form :  the  two  principal  buildings 
are  the  palace  serving  for  the  Mi- 
nistry of  Foreign  Affairs,  and  that 
occupied  by  the  Ministries  of  Fin-  j 
ance  and  the  Interior ;  between  these  \ 
are  shops  and  houses.     On  the  S. 
side  are  the  Opera-house  and  the 
French  Theatre.    At  the  entrances  to  | 
the  N.  and  S.  ends  are  large  and 
handsome  fountains.    The  roads  all 
round  are  broad,  well  kept,  and  well 
lighted  with  gas  ;  the  foot  pavements 
are  wide,  and  planted  with  trees. 
Besides  the  streets  already  mentioned 
as  issuing  from  the  Esbekeeyah,  there 
are  two  or  three  roads  on  the  W.  side, 
one  a  splendid  chaussee,  leading  to 
Booltik. 

The  Bumeyleh  is  a  large  open  space 
at  the  foot  of  the  citadel,  lying 
between  it  and  the  Mosk  of  Sultan 
Hassan.  It  has  been  cleared  of  the 
hovels  that  formerly  surrounded  it, 
and  turned  into  a  clean  and  neatly 
kept  public  square. 

Close  to  it  is  the  Kara  Meyddn,  a 
parallelogram  about  600  yards  long 
and  100  broad.  It  is  used  as  a  market- 
place for  horses,  donkeys,  camels,  &c. 

Some  of  the  bazaars  are  covered 
over  to  protect  those  seated  in  the 
shops  below  from  the  sun ;  and  where 
the  coverings  are  of  wood,  the  appear- 
ance of  the  street  is  not  injured  by  the 
effect;  but  when  of  mats,  or  linen 
awnings,  their  tattered  condition,  and 
the  quantity  of  dust  they  shower  down, 
during  a  strong  wind,  upon  those  below, 
tend  little  to  the  beauty  of  the  street 
or  to  the  comfort  of  the  people  for 
whose  benefit  they  are  intended. 

14.  Baths. — There  are  many  baths 
in  Cairo,  but  none  remarkable  for  size  | 
or  splendonr.    They  are  all  vapour 


baths ;  and  their  heat,  the  system  of 
shampooing,  and  the  operation  of  rub- 
bing with  horse-hair  gloves,  contribute 
not  a  little  to  cleanliness  and  comfort, 
though  it  is  by  no  means  agreeable  to 
have  to  undergo  the  operation  of  being 
shampooed  by  the  bathing-men.  The 
largest  bath  is  the  Tumbdlee,  near  the 
gate  called  Bab  esh  Shareeyah,  but 
it  is  less  clean  and  comfortable  than 
many  others.  One  person,  or  a  party, 
may  take  a  whole  bath  to  themselves 
alone,  if  they  send  beforehand  and 
make  an  agreement  with  the  master. 
In  that  case  care  should  be  taken  to 
see  that  the  whole  is  well  cleaned 
out,  and  fresh  water  put  into  the  tank 
or  maglitas.  You  had  always  better 
use  your  own  towels,  or  promise  an 
extra  fee  for  clean  ones,  which  you 
cannot  be  too  particular  in  rejecting 
if  at  all  of  doubtful  appearance.  The 
baths  at  Cairo  are  on  the  same  prin- 
ciple as  those  of  Constantinople, 
though  inferior  in  size. 

15.  Bazaaks. — The  principal  ba- 
zaars are  the  Ghoreeyah  and  Khan 
Khaleel.  The  former  is  called  from 
Sultan  el  Ghdree,  whose  mosk  and 
tomb  terminate  and  embellish  one  of 
its  extremities.  There  cottons  and 
other  stuffs,  silks,  Fez  caps,  and  various 
articles  are  sold ;  and  in  the  Khan 
Khaleel  cloth,  dresses,  swords,  silks, 
slippers,  and  embroidered  stuffs  are  the 
principal  articles.  The  two  market- 
days  at  the  latter  bazaar  are  Monday 
and.  Thursday,  the-  sale  continuing 
from  about  9  till  11.  Various  goods  are 
sold  by  auction,  the  appraisers  or  del- 
Idls  (dellaleen)  carrying  them  through 
the  market,  and  calling  the  price  bid 
for  them.  Many  things  may  be 
bought  at  very  reasonable  prices  on 
these  occasions ;  and  it  is  an  amusing 
scene  to  witness  from  a  shop,  where, 
if  in  the  habit  of  dealing  with  the 
owner,  a  stranger  is  always  welcome, 
even  though  in  a  Frank  costume. 
Crowds  of  people  throng  the  bazaar, 
while  the  delldls  wade  through  the 
crowd,  carrying  drawn  swords,  fly- 
flaps,  silk  dresses,  chain  armour,  amber 
mouth-pieces,  guns,  and  various  hete- 
rogeneous substances. 


142 


CAIEO  :  MARKETS  J 


Sect,  n. 


Within  this  khan  is  a  square  occu- 
pied by  dealers  in  copper  and  some 
other  commodities ;  and  in  a  part  called 
"within  the  chains"  are  silks  and 
other  Constantinople  goods ;  these, 
as  well  as  most  of  the  other  shops, 
being  kept  by  Turks.  There  is  also 
another  small  square,  in  which  carpets 
are  sold.  The  shops  are  open  in 
front,  and  might  be  mistaken  for  cup- 
boards. 

The  Khan  Khaleel  (or  Khan  Kha- 
leelee)  was  built  in  691  a.h.  (a.d. 
1292),  by  one  of  the  officers  of  the 
reigning  sultan,  whose  name,  Khaleel, 
it  bears.  This  man,  under  the  pre- 
tence of  removing  the  bones  of  the 
caliphs  to  a  more  suitable  place  of 
interment,  is  said  to  have  thrown  them 
carelessly  on  the  mounds  of  rubbish 
outside  the  walls ;  to  which  profane 
conduct  they  ascribe  his  miserable  end, 
having  been  killed  in  battle  in  Syria, 
and  his  body  having  been  eaten  by 
dogs.  This,  like  many  other  Arab 
stories,  was  probably  made  for  the 
occasion. 

The  Hamzdwee  is  a  sort  of  khan  or 
okaleh,  where  crape,  silks,  cloth,  and 
other  goods,  mostly  of  European  ma- 
nufacture, are  sold.  The  dealers  are 
all  Christians,  and  it  is  therefore  closed 
on  a  Sunday. 

In  the  Terbeea,  which  is  between 
the  Hamzdwee  and  the  Ghoreeyah, 
otto  of  rose  and  various  perfumes,  silk 
thread,  and  a  few  other  things  are 
sold  ;  and  near  this  is  the  Fahameen, 
the  abode  of  the  Moghrebins,  or  Moors, 
who  sell  blankets,  Fez  caps  (tarabeesh), 
bornooses  (baranees),  and  other  articles 
from  the  Barbary  coast. 

After  passing  the  Ghoreeyah  and 
the  Fahameen  (going  towards  the  Bab 
Zuweyleh),  is  the  Akkadeen,  where 
silk-cord  and  gold-lace  are  bought; 
behind  which  is  the  market  of  the 
Moumd,  where  cotton,  wools,  cushions, 
and  beds  of  a  common  kind,  woollen 
shawls,  and  other  coarse  stuffs  worn 
by  the  lower  orders,  are  sold  daily, 
both  in  the  shops  and  by  auction. 
Beyond  the  Sebe'el,  or  fountain  of 
Toosboom  Pasha,  is  the  Suokereyn, 
where  sugar,  almonds,  and  dried  fruit 
are  purchased ;  and  this,  like  many 


other  names,  indicates  the  trade  of  the 
dealers. 

In  the  Soog  es  Sullah,  close  to  the 
mosk  of  Sultan  Hassan,  swords,  guns, 
and  other  arms  may  be  bought,  as 
the  name  ("arms-market")  implies. 
Every  day  but  Monday  and  Thursday 
an  auction  is  held  there  early  in  the 
morning. 

Kassobet  Badwan,  outside  the  Bab 
Zuweyleh,  is  a  broad,  well-built  mar- 
ket, where  shoes  only  are  sold. 

The  Mergdosh  and  the  Gemaleeyah , 
are  also  well-known  markets,  at  the 
former  of  which  cotton  cloths  called 
bufteh  are  kept,  and  at  the  latter  coffee 
and  tobacco,  soap,  and  different  goods 
imported  from  Syria  ;  and  at  the  Bab 
esh  Shareeyah  are  found  fruits,  candles, 
and  a  few  other  things. 

There  are  also  markets  held  in  some 
parts  of  the  town  independent  of  the 
shops  in  their  neighbourhood,  as  the 
Soog  ej  Juma,  held  on  a  "Friday"  (on 
the  way  to  the  Bab  el  Hadeed,  at 
what  is  called  the  Soog  ez  Zullut), 
where  fowls,  pigeons,  rags,  and  any 
old  goods  are  sold ;  the  Soog  es  Sem- 
mak,  or  Soog  el  Fooateeyah,  near  the 
same  spot,  where  "fish"  is  sold  every 
afternoon ;  and  the  Soog  el  Asser, 
close  to  the  Bab  en  Nasr,  where 
secondhand  clothes  are  sold  by  auction 
every  afternoon. 

Several  parts  of  the  town  are  set 
apart  for,  and  called  after,  certain 
trades,  or  particular  goods  sold  there  ; 
as  the  Sookereeyah  before  mentioned  ; 
the  Nabhaseen,  occupied  by  copper- 
smiths, near  the  Morostan ;  the  Khur- 
dageeyah,  in  the  same  street,  where 
hardware,  cups,  knives,  and  coffee- 
pots are  sold ;  the  Seeoofeeyah,  occu- 
pied by  those  who  mount  swords  :  the 
Sagha,  by  gold  and  silver  workers; 
and  the  Gohergeeyah,  by  jewellers. 

To  introduce  a  list  of  the  prices  of 
different  articles  sold  in  the  bazaars 
of  Cairo,  as  they  are  so  continually 
changing,  would  only  mislead  ;  and 
in  proportion  as  the  numbers  of  travel- 
lers increase,  everything  becomes 
dearer,  whether  it  be  a  luxury  or  a 
necessary  of  life. 

The  traveller  who  is  ignorant  of 
Arabic  must  trust  entirely  to  his 


Egypt. 


PALACES ; 


SCHOOLS. 


143 


dragoman  or  donkey  boy  to  take  him 
to  the  shop  where  he  can  procure 
what  he  wants,  and  to  make  the  bar- 
gain for  him.  As  a  rule  offer  half 
what  is  asked,  and  an  agreement  will 
probably  be  arrived  at  midway  be- 
tween the  two  extremes.  In  the  upper 
part  of  the  Mooskee  there  is  a  shop 
kept  by  Syrians,  named  Melook,  one 
of  whom  speaks  English  and  French 
very  well.  Most  of  the  ordinary  native 
things  purchased  by  strangers  will  be 
found  there,  and  of  good  quality. 

16.  Palaces. — There  is  no  old 
palace  at  Cairo,  all  are  of  modern 
date.  The  principal  ones  belonging 
to  the  reigning  family  are :  the  Palace 
of  Abdeen,  generally  inhabited  by  the 
Khedive  during  the  winter,  situated 
not  far  from  the  Esbekeeyah :  the 
Palace  of  the  Citadel  already  men- 
tioned, occupied  by  the  hereditary 
prince :  the  Palace  of  Gezeereh,  built 
by  the  present  Khedive,  on  the  left 
bank  of  the  river  opposite  Boolak: 
the  Palace  of  Kasr-en-Nil,  just  above 
Boolak  ;  these  two  last  are  also  winter 
and  spring  residences  :  the  Palace  of 
Geezeh,  built  by  the  present  Khedive, 
near  the  village  of  that  name,  opposite 
the  island  of  Roda,  a  favourite  abode 
in  the  late  spring  and  summer :  the 
Palace  of  Kasr-el-Ain,  belonging 
to  the  Khedive's  mother :  and  the 
Palace  of  Shoobra,  formerly  belonging 
to  Haleem  Pasha.  Of  these  the  only 
two  that  can  be  visited  are  those  of 
Gezeereh  and  Shoobra. 

The  Palace  of  Gezeereh  was  built 
by  the  present  Khedive,  Ismail 
Pasha.  Gezeereh  in  Arabic  means 
"  island,"  and  the  whole  of  the  ground 
occupied  by  the  palace  and  for  some 
distance  round  it  was  formerly  an 
island  between  two  branches  of  the 
Nile.  In  1867  the  west  branch  was 
dammed  up,  and  the  whole  stream 
diverted  into  the  Boolak  channel,  the 
other  channel  being  merely  filled  at 
the  time  of  the  inundation,  and  so 
converted  into  a  sort  of  canal.  As, 
however,  the  force  of  the  river  thus 
confined  to  one  channel  has  begun  to 
menace  the  existence  of  Boolak,  it  is 
probable  that  it  will  be  again  allowed 


to  choose  its  own  course.  The  out- 
side of  the  palace  presents  no  re- 
markable feature,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  some  handsome  iron  work. 
The  entrance  hall  and  staircase  are 
very  fine.  The  reception  rooms  and 
the  ball  room  are  magnificently  fur- 
nished and  decorated.  Many  of  the 
articles  of  furniture  are  beautiful 
works  of  art,  which  were  exhibited  at 
the  Paris  Exhibition  in  1867.  The 
rooms  are  shown  which  were  inhabited 
on  the  occasion  of  the  opening  of  the 
Suez  Canal,  first  by  the  Empress 
Eugenie,  and  then  by  the  Emperor  of 
Austria.  The  gardens  are  extremely 
pretty,  and  kept  up  with  great  care. 
In  them  is,  a  kiosk  of  remarkably 
pretty  architecture,  in  the  style  of  the 
Alhambra.  Attached  to,  and  forming 
part  of  the  gardens  is  a  capital  col- 
lection of  African  birds  and  beasts, 
arranged  with  great  taste  and  judg- 
ment. When  none  of  the  family  are 
there,  admission  to  the  palace  and  gar- 
dens on  certain  days  can  be  obtained 
by  application  at  the  Consulate, 
through  which  an  order  will  be  pro- 
cured from  the  Khedive's  chamberlain. 

The  same  formality  is  necessary  to 
procure  admission  to  the  palace  and 
gardens  of  Shoobra,  which  will  be 
found  described  under  Excursion  I. 

17.  Schools,  Libraries,  Museum. 
— The  University  of  El  Azhar  has 
already  been  mentioned  in  the  notice 
of  the  mosk  of  that  name.  The  educa- 
tion given  there  is  both  primary  and 
secondary,  and  includes  grammar, 
algebra,  arithmethic,  logic,  philosophy, 
theology,  and  Mohammedan  religion 
and  law  according  to  the  four  dif- 
ferent rites  of  the  Sunnees— the  Shaf- 
eite,  the  Malakite,  the  Hanafite,  and 
the  Hambalite. 

The  Government  Public  Schools, 
founded  by  Mohammed  Ali,  though 
neglected  by  his  immediate  successors, 
have  received  a  new  impulse  under  the 
present  sovereign.  They  are  divided 
into  civil  and  military  schools.  The 
civil  schools  again  are  divided  into  pri- 
mary, secondary,  and  special  schools. 
In  the  primary  schools  are  taught  the 
reading  and  writing  of  Arabic,  arith- 
metic, and  French,  or  some  other 


144 


CAIRO  :  LIBRARIES  J  MUSEUM  OF 


Sect.  II. 


foreign  language.  Two  or  three  years 
are  passed  in  these  schools.  In  the 
secondary  or  preparatory  schools,  the 
subjects  of  study  are  the  Arabic, 
Turkish,  French,  and  English  lan- 
guages, pure  mathematics,  drawing, 
history,  and  geography.  Three  years 
are  spent  in  this  school,  and  the  duly 
qualified  pupil  then  passes  into  one 
of  the  following  schools :  Land  Sur- 
veying and  Commercial  School,  two 
years ;  Law  School,  four  years ;  Poly- 
technic School,  four  years ;  the  Arts  et 
Me'tiers  School,  three  years ;  and  the 
Medical  School.  The  Preparatory 
School,  the  Polytechnic  School,  the  | 
Law  School,  and  the  Commercial  i 
School,  are  at  the  Darb  el  Gamameez, 
in  a  building  attached  to  the  Ministry 
of  Eeligion  and  Public  Instruction, 
the  Arts  et  Metiers  School  at  Boolak, 
and  the  Medical  School  at  Kasr  el 
Ain.  Attached  to  this  last  is  a  school 
of  midwifery  for  females,  the  only 
native  institution  for  the  instruction 
of  girls  in  Egpyt. 

The  Military  Schools  are  at  the  Ab- 
basseeyah ;  they  include  every  branch 
of  military  education .  The  Free  Schools 
attached  in  most .  instances  to  the 
Sebeels  have  been  already  mentioned. 

Formerly  the  only  libraries  at 
Cairo  were  those  belonging  to  the 
different  mosks,  containing  little  else 
than  MS.  copies  of  the  Koran,  and 
commentaries  thereon ;  but  a  Public 
Library  has  now  been  formed  in  a 
building  close  to  the  Ministry  of 
Eeligion  and  Public  Instruction  above 
mentioned,  at  Darb  el  Gamameez, 
and  in  it  have  been  collected  together 
the  principal  treasures  of  the  mosks, 
and  many  works  in  all  languages 
have  been  added.  It  is  open  every 
day  except  Friday:  admission  free. 
Every  facility  is  provided  for  studying 
and  writing.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that 
this  excellent  institution,  which  has 
been  so  happily  begun  under  the 
auspices  of  Ali  Pasha  Moobarek, 
Minister  of  Public  Instruction,  will 
not  be  suffered  to  languish  and  come 
to  nothing,  like  so  many  other  good 
"ideas"  in  Egypt. 

All  the  various  Christian  commu- 
nities, whether  native  or  European,  ! 


have  schools  belonging  to  them. 
Among  them  may  be  mentioned  the 
Coptic  Schools  in  the  Copt  quarter, 
near  the  cathedral :  the  schools  of  the 
Freres  de  l'Ecole  Chre'tienne,  close  to 
the  Franciscan  Church;  the  Greek 
schools ;  the  Armenian  schools ;  the 
schools  of  the  American  Mission  in 
the  Esbekeeyah ;  and,  those  which 
it  will  perhaps  interest  English 
readers  the  most  to  see,  Miss  Whate- 
ley's  schools  in  the  Copt  quarter. 
The  Coptic,  the  American,  and  Miss 
Whateley's,  are  well  worth  a  visit  ; 
and  the  last  two.  which  are  very  much 
dependent  on  voluntary  contributions, 
should  receive  support  from  all  who 
can  give  it. 

The  Museum  of  Egyptian  Antiqui- 
ties contains,  with  the  exception  of 
Historical  Papyri,  of  which  it  does 
not  possess  any  at  all  equal  to  those 
in  the  British  Museum,  the  most 
instructive  and  valuable  collection  of 
Egyptian  antiquities  in  the  world ; 
the  result,  with  very  few  exceptions, 
of  the  indefatigable  labours  and  re- 
searches of  M.  Mariette,  who  has 
speut  more  than  20  years  in  studying 
and  excavating  the  old  monuments 
and  ruins  of  Egypt.  At  the  accession 
of  the  present  Khedive  in  1863,  every- 
thing connected  with  old  Egyptian 
history  was  placed  under  his  charge, 
and  all  digging  and  excavating  by 
others  forbidden ;  and  as  a  result,  the 
objects  of  interest  which  formerly 
would  have  enriched  foreign  museums 
or  private  collections,  are  exhibited 
together  in  the  most  appropriate  place 
for  their  study  and  examination,  in 
the  capital  of  the  country  whose  an- 
cient history  they  illustrate,  and  close 
to  those  ruins  whose  former  magni- 
ficence they  attest,  and  which  in  their 
turn  lend  them  an  interest  they  would 
not  otherwise  possess.  Apart  from  the 
richness  and  number  of  the  articles 
it  contains,  one  great  superiority  en- 
joyed by  this  museum  over  all  others 
is  that  the  place  whence  every  object 
comes,  from  the  most  important  down 
to  the  most  insignificant,  is  accurately 
known ;  and,  moreover,  any  frag- 
ment, however  small,  which  seemed 
to  possess  any  historic  or  scientific 


Egypt. 


EGYPTIAN  ANTIQUITIES. 


145 


interest,  has  been  preserved.  Unfor- 
tunately, no  suitable  and  permanent 
building  has  yet  been  erected  for  con- 
taining this  magnificent  collection. 
They  have  hitherto  been  housed  in  a 
temporary  building  at  Boolak,  close 
to  the  river ;  but  as  the  water  is 
fast  undermining  that,  they  will  pro- 
bably have  to  seek  other  shelter. 
Until  their  final  arrangement  in  a 
proper  edifice,  it  will  be  useless  to  give 
any  catalogue  of  the  contents.  But  a 
few  remarks  on  the  general  character 
of  the  objects  exhibited,  and  a  short 
description  of  some  of  the  more  re- 
markable monuments,  may  be  of  ser- 
vice to  the  traveller.  The  substance 
of  them  is  taken  from  the  admirable 
and  exhaustive  catalogue  written  by 
M.  Mariette  in  1868.  Every  one  who 
wishes  to  study  and  und^rst.md  the 
collection  should  purchase  this  inte- 
resting volume. 

The  objects  in  the  museum  may  be 
classed  under  5  heads,  viz.,  religious 
monuments,  funereal  monuments,  civil 
monuments,  historical  monuments, 
Greek  and  Boman  monuments. 

Tlie  religious  monuments  are  found 
in  private  houses,  tombs,  and  temples. 
Those  found  in  private  houses  are 
very  rare,  they  consist  chiefly  in 
statuettes  of  divinities  worn  as  amu- 
lets, in  symbols  which  served  for 
female  ornaments,  and  in  ancestral 
statues.  Those  found  in  the  tombs 
consist  chiefly  of  stelse  or  inscribed 
tablets,  and  little  statues  of  divinities 
taken  from  the  breasts  of  mummies. 
Those  found  in  the  temples  are  the 
most  numerous;  the  principal  kinds 
among  them  are  sacred  boats,  shrines, 
sacred  utensils,  tables  of  offerings, 
stelae,  statues  of  divinities. 

The  funereal  monuments  are  found 
in  the  tombs.  They  consist  of  sar- 
cophagi, mummy  cases,  stelae,  tables  of 
offerings,  statues  of  private  individuals, 
canopic  vases,  scarabaei,  and  other 
objects  found  on  the  mummies ;  fur- 
niture of  various  kinds,  arms,  articles 
of  toilette,  dress,  food,  &c. 

The  civil  monuments  have  also  been 
found  chiefly  in  the  tombs,  and  there- 
fore belong  rather  to  the  funereal 
monuments;   but,  as  they  serve  to 


illustrate  the  private  life  of  the  ancient 
Egyptians,  it  lias  been  thought  con- 
venient to  give  them  the  above  name. 
They  consist  of  vases,  arms,  furniture, 
tools,  articles  of  toilette,  dress,  &c. 

The  historical  monuments  have  been 
found  in  the  temples  and  tombs. 
Those  found  in  the  temples  are  the 
statues  of  kings,  and  stelae.  The  tombs 
have  furnished  the  papyri,  scarabaei, 
stelae,  vases,  &c,  bearing  the  name  of 
some  king  by  which  a  date  might  be 
fixed. 

The  Greek,  Boman,  and  Christian 
monuments.  These  are  but  poorly 
represented,  and  consist  of  a  few 
statues,  some  Coptic  papyri,  and  some 
church  candlesticks. 

The  following  monuments  will  pro- 
bably attract  the  interest  of  every 
visitor.  The  numbers  correspond  with 
M.  Mariette's  catalogue  of  1868,  and 
the  arrangement  in  the  building  at 
Boolak.  20.  Bust,  supposed  to  be  a 
likeness  of  Tirhakah  (2  K.  xix.  9).  22. 
Bust,  probably  of  Menephtah,  the  Bha- 
raoh  who  perished  in  the  Bed  Sea.  63. 
A  celebrated  stela  from  Karnak,  of 
the  time  of  Thothmes  III.  The  lower 
part  contains  a  poetical  composition 
in  true  Oriental  style,  celebrating  the 
victories  of  Thothmes.  It  is  given  in 
full  in  the  French  catalogue,  and  is 
a  beautiful  specimen  of  Egyptian 
literature  of  the  17th  centy.  B.C.  73. 
A  model  of  the  facades  of  mortuary 
chapels  of  the  New  Empire.  On  the 
fillet  above  the  cornice  are  some  ex- 
tracts from  the  '  Bitual  of  the  Dead,' 
which  deserve  to  be  quoted  : — "  I 
have  won  for  myself  God  by  my  love ; 
I  have  given  bread  to  the  hungry, 
water  to  the  thirsty,  clothes  to  the 
naked ;  I  have  afforded  refuge  to  the 

forsaken  "     These  almost 

Scriptural  words  are  often  found  on 
Egyptian  monuments,  and  one  is 
tempted  to  see  in  them  a  sort  of,  as  it 
were,  daily  prayer.  85,  86.  The  top 
and  bottom  of  a  mummy  coffin  from 
Sakkarah.  The  hard  green  basalt  is 
covered  with  engraving.  The  whole 
story  has  reference  to  the  immortality 
of  the  soul.  On  the  breast  (No.  85) 
the  soul  of  the  occupant  of  the  coffin, 
Hor-em-heb,  is  depicted  as  a  hawk 


146 


CAIRO  :  MUSEUM  OF 


Sect.  II. 


with  human  head,  holding  in  its  claws 
the  two  rings  symbolical  of  eternity. 
Above,  imaging  the  new  life  which 
awaits  the  deceased,  is  seen  the  rising 
sun,  assisted  in  its  course  by  the  god- 
desses Isis  and  Nepthys.  The  scene 
is  crowned  by  a  scarabseus,  emblem 
of  resurrection,  from  whose  fore-claws 
issue  the  three  signs  of  purity,  stability, 
and  divine  life:  close  to  it  is  again 
the  ring  of  eternity,  and  the  two  long 
feathers,  mysteriously  significative  of 
the  victory  gained  by  the  soul  over 
the  spirits  of  evil  before  being  admitted 
to  the  enjoyment  of  eternal  light. 
The  inside  of  both  the  upper  and 
under  part  of  the  coffin  is  decorated 
with  the  figure  of  a  woman  :  the  one 
with  her  arms  uplifted  and  floating  in 
celestial  space  is  an  image  of  heaven  ; 
the  other  with  hanging  arms  in  sign 
of  repose,  and  the  hieroglyphic  of 
Amenti  on  her  head,  of  what  we  call 
hell.  When  therefore  Hor-em-heb  was 
placed  in  his  coffin,  he  was  suspended 
between  heaven  and  hell,  or  life  and 
death,  while  his  soul  went  through 
the  appointed  trials,  after  accomplish- 
ing which  it  would  appear  brilliant  as 
the  sun  in  the  eastern  sky,  and  com- 
mence a  life  which  should  have  no 
death.  93,  94.  These  magnificent 
specimens  were  found  near  the  large 
pyramid  of  Sakkarah :  they  are  in- 
tended for  the  offering  of  funereal 
libations.  A  slight  groove  in  the 
table  on  the  back  of  the  lions  con- 
ducted the  liquid  into  a  vase  encircled 
by  their  tails. 

The  museum  is  especially  rich  in 
statuettes  of  the  divinities  composing 
the  old  Egyptian  pantheon.  The  fol- 
lowing are  among  the  best  specimens 
of  the  principal  gods  and  goddesses, 
most  of  which  have  been  found  at  Sak- 
karah :  107,  108,  196,  197,  250,  254. 
Osiris,  the  chief  divinity  in  Egyptian 
mythology,  representing  the  principle 
of  good.  "He,  with  Isis,  was  worshipped 
throughout  the  whole  of  Egypt.  105. 
Osiris,  with  his  two  sisters  Isis  and 
Nephthys.  Ill,  112,  113,  114,  208, 
209.  Apis,  the  sacred  bull  worshipped 
at  Memphis,  and  buried  at  Sakkarah. 
123.  Typhon,  the  principle  of  evil, 
and  so  the  natural  enemy  of  Osiris. 


127,  232,  238.  The  young  Horus,  or 
the  Harpocrates  of  the  Greeks.  131, 
132,  257.  Anubis,  always  represented 
with  a  jackal's  head.  He  is  the 
guardian  of  the  tombs,  and  is  con- 
stantly depicted  watching  over  the 
mummied  bodies.  133.  Thoth,  with 
the  body  of  a  man  and  the  head  of  an 
ibis,  is  called  the  secretary  of  the 
gods,  and  is  always  present  at  the  last 
judgment,  to  register  the  good  and 
evil  deeds  of  the  deceased.  142,  143. 
Ammon,  the  principal  divinity  of  the 
great  Theban  triad.  144.  Maut, 
goddess,  the  second  divinity  in  the 
Theban  triad;  her  name  signifies 
mother.  147,  304.  Khons,  the  third 
in  the  Theban  triad.  148.  Kneph, 
with  the  head  of  a  ram,  the  great  god 
of  the  Cataracts,  of  Ethiopia,  and  of 
the  Oases,  was  "  the  soul  of  the  world," 
and  is  represented  in  some  papyri  as 
sailing  on  the  waters  of  the  unformed 
world  (comp.  Gen.  i.  2).  149,  311. 
Phtah,  the  great  god  of  Memphis, 
represented  the  divine  creative  wis- 
dom. 157-162,  322,  323.  Pasht, 
goddess,  sometimes  with  a  lion's,  and 
sometimes  with  a  cat's  head.  164- 

166.  Ka,  the  sun-god  par  excellence. 

167.  Athor,  goddess,  sometimes  as  a 
cow,  sometimes  as  a  woman  with  cow's 
head.  174.  Mandoo,  the  god  of 
battles.  175.  Ma,  or  Thmei,  the  god- 
dess of  truth  and  justice.  177.  Neitb, 
goddess,  the  principal  divinity  of 
Sais :  statue  in  lapis  lazuli. 

There  are  other  statuettes  of  divini- 
ties, of  sacred  animals  emblematic  of 
divinities,  and  various  symbolical  em- 
blems well  worthy  of  notice,  both  for 
the  value  of  the  material  of  which  they 
are  composed  and  the  fineness  of  the 
workmanship.  Some  of  the  mosaic 
work,  composed  of  different  coloured 
stones,  is  especially  remarkable,  and 
the  empty  grooves  in  some  of  the 
bronzes  show  the  way  in  which  the 
stones  were  let  in.  Among  the  animals 
may  be  seen  a  cow  in  red  jasper,  a  dog 
in  agate,  a  hippopotamus  in  lapis  lazuli, 
and  a  variety  of  monkeys,  fish,  frogs, 
geese,  &c.  Among  the  symbolical 
emblems  found  in  mummies  are  little 
columns  in  green  feldspath  for  the 
rich,  in  porcelain  for  the  poor,  sym- 


Egypt, 


EGYPTIAN  ANTIQUITIES. 


147 


bolizing  the  renewing  of  the  youth  of 
the  soul ;  seals  of  lapis  lazuli  sym- 
bolizing the  promise  of  eternity  ;  disks 
in  red  glass  surmounting  the  hiero- 
glyph mountain  are  symbols  of  the 
rising  sun,  i.e.  the  arrival  of  the  soul  I 
in  the  regions  of  the  blessed ;  bound  j 
oxen,  of  the  sacrifices  to  be  offered 
periodically  to  the  manes  of  the  dead  ; 
angles,  of  mystery  and  adoration  ;  tri-  ] 
angles,  of  equality ;  pillows,  of  eternal 
rest  for  the  just ;  and  the  vafa  or 
mystic  eye,  commonly  called  the  eye 
of  Oniris. 

385,  386,  387.  These  three  beautiful  j 
works  of  art  were  found  in  a  tomb  at  I 
Sakkarah,  together  with  the  statuette  j 
No.  560,  which  bearing  the  name  of 
Nectanebo  I.  seems  to  prove  them  to 
belong  to  the  XXXth  dynasty  (380 
B.C.).  385,  in  serpentine,  represents 
Psammetichus,  a  high  court  function- 
ary protected,  as  it  were,  by  Athor 
under  the  form  of  a  cow ;  386,  in  basalt, 
Osiris;  and  387,  in  serpentine,  Isis. 
The  extraordinary  delicacy  and  beauty 
of  the  work  in  these  statues,  especially 
in  385,  is  the  more  wonderful,  con- 
sidering the  hard  and  stubborn 
material  in  which  they  are  executed. 
388.  A  magnificent  bronze  of  the  god 
Nefer-Toom.  389.  A  papyrus  from 
Thebes,  with  chapters  from  'The 
Book  of  the  Dead ' ;  portions  of  which 
book  were  always  buried  with  the 
mummy.  The  most  complete  copy  of 
the  'Book  of  the  Dead'  is  at  Turin, 
and  contains  more  than  165  chapters : 
it  is  an  account  of  what  the  soul 
undergoes  between  leaving  the  body 
and  reaching  the  heavenly  sphere. 
390.  A  painted  wooden  stela,  from 
Dayr  el  Bahree  at  Thebes,  curious  as 
showing  a  departure  from  the  con- 
ventional mode  of  drawing,  and  an 
attempt  at  landscape  and  perspective. 
On  the  right  of  the  picture,  among 
acacias  and  palms  whicli  border  the 
cultivated  land,  is  a  table  covered  with 
offerings ;  on  the  left  is  a  tomb  on  the 
edge  of  the  desert,  with  a  pylon  in 
front  surmounted  by  two  small  pyra- 
mids;  a  little  further  off  is  the  shrine 
covering  the  actual  place  of  burial ;  a 
relative  of  the  deceased,  on  her  knees 
and  in  the  posture  of  weeping,  occupies 


the  centre.  The  result  of  this  attempt 
at  picturesque  painting  is  not  such  as 
to  cause  a  regret  that  specimens  of  it 
are  so  infrequent.  396.  Four  good 
specimens  of  the  co-called  Canopic 
vases,  intended  to  contain  those  parts 
of  the  body,  such  as  the  heart,  lungs, 
and  liver,  which  were  not  included  in 
the  ordinary  process  of  embalming. 
In  the  present  instance  all  four  have 
coverings  in  the  shape  of  a  human 
head ;  but,  as  may  be  seen  from  other 
specimens,  it  was  more  usual  for  the 
coverings  to  be  different,  representing 
respectively  the  head  of  a  man,  a 
jackal,  a  hawk,  and  a  cynocephalus. 
398.  A  magnificent  specimen  of  a 
funereal  scarabseus  in  green  porphyry. 
This  insect  was  regarded  as  the  emblem 
of  resurrection,  and  under  the  Pto- 
lemies the  habit  became  general  of 
placing  one  inside  the  mummied  body 
in  the  place  of  the  heart,  as  figuring 
forth  the  promise  of  a  future  life. 
There  are  many  other  fine  ones  in 
lapis  lazuli  and  green  feldspath.  399- 
407.  Good  examples  of  the  mummy 
emblems  called  schwdbti  in  Egyptian, 
which  are  always  found  scattered 
about,  or  in  boxes,  in  the  mortuary 
chambers.  Perhaps  they  were  in- 
tended to  act  as  assistants  to  the 
deceased  in  the  labour,  which,  accord- 
ing to  the  '  Book  of  the  Dead,'  awaited 
all,  of  cultivating  vast  fields  in  the 
future  world.  The  two  hoes,  or  hoe 
and  pickaxe,  and  the  sack  of  grain, 
which  many  are  represented  carrying, 
(see  esp.  404)  favour  this  idea.  The 
blue  porcelain  ones,  which  are  very 
common,  date  from  about  700  B.C.  to 
300  B.C.  415.  Cones,  only  found  thickly 
scattered  at  the  entrance  of  tombs  at 
Drah-aboo-l-neggah  at  Thebes ;  they 
were  perhaps  intended  to  distinguish 
the  place  where  a  burial-ground  had 
been,  after  outward  signs  of  it  had 
disappeared — a  precaution  necessary 
at  Thebes,  which,  from  being  bounded 
on  the  west  by  high  mountains,  could 
not  extend  its  necropolis  at  pleasure 
like  Memphis  or  Abydos.  425.  Mum- 
mies of  little  crocodiles,  emblems  of 
the  god  Sebek,  or  Savak. 

458,  459,  463.  Excellent  specimens 
of  old  Egyptian  art.     471.  Curious 
h  2 


148 


CAIRO  :  MUSEUM  OF 


Sect.  II. 


handle  of  perfume-box,  representing 
a  woman  swimming.  474.  Draught 
or  chess  board.  475,  476.  Looking- 
glasses.  477.  Wooden  toilet  pin-cushion 
in  the  form  of  a  tortoise,  the  pins  of 
wood  with  carved  dogs'  heads.  478. 
Child's  bell.  482-486.  Five  very  hand- 
some vessels  of  massive  silver,  pro- 
bably used  for  religious  purposes,  found 
at  Tel  et  Tmei,  the  ancient  Thmuis 
in  the  Delta,  not  far  from  Mansoorah. 

492.  A  statue  in  wood  found  at  Sak- 
karah,  representing  probably  an  old 
Egyptian  sheyhh  el  beled,  or  village 
chief.  This  statue  is  remarkable  for 
the  spirit  with  which  it  is  executed. 
Both  the  head  and  body  are  admirably 
true  to  nature,  and  constitute  evidently 
a  striking  likeness  of  the  person  in- 
tended to  be  represented.  The  wood  has 
been  covered  with  a  slight  coating  of 
stucco,  painted  red  and  white.  The 
eyes  are  inserted  within  a  closing  cover- 
ing of  bronze  which  serves  for  eyelids ; 
the  eye  itself  consists  of  a  piece  of 
opaque  white  quartz,  with  a  piece 
of  rock  crystal  in  the  centre  for  pupil  ; 
beneath  this  rock  crystal  is  a  glitter- 
ing point  which  gives  the  whole  eye  a 
sort  of  life-like  look.  The  feet  of  this 
statue  have  been  restored  in  order  to 
place  it  upright.  Its  state  of  pre- 
servation after  more  than  6000  years 
is  not  the  least  wonderful  thing  about 
this  unique  specimen  of  Egyptian 
art 

507,  508,  513,  537,  541,  556,  and 
many  others,  offer  good  examples  of  his- 
torical scarabsei,  bearing  in  general  the 
name  of  some  king.  It  must  not  be 
inferred,  however,  that  a  scarabseus  is 
always  contemporary  with  the  monarch 
whose  name  it  bears,  the  custom  being 
to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  great  kings 
in  this  way  ;  e.g.  the  name  of  Thoth- 
mes  III.,  so  often  found  on  scaraba?i, 
continued  to  be  engraved  on  them 
down  to  the  time  of  the  Ptolemies. 
507,  which  bears  the  name  of  Myce- 
rinus,  the  builder  of  the  3rd  Pyramid 
of  Geezeh,  may  be  of  his  time.  556 
bears  the  name  of  Necho,  the  Pharaoh 
who,  after  defeating  and  killing  Josiah 
at  Megiddo,  was  himself  vanquished 
at  Carchemish  by  Nebuchadnezzar. 
532.  A  beautiful  model  in  massive 


silver  of  a  boat  and  its  rowers,  found 
at  Thebes  among  the  other  precious 
objects  on  the  mummy  of  Queen 
Aahhotep  (see  839).  The  sculptures 
show  that  the  old  Egyptian  boats  very 
much  resembled  those  of  the  present 
day,  and  were  navigated  in  the  same 
way ;  they  sailed  up  and  rowed  down 
the  stream,  but  the  sail  instead  of 
being  pointed  was  square,  though 
square  sails  of  the  old  shape  may  still 
occasionally  be  seen,  especially  in  the 
Delta.  539.  Beautifully  worked  head 
of  a  lion  bearing  the  name  of  Hat-a- 
soo,  the  famous  queen,  sister  of  Thoth- 
mes  II.  and  III. 

578.  A  magnificent  statue  repre- 
senting, as  proved  by  the  inscription 
on  the  base,  Chephren,  or  Shafra,  the 
builder  of  the  Second  Pyramid  of 
Geezeh.  This  in  every  way  remark- 
able statue  was  found  at  the  bottom 
of  a  well  in  the  granite  and  alabaster 
temple  to  the  S.E.  of  the  Sphinx  at 
Geezeh.  The  king  is  in  the  sitting 
posture  prescribed  by  the  religious 
laws  of  Egypt.  Behind  his  head 
stands  a  hawk  with  outstretched  wings 
in  sign  of  protection.  The  left  hand 
lies  open  on  the  thigh ;  the  right 
holds  a  folded  papyrus  roll.  The  de- 
tails of  the  chair  are  worth  notice. 
The  arms  end  in  carved  lions'  heads : 
on  the  sides  are  figured  in  high  relief 
the  stems  of  the  two  plants  (lotus 
and  papyrus),  which  serve  to  represent 
Upper  and  Lower  Egypt,  twined 
around  the  hieroglyphic  sign  sam, 
or  reunion.  The  beauty  and  finish 
of  the  sculpture,  and  the  fidelity  to 
nature  observable  in  the  details  of 
this  statue  prove  that  Egyptian  art 
had  already  reached  a  high  degree  of 
perfection  even  at  that  remote  period. 
The  hard  nature  of  the  stone,  diorite 
of  the  closest  texture,  must  increase 
one's  admiration  of  the  sculptor  who 
could  produce  so  evident  a  likeness 
in  such  a  stubborn  material.  Eight 
other  statues  of  smaller  dimensions, 
all  bearing  the  name  of  Chephren, 
were  found  in  the  same  temple.  One 
of  them  is  in  the  Museum  (792),  the 
others  were  more  or  less  in  pieces. 

581.  Monumental  tablet  of  great 
historical  importance  found  in  a  ruin 


Egypt. 


EGYPTIAN  ANTIQUITIES. 


149 


at  the  foot  of  the  southernmost  of  the 
three  smaller  pyramids  that  border 
the  big  one  :  it  appears  to  have  been 
set  in  a  wall.  From  the  very  inter- 
esting inscriptions  on  it  we  learn  that 
u  Shoofoo  (Cheops)  cleared  out  the 
temple  of  Isis  .  .  .  near  the  Sphinx ;  " 
and  that  "the  Sphinx  of  Hor-em-Khoo 
(Armachis)  "  was  "to  the  south  of  the 
temple  of  Isis  and  to  the  north  [of 
the  temple]  of  Osiris."  On  the  face 
of  the  stone  are  representations  of  all 
the  principal  divinities,  including  the 
Sphinx,  with  a  short'  description  of 
the  materials  of  which  their  respective 
statues  and  symbols  were  composed  : 
e.g.  the  statue  of  Isis  was  to  be  of 
gold  r.nd  silver  :  that  of  Horus  of  wood 
with  stone  eyes  :  the  "  thrice  beauti- 
ful "  bark  of  Isis  of  gilded  wood  with 
precious  stones.  The  historical  im- 
portance of  this  stone  is  considerable  ; 
for  whether  it  be  contemporaneous 
with  Cheops,  or  belongs  to  a  later 
epoch,  it  proves  nevertheless  certainly 
that  the  Sphinx  existed  before  the 
time  of  Cheops  (see  further,  Excur. 
vi.,  i.) ;  and,  which  is  even  more  im- 
portant, that  the  Egyptians  at  that 
remote  period  were  a  rich  and  civilised 
people,  accustomed  at  any  rate  in 
things  pertaining  to  their  religious 
ceremonies  to  a  great  profusion  of 
gold,  silver,  bronze,  &c. 

582,  583,  584,  588.  Good  specimens 
of  the  sculptor's  art  under  the  old  Em- 
pire. The  large  wigs  so  often  depicted 
served  in  those  days  the  purpose  of  the 
modern  turban.  623-688.  Various  spe- 
cimens of  the  sculptor's  art,  from  the 
crudest  first  attempts,  such  as  623, 
638,  &c,  to  the  most  elaborately 
finished  models,  such  as  637,  a  royal 
head.  652-654.  Heads  of  a  cyno- 
cephalus,  a  lion,  and  a  lioness.  682- 
684.  Earns.  691.  Curious  wooden  box 
from  a  very  old  tomb  at  Sakkarah,  full 
of  miniature  articles  in  bronze,  wood, 
and  alabaster.  694.  Wooden  box,  with 
a  drawer  containing  materials  for  a 
game  resembling  draughts.  699  is 
well  worthy  of  attention  as  a  sample 
of  the  state  in  which  all  the  beautiful 
bronze  statuettes  in  the  Museum  were 
when  first  found.  The  Egyptians  con- 
sidered sand  impure,  and  in  order  to 


purify  it  for  the  erection  of  any  sacred 
edifice  covered  it  with  small  images 
of  divinities :  such  was  the  case  with 
the  Serapeum  at  Memphis,  which  has 
yielded  up  thousands  of  these  images 
in  the  state  here  seen.  715-726  is  a 
magnificent  collection  of  stelse  from 
Abydos,  of  the  Xllth  and  XIHth 
dynasties. 

Many  of  the  mummy  cases  and 
mummies  are  remarkable  for  the  brilli- 
ancy of  the  colours  and  their  complete 
state  of  preservation :  728  and  734  are 
good  specimens  of  cases,  and  741, 
742,  and  743  of  mummies.  791  com- 
prises a  collection  of  weapons  of  war 
and  of  the  chase,  all  of  wood,  the 
arrows  tipped  with  bone.  The  assort- 
ment of  comestibles,  articles  of  furni- 
ture, &c,  is  very  interesting :  among 
them  may  be  observed  eggs  (of  the 
ibis  and  hawk),  bread,  raisins,  corn 
of  various  kinds,  chairs,  stools,  sandals 
made  of  papyrus  leaves,  &c. :  experi- 
ments have  been  made  in  sowing  the 
different  seeds,  but  none  have  ever 
germinated.  A  great  sensation  was 
created  in  the  scientific  world  about 
40  years  ago  by  the  announcement 
that  some  grains  of  wheat  obtained  by 
travellers  from  a  mummy  case  at  Kar- 
nak  at  Thebes,  and  which  must  have 
been  lying  there  4000  years,  had  been 
sown  in  England  and  France,  and  had 
sprouted.  Other  examples  of  extra- 
ordinary vitality  in  grain  which  had 
been  so  long  deprived  of  light  and  air 
followed.  Investigation  proved,  how- 
ever, that  the  wheat,  previously  stained 
with  tobacco-juice,  had  been  sys- 
tem Aically  placed  by  the  fellaheen 
of  Karnak  inside  the  mummy  cases. 
Surgical  instruments  have  also  been 
found,  but,  to  judge  by  the  specimen 
exhibited  of  a  broken  thigh-bone  which 
has  been  set  with  the  two  parts  con- 
siderably overlapping  one  another,  the 
Egyptian  surgeons  were  not  very  skil- 
ful. Combs,  rings,  perfume  boxes, 
needles,  knives,  scissors,  weights,  and 
many  other  objects  of  domestic  and 
general  use  abound.  It  may  be  re- 
marked that  nothing  is  made  of  iron, 
the  Egyptians  considering  iron  as  a 
bone  of  Typhon,  and  so  accursed. 
Especially  worthy  of  attention  is  a 


150 


CAIRO  :  MUSEUM  OF 


Sect.  II. 


paint-box  and  palette  with  5  divi- 
sions in  which  the  colours  are  still  to 
be  seen. 

The  collection  of  Eoman  and  Greek 
objects  is  comparatively  small.  Lamps 
chiefly  from  the  Labyrinth  in  the 
Fyodm  abound.  There  are  curious  bas- 
reliefs  sculptured  in  bone.  The  articles 
of  Christian  origin,  bronze  church- 
lamps,  were  all  found  in  the  Fyoom. 

The  magnificent  collection  of  gold 
jewels  will  be  remembered  by  every 
visitor  to  the  Paris  Exhibition  in  1867. 
The  greater  part  of  them  were  taken 
from  the  mummy  of  a  queen  named 
Aah-hotep  found  at  Drah-Aboo-l-neg- 
gah  at  Thebes.  Who  Aah-hotep  was 
is  a  matter  of  dnubo  even  to  M.  Ma- 
riette,  but  from  the  kingly  names  en- 
graved on  many  of  the  jewels — Ea- 
ooat-kheper-Kames,  and  Ba-neb-pehti 
Ahmes-nukht — he  is  inclined  to  con- 
clude that  she  was  the  wife  of  Karnes, 
and  the  mother  of  Ahmes,  better 
known  a3  Amosis,  the  conqueror  of 
the  Hyksos,  and  first  king  of  the 
XVIIIth  dynasty. 

Among  the  most  remarkable  objects 
found  on  this  queen  may  be  specified 
— 810.  A  double-hinged  bracelet  with 
gold  figures  graven  on  blue  glass, 
meant  to  imitate  lapis  lazuli.  <sl3. 
A  large  bracelet  in  two  parts  joined 
by  a  hinge.  On  the  outside  a  vulture, 
its  wings  composed  of  small  pieces  of 
lapis,  cornelian,  and  green  glass  set 
in  gold :  the  back  is  ornamented  with 
lines  of  turquoises.  814.  A  splendid 
diadem  formed  by  a  royal  signet 
flanked  on  each  side  by  a  sphinx. 

815.  A  gold  chain  with  a  scarabseus 
depending  from  it :  the  chain  is  nearly 
a  yard  long  and  of  extreme  flexibility, 
at  each  end  is  the  head  of  a  goose 
turned  back  ;  the  scarabaeus  is  a  beau- 
tiful specimen  of  the  goldsmith's  art. 

816.  An  axe :  the  handle,  of  cedar  co- 
vered with  gold-leaf,  is  carved  with 
hieroglyphs  and  set  with  lapis,  cor- 
nelian, turquoise,  and  feldspath  :  the 
blade,  of  bronze  covered  with  a  thick 
coating  of  gold  -  leaf,  is  ornamented 
with  designs  on  both  sides,  one  repre- 
senting Amosis  in  the  act  of  striking 
an  enemy.  817.  Dagger  and  case  in 
gold,  remarkable  for  the  grace  and 


elegance  of  its  shape  :  four  female 
heads  stamped  in  gold-leaf  on  the 
wood  form  the  pommel ;  the  handle 
is  decorated  with  triangles  of  gold, 
lapis,  cornelian,  and  feldspath ;  a  head 
of  Apis  conceals  the  joining  of  the 
handle  and  blade ;  the  blade  is  very 
remarkable,  the  outer  part  of  gold, 
the  centre  of  some  hard  dark-looking 
metal;  on  this  centre  band  are  da- 
mascened figures  and  inscriptions, 
among  which  may  be  remarked  a  lion 
springing  on  a  bull.  823.  A.  necklace 
of  the  kind  called  in  Egyptian  oosekh, 
always  placed  on  the  breasts  of  mum- 
mies; tae  ornamentation  is  very  rich. 
824.  A  picture  in  the  form  of  a  small 
vaos,  or  chapel ;  in  the  centre  is  Amo- 
sis standing  in  a  boat,  two  divinities 
are  pouring  on  his  head  the  water  of 
purification,  above  float  two  hawks. 
This  with  the  bracelet  (810),  and  the 
damascened  poignaid  (817),  are  the 
gems  of  the  collection.  839.  A  boat 
of  solid  gold  witli  12  rowers  in  silver, 
and  mounted  on  a  wooden  truck  with 
bronze  wheels  (v.  532).  In  the  centre 
is  an  individual  seated,  holding  an 
axe  and  a  curved  stick;  at  the  prow 
another  is  standing  in  a  kind  of  cabin ; 
at  the  stem  is  the  helmsman,  with 
another  cabin  behind  him :  these  three 
personages  are  in  gold. 

Besides  the  above  jewels  found  with 
Queen  Aah-hotep  are  a  few  others  from 
different  places : — 855,  856.  A  pair  of 
magnificent  gold  ear-rings  covered 
with  a  kind  of  red  varnish,  found  on 
a  mummy  of  the  time  of  the  Vlth  or 
the  Xllth  dynasties.  To  a  lens-shaped 
disk  are  attached  five  sun-crowned 
asps,  from  which  again  hang  by  small 
chains  seven  other  similar  asps.  The 
weight  of  these  ornaments  precludes  the 
idea  of  their  ever  having  been  hung 
from  the  ear ;  they  probably  formed  part 
of  a  head-dress.  858-865  are  examples 
of  jewellery  of  the  Eoman  period 
found  at  Sais.  Their  workmanship 
seems  to  indicate  that  the  jeweller's 
art  had  lost  rather  than  gained  in  the 
1700  years  that  had  elapsed  since 
the  time  of  Queen  Aah-hotep.  866. 
The  alabaster  statue  of  Queen  Am- 
eneritis  is  a  fitting  companion  to  the 
collection  of  jewellery.    It  was  found 


Egypt. 


EGYPTIAN  ANTIQUITIES  j  HOSPITALS,  &C. 


151 


at  Karnak  fixed  to  the  granite  base 
on  which  it  now  stands,  and  on  which 
are  carved  the  titles  of  the  queen. 
She  was  probably  the  sister  of  Sabaco, 
and  the  mother-in-law  of  Pbammeti- 
chus  I.  (650  B.C.). 

Among  the  aids  to  a  more  accurate 
knowledge  of  Egyptian  history  none 
have  been  of  more  importance  than 
the  objects  discovered  by  M.  Mariette 
at  San  (Tanis),  tending  to  clear  up 
the  obscure  period  known  as  the  domi- 
nation of  the  Hyksos.  Of  these  the 
most  remarkable  is  867,  a  black  gra- 
nite sphinx.  Its  features,  which  are 
quite  different  from  those  of  the  true 
Egyptian  sphinx,  point  to  an  Asiatic 
origin,  but  the  writing  on  it  is  in 
Egyptian  hieroglyphs,  and  from  this 
fact  it  is  argued  that  the  Hyksos 
were  not  mere  savage  invaders,  as 
Manetho  relates,  but  that  they  settled 
in  Egypt,  adopted  Egyptian  manners 
and  customs,  aud  worshipped  Egyp- 
tian gods.  According  to  M.  Mariette, 
the  features  of  the  modern  inhabitants 
of  San  and  the  shores  of  Lake  Men- 
zaleh  as  exactly  resemble  those  of  this 
sphinx,  as  they  differ  from  those  of  the 
regular  Egyptian  type.  A  number 
of  colossal  statues  of  various  kings 
found  at  San  serve  to  illustrate  this 
position  further. 

916  is  the  famous  monument  known 
as  the  Tablet  of  Sakkarah,  on  which 
are  inscribed  the  names  of  58  kings 
exactly  corresponding  to  those  in  the 
list  of  Manetho.    It  was  found  at  ! 
Sakkarah  in  the  mortuary  chapel  of 
a  priest  who  died  in  the  reign  of  Ea-  ' 
meses  II.    Its  discovery  has  been  a  j 
great  help  towards  the  attempt  to  solve 
the  difficult  problem  of  the  Egyptian  I 
dynasties.   Another  important  gain  to  j 
Egyptian  history  was  tile  discovery  of  ! 
five  monumental  tablets  (stelae),  917- 
921,  at,  Gebel  el  Barkah,  near  Meroe,  i 
in  the  Soodan.    From  these  we  learn 
that  Ethiopia,  after  being  a  province 
of  Egypt,  became  an  independent 
kingdom  under  the  XXIInd  dynasty 
(cir.  800  B.C.),  and  that  the  Ethiopian 
king  Piankhi  i  cir.  700  B.C.)  ruled  over 
the  greater  part  of  Egypt.    947  gives 
an  account  of  Piankhi's  accession  to 
the  double  throne,  and  his  conquests 


in  Lower  Egypt.  918,  called  by  M. 
Mariette  "  la  stele  du  songe "  (of  the 
dream),  gives  a  somewhat  similar  ac- 
count of  a  king  named  Amu-meri- 
Nout.  914.  "La  stele  de  l'intronisa- 
tion  "  relates  the  election  and  crown- 
ing of  a  king  whose  name  has  been 
effaced.  It  may  be  inferred  from  these 
records,  which  are  written  in  the 
Egyptian  language,  and  have  con- 
stant reference  to  matters  connected 
with  Egypt,  that  Ethiopia  was  no 
longer  the  child,  but  the  rival  of 
Egypt  in  religion  and  civilisation. 

970.  A  most  perfect  model  of  a 
sarcophagus  in  rose-coloured  granite 
found  near  the  Great  Pyramid  of 
Geezeh  in  the  tomb  of  Khoofoo-ankh, 
a  functionary  conjectured  to  have 
lived  cir.  3500  B.C. 

Last,  but  not  least  in  this  hasty 
resume,  comes  the  famous  trilingual 
stone  discovered  at  San  (Tanis),  and 
called  "  the  Stone  of  San,"  or  "  the 
Decree  of  Canopus."  It  records  in 
hieroglyphic,  Greek,  and  demotic  cha- 
racters, a  decree  of  the  priests  of  Egypt 
assembled  at  Canopus  in  the  ninth 
year  of  Ptolemy  Euergetes  (b.c.  254  , 
ordaining  the  deification  of  Berenice,  a 
daughter  of  Ptolemy's,  just  dead,  and 
creating  a  fifth  order  of  priests,  to  be 
called  Euergetae,  for  the  better  pay- 
ing of  divine  honours  to  the  king  and 
queen.  The  face  of  the  stone  bears 
the  inscription  in  hieroglyphs  and  in 
Greek,  the  rendering  in  the  demotic, 
character,  or  common  Egyptian  writ- 
ing, is  on  the  sides.  A  plaster  cast  of 
this  very  important  monument  is  in 
the  British  Museum. 

18.  Hospitals  and  Benevolent 
Societies.  —  The  Egyptian  General 
Hospital  is  situated  on  the  banks  of 
the  Nile,  between  Old  Cairo  and  Boo- 
lak.  It  is  very  large,  and  has  the 
advantage  of  a  garden  and  open 
spaces.  It  is  under  the  charge  of 
native  doctors  educated  abroad,  or  in 
the  School  of  Medicine  at  Kasr  el  Ain. 
The  European  Hospital  is  under  the 
patronage  of  the  foreign  consuls.  The 
nursing  is  done  by  Sisters  of  Charity. 
Terms  of  admission :  1st  class,  12  frs.  ; 
2nd  class,  6  frs. ;  3rd  class,  3  frs. 


152 


CAIEO  :  THEATRES,  AMUSEMENTS  ;  FESTIVALS,       Sect.  II. 


There  are  various  charitable  socie- 
ties, destined  for  the  relief  of  indigent 
Europeans  of  different  nationalites. 

19.  Theatkes,  Amusements,  &c. 
■ — The  Opera  House,  a  handsome  look- 
ing building  in  the  Esbekeeyah,  was 
erected  in  the  short  time  of  five  months 
in  the  summer  of  1869,  in  order  to  be 
ready  for  the  fetes  at  the  opening  of 
the  Suez  Canal.  The  interior  is  well 
and  comfortably  arranged,  and  the 
foyer  a  remarkably  large  and  well 
proportioned  room  for  the  size  of  the 
house.  Italian  opera  is  performed  by 
a  very  good  company  from  November 
to  March.  The  expenses,  which  are 
by  no  means  met  by  the  receipts,  are 
provided  for  out  of  the  Khedive's 
private  purse.  The  boxes  in  the  first 
two  tiers  are  always  let  for  the  season. 
Boxes  in  the  3rd  tier,  60  frs.  Stalls, 
which  are  very  comfortable,  10  frs. 

At  the  French  Theatre,  a  little  fur- 
ther down  on  the  same  side  of  the  Esbe- 
keeyah, are  performed  plays  chiefly  of 
the  Palais  Koyal  type,  with  an  occa- 
sional Theatre  Francais  piece,  and 
Opera  Bouffe.  The  representations 
are  on  alternate  nights  with  the  opera, 
but  they  commence  a  month  earlier, 
and  continue  a  month  longer.  Boxes  : 
1st  tier,  45  frs. ;  2nd  tier,  75  frs. ; 
stalls,  5  frs. 

In  the  Hippodrome,  a  large  oval- 
shaped  building,  open  to  the  sky, 
opened  in  1871,  and  capable  of  con- 
taining 8000  people,  performances  are 
given  by  a  circus  company  on  Sun- 
days and  Fridays. 

There  is  an  open-air  theatre  in  the 
Esbekeeyah  Gardens,  and  a  band  plays 
there  in  the  afternoon. 

The  Dancing  Dervishes  are  to  be 
seen  every  Friday  about  2  p.m.,  at 
their  convent  in  the  interior  of  the 
city.  The  performers  dance  in  a 
circle  round  an  enclosed  space  in  the 
centre  of  a  room.  Throwing  their 
cloaks  from  them,  and  appearing  in  a 
long  coloured  cloth  robe  confined  at 
the  waist,  they  advance  in  turn  to 
the  sheykh  who  is  seated  on  one  side 
of  the  enclosure,  and  each,  after  he 
has  made  his  bow  with  hands  folded 
across  his  breast,  raises  them  above 


his  head,  and  begins  pirouetting 
round ;  the  bottom  of  the  robe  being 
slightly  weighted,  it  soon  assumes  a 
most  perfect  bell-like  shape,  and  the 
best  dancer  is  he  who  can  keep  it  in 
this  form  without  the  slightest  symp- 
tom of  collapse.  The  dancing  is  ac- 
companied by  hideous  music.  After 
they  have  whirled  round  in  this  way, 
sometimes  slowly,  sometimes  quickly, 
for  some  minutes,  they  suddenly  stop, 
and,  after  repeating  the  how  to  the 
sheykh,  sit  down ;  one,  who  has  not 
joined  in  the  dancing,  going  round 
and  throwing  their  .cloaks  over  them, 
a  precaution  which  the  state  of  heat 
they  have  got  into  renders  necessary. 
After  a  short  rest  they  begin  again, 
and  the  same  thing  is  repeated.  The 
whole  performance  lasts  about  an 
hour. 

The  street  jugglers  are  clever  and 
amusing. 

20.  Festivals  and  Religious  Cere- 
monies.— -The  principal  annual  cere- 
mony at  Cairo  is  the  departure  of  the 
pilgrims  for  Mecca,  on  the  25th  of 
Showal.  The  Mahmal  and  the  Kisweh 
are  the  chief  objects  in  this  procession. 
The  former  is  a  velvet  canopy,  borne  on 
a  camel  richly  caparisoned,  and  was 
originally  intended  for  the  travelling 
seat,  or  Garmcot,  of  the  wives  of  the  ca- 
liphs who  went  to  the  pilgrimage.  This 
and  the  Mohub,  or  pomp  that  attends 
the  pilgrims,  were  first  suggested  by 
Sheggeret  ed-Durr,  the  queen  of  Sultan 
Saleh,  who  was  anxious  to  add  to  the 
splendour  of  the  hitherto  simple  pro- 
cession of  the  Faithful ;  and  the  dan- 
gers of  the  journey  were  at  the  same 
time  greatly  decreased  by  an  addi- 
tional reinforcement  of  guards.  The 
Kiswet  en  Nebbee  is  the  lining  of  the 
Kaaba,  or  temple  of  Mecca.  It  is  of 
rich  silk,  adorned  with  Arabic  sen- 
tences embroidered  in  gold,  and  is 
yearly  supplied  from  Cairo;  the  old 
one  being  then  returned  and  divided 
into  small  portions  for  the  benefit,  or 
satisfaction,  of  the  credulous. 

The  pilgrims,  after  staying  two  days 
at  the  edge  of  the  desert,  near  Dirner- 
dash.  proceed  to  the  Birket  el  Hag,  or 
"  Lake  of  the  Pilgrims,"  where  they 


Egypt. 


AND  RELIGIOUS  CEREMONIES. 


153 


remain  a  day  :  from  thence  they  go  to 
El  Harnra  (now  whitened  and  changed 
into  the  name  of  El  Bayda),  and,  after 
a  halt  of  a  day  there,  they  continue 
their  journey  as  far  as  Agerood,  where 
they  stop  one  day  ;  and  having  seen  the 
new  moon  of  Zul-kadi,  they  leave  the 
frontier  of  Egypt,  cross  the  northern 
part  of  the  peninsula  of  Mount  Sinai  to 
El  Akaba,  at  the  end  of  the  Eastern 
Gulf,  and  then  continue  their  march 
through  Arabia,  till  they  arrive  at 
Mecca.  After  having  performed  the 
prescribed  ceremonies  there,  having 
walked  seven  times  at  least  round  the 
Kaaba,  and  kissed  the  black  stone, 
taken  water  from  the  holy  well  of 
Zernzem,  visited  the  hill  of  Zafa,  and 
the  Omra,  the  70.000  pilgrims  proceed 
to  the  holy  hill  of  Arafat.  This  is  the 
number  said  to  be  collected  annually 
at  the  pilgrimage  from  the  various 
nations  of  Islam ;  and  so  necessary  is 
it  that  it  should  be  completed  on  the 
occasion,  that  angels  are  supposed  to 
come  down  to  supply  this  deficiency, 
whenever  the  pilgrimage  is  thinly  at- 
tended. Such  is  the  effect  of  the 
magical  number  7,  and  of  the  credulity 
of  the  East. 

The-  day  before  the  'Eed,  or 
Festival,  the  pilgrims  ascend  the 
holy  hill  of  Arafat,  which  is  thence 
called  Xahr  el  Wakfek,  "the  day 
of  the  ascent,"  or  "  standing  upon  " 
(the  hill)  :  there  they  remain  all  night, 
and  nest  day,  which  is  the  'Eed,  they 
sacrifice  on  the  hill ;  then,  having  gone 
down,  they  with  closed  eyes  pick  up 
seven-times-seven  small  stones,  which 
they  throw  upon  the  tomb  of  the  devil 
at  even,  and  next  day  go  to  Mecca, 
where  they  remain  10  or  15  days. 
The  period  from  leaving  Cairo  to  the 
Wakfeh  is  33  days,  and  the  whole  time, 
from  the  day  of  leaving  the  hill  of 
Arafat  to  that  of  entering  Cairo,  is  67 
days. 

Their  return  to  Cairo  is  also  a  day 
of  great  rejoicing,  when  the  pilgrims 
enter  in  procession  by  the  Bab  en 
Na?r,  about  the  end  of  the  month 
Safier,  generally  the  25th  or  27th. 
But  this  ceremony  is  neither  so  im- 
portant, nor  so  scrupulously  observed, 
as  the  departure;  each  person  being 


j  more  anxious  to  return  to  his  friends 
than  to  perform  a  part  in  an  unprofit- 
able pageant. 

The  'Eed  es  Sugheiyer,  or  "Lesser 
Festival,"  so  called  from  being  the 
minor  of  the  two  great  general  festi- 
vals of  the  Muslims,  falls  on  the  begin- 
ning of  Showal,  the  month  immedi- 
ately following  the  fast  of  Eamadan, 
and  continues  three  days.  The  'Eed 
el  Kebeer,  "  the  Greater  Festival,"  or 
'Eed  ed  Daheeyer  ("  of  the  sacrifice  "), 
also  continues  three  davs,  and  is  kept 
on  the  10th,  11th,  and  12th  of  Zul-hag. 
On  the  first  of  these  days  (it  being 
the  day  on  which  the  pilgrims  per- 
form their  sacrifice  at  Mecca)  a  victim 
is  slain  by  all  who  can  afford  to  pur- 
chase one.  The  Lesser  Festival  is 
observed  with  more  rejoicing  than  the 
Greater.  The  two  are  called  by  the 
Turks  respectively  Eamadan  Beiram, 
and  Kurban  Beiram. 

The  three  days  of  both  the  Festivals 
are  celebrated  at  Cairo  by  amusements 
of  various  kinds ;  the  guns  of  the  cita- 
del during  that  time  being  fired  at 
every  hour  of  prayer,  5  times  each 
day.  The  'Eed  el  Kebeer  is  intended 
to  commemorate  the  sacrifice  of  Abra- 
ham when  he  offered  a  ram  in  lieu  of 
his  son ;  though  the  Moslems  believe 
that  son  to  have  been  Ismail ;  in 
which  they  differ  from  the  Jews  and 
Christians. 

The  Festival  of  the  Cutting  of  the 
Canal  at  Old  Cairo  is  also  a  cere- 
mony of  great  importance,  and  looked 
upon  with  feelings  of  great  rejoicing, 
as  the  harbinger  of  the  blessings 
anuually  bestowed  upon  the  country 
by  the  Nile.  The  time  fixed  for 
cutting  the  dam  depends  of  course 
on  the  height  of  the  river,  but  is 
generally  about  the  10th  of  August. 

The  ceremony  is  performed  in  the 
morning  by  the  Governor  of  Cairo,  or 
by  the  Pasha's  deputy.  The  whole 
night  before  this,  the  booths  on  the 
shore  and  the  boats  on  the  river  are 
crowded  with  people,  who  enjoy  them- 
selves by  witnessing  or  joining  the 
numerous  festive  groups,  while  fire- 
works and  various  amusements  enliven 
the  scene. 

Towards  morning  the  greater  part 
h  3 


154 


CAIRO  :  FESTIVALS  AND  RELIGIOUS  CEREMONIES  ;       Sect.  II. 


either  retire  to  some  house  to  rest,  or 
wrap  themselves  up  in  a  cloak  and 
sleep  on  board  the  boats,  or  upon  the 
banks  in  the  open  air.  About  eight 
o'clock  a.m.  the  Governor,  accompa- 
nied by  troops  and  his  attendants, 
arrives ;  and  on  giving  a  signal,  seve- 
ral peasants  cut  the  dam  with  hoes, 
and  the  water  rushes  into  the  bed  of 
the  canal.  In  the  middle  of  the  dam 
is  a  pillar  of  earth,  called  Arooset  en 
Neel,  "  the  Bride  of  the  Nile,"  which 
a  tradition  pretends  to  have  been  sub- 
stituted by  the  humanity  of  Arner  for 
the  virgin  previously  sacrificed  every 
year  by  the  Christians  to  the  river  god ! 
NVhile  the  water  is  rushing  into  the 
canal,  the  Governor  throws  in  a  few 
para-pieces,  to  be  scrambled  for  by 
boys,  who  stand  in  its  bed  expecting 
these  proofs  of  Turkish  munificence ;  i 
which,  though  between  200  and  300  i 
go  to  an  English  shilling  (and  this  is 
a  far  larger  sum  than  is  scrambled  for 
on  the  occasion),  are  the  only  instanca 
of  money  given  gratis  by  the  Govern- 
ment to  the  people,  from  one  end  of 
the  year  to  the  other.  It  is  amusing 
to  see  the  clever  way  in  which  some 
of  the  boys  carry  off  these  little  prizes, 
the  tricks  they  play  each  other,  and 
their  quickness  in  diving  into  the 
muddy  water,  which  threatens  to 
carry  them  off  as  it  rushes  from  the 
openings  of  the  dam.  As  soon  as 
sufficient  water  has  entered  it,  boats 
full  of  people  ascend  the  canal,  and  j 
the  crowds  gradually  disperse,  as  the 
Governor  and  the  troops  withdraw 
from  the  busy  scene. 

This  was  formerly  a  very  pretty 
sight,  and  was  kept  up  with  a  spirit  | 
unknown  in  these  days  of  increased  j 
cares  and  diminished  incomes.  The 
old  Turkish  costume  too,  the  variety 
in  the  dresses  of  the  troops,  and  the 
Oriental  character  that  pervaded  the 
whole  assemblage  30  or  40  years  ago, 
tended  not  a  little  to  increase  the  in- 
terest of  the  festival ;  but  the  pomp  of 
those  days  has  ceased  to  be  the  same 
in  this  and  other  ceremonies  of  Cairo. 

The  story  of  the  virgin  annually 
sacrificed  to  the  river  shows  how  much 
reliance  is  to  be  placed  on  tradition, 
or  even  on  the  authority  of  Arab 


writers ;  for  credulity  revolts  at  the 
idea  of  a  human  sacrifice  in  a  Chris- 
tian country  so  long  under  the  go- 
vernment of  the  Romans.  The  inven- 
tion of  a  similar  fable  discovers  the 
ignorance,  as  well  as  the  maliciousness, 
of  its  authors,  who  probably  lived  long 
after  the  time  of  Amer,  and  who 
thought  to  establish  the  credit  of  their 
own  nation  by  misrepresenting  the 
conduct  of  their  enemies. 

The  Moolid  en  Nebbee,  or  "birthday 
of  the  Prophet "  Moharnined,  is  a  fete 
of  rejoicing,  and  offers  many  an  amus- 
ing scene.  It  was  first  instituted  by 
Sultan  Murad  the  son  of  Selfm, 
known  to  us  as  Amurath  III.,  in  the 
year  996  of  the  Hegira,  a.d.  1588.  It 
is  held  in  the  beginning  of  the  month 
of  Rebeea-el-Owwal,  on  the  return  of 
the  pilgrims  to  Cairo ;  and  from  the 
booths,  swings,  and  other  things 
erected  on  the  occasion,  has  rather  the 
appearance  of  a  fair.  It  continues  a 
whole  week,  beginning  on  the  3rd, 
and  endiug  on  the  11th,  or  the  night 
of  the  12th,  of  the  month,  the  last 
being  always  the  great  day  ;  the  pre- 
vious night  having  the  name  of  Lay- 
leh  Mobarakeh,  or  "  Blessed  Night." 
On  this  day  the  Saadeeyah  dervishes, 
the  modern  Psylli,  go  in  procession 
and  perform  many  juggling  tricks 
with  snakes,  some  of  which  are  truly 
disgusting;  these  fanatics  frequently 
tearing  them  to  pieces  with  their  teeth, 
and  assuming  all  the  character  of  ma- 
niacs. For  the  last  two  years,  how- 
ever, this  part  of  the  performance  has 
been  omitted,  being  too  gross  for  the 
public  eye  in  these  days  of  increasing 
civilisation ;  but  fanaticism  is  not 
wanting  to  induce  them,  as  well  as 
many  bystanders,  to  degrade  them- 
selves by  other  acts  totally  unworthy 
of  rational  beings,  such  as  could  only 
be  expected  amongst  ignorant  savages  : 
and  no  European  can  witness  the  cere- 
mony of  the  Doseli,  which  takes  place 
in  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day, 
without  feelings  of  horror  and  disgust. 
On  this  occasion  the  sheykh  of  the  Saa- 
deeyah, mounted  on  horseback,  and  ac- 
companied by  the  dervishes  of  various 
orders,  with  their  banners,  goes  in 
procession  to  an  open  space  near  the 


MODES  OF  SEEING  CAJRO  AND  NEIGHBOURHOOD, 


Egypt 


Esbekeeyah,  where,  between  200  and 
300  fanatics  having  thrown  themselves 
prostrate  on  the  ground,  closely  wedged 
together,  the  sheykh  rides  over  their 
bodies,  the  assembled  crowd  frequently 
contending  with  each  other  to  obtain 
one  of  these  degrading  posts,  and 
giving  proofs  of  wild  fanaticism  which 
those  who  have  not  witnessed  it  can- 
not easily  imagine. 

The  Moolid  el  Hassaneyn,  the  birth- 
day of  the  "  two  Hassans  "  (Hassan 
and  Hosseyn),  the  sons  of  Ali,  is  cele- 
brated for  8  days  about  the  12th  of 
Eebeeh-'l-akher,  and  is  considered  the 
greatest  fete  in  Cairo  next  to  that 
of  the  Propbet.  The  people  go  in 
crowds  to  visit  their  tomb,  where 
grand  Zikrs  are  performed  in  their 
honour;  the  mosk  being  brilliantly 
illuminated,  as  well  as  the  quarters 
in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  ; 
while  the  people  indulge  in  the  usual 
amusements  of  Eastern  fairs. 

The  fetes  of  Seyyideb  Zeyneb,  the 
grand-daughter  of  the  Prophet,  and 
other  male  and  female  saints  of  Cairo, 
are  kept  much  in  the  same  way,  by 
illuminating  tbeir  respective  mosks; 
but  are  much  less  worth  .  seeing  than 
the  ordinary  evening  occupations  of 
the  Moslems  during  tbe  whole  month 
of  Ramadan,  which,  to  a  person  under- 
standing the  language,  offer  many  i 
attractions.     The  bazaars  are  then  1 
lighted  up,  and  crowds  of  people  sit  at 
the  shops,  enjoying  themselves  after  ■ 
the  cruel  fast  of  the  day,  by  conversa- 
tion, and  by  listening  to  story-tellers,  j 
who,  with  much  animation,  read  or  I 
relate  the  tales  of  the  Tbousand-and- 
one  Nights,  or  other  of  the  numerous 
stories  for  which  the  Arabs  have  been 
always  famed. 

21.  Modes  of  seeing  Cairo  and 
Neighbourhood. — It  will  usually  be  I 
found  most  convenient  to  divide  the  i 
day  into  two  parts,  so  as  to  return  in  ; 
the  middle  of  the  day  to  luncheon; 
but  this  of  course  will  depend  on  the  | 
inclination  and  convenience  of  the 
traveller.    The  excursion  to  Sakkarah  | 
will  in  any  case  require  a  whole  day, 
and  many  will  not  think  that  too  much 
to  devote  to  the  Pyramids.   For  those 


15; 


who,  without  being  too  hurried,  wish 
to  see  everything  of  interest  in  as  short 
a  time  as  possible,  the  following  way 
of  arranging  their  time  may  be  recom- 
mended : — 

1st  Day  (Morn.).  Drive  about  the 
town,  and  visit  the  different  bazaars. 
This  may  be  combined  with  any  neces- 
sary shopping  in  view  of  the  Nile 
voyage.  (Aft.)  Drive  down  the  Shoo- 
bra  road,  and  visit  palace  and  gardens 
at  the  end  of  the  avenue.  A  Sunday 
or  Friday  afternoon  should  be  chosen 
for  this  excursion. 

2nd  Day.  Excursion  to  Old  Cairo, 
visiting  Mosk  of  Amer,  Coptic 
Churches,  Island  of  Eoda,  and  Nilo- 
meter.  Eeturn  by  European  Ceme- 
teries, Mosks  of  Seyyideh  Zeyneb, 
Tooloon,  and  Hassan,  Tombs  of  Imam 
Shaffe'eh,  and  Citadel.  This  will  re- 
quire 5  or  6  hours.  It  will  be  better 
to  arrange  it  so  as  to  arrive  at  the 
citadel  in  time  to  see  everything,  and 
be  on  the  platform  outside  the  mosk 
for  the  view  about  half-an-hour  before 
sunset.  The  day  may  be  divided  into 
two  parts  by  returning  straight  from 
the  Nilometer  to  the  hotel,  and  then 
making  a  fresh  start. 

3rd  Day.  Excursion  to  the  Pyramids, 
starting  early.  On  the  way  back  see 
Palace  of  Gezeereh  and  Stables  at 
Boolak ;  though  these  last  had  better 
perhaps  be  reserved  for  a  spare  hour 
or  two  some  other  time. 

4th  Day  (Morn.).  Museum  of  Egyp- 
tian Antiquities.  (Aft.)  Excursion  to 
Heliopolis. 

5th  Day.  Excursion  to  Petrified. 
Forest  and  Tombs  of  the  Caliphs  (Kaid 
Bey).  Go  out  by  the  Bab  en  Na*r 
and  the  Mosk  of  Hakem,  and  visit 
the  Tomb  of  Burckhardt  in  the  ceme- 
tery outside  the  Bab  en  Na^r,  and  take 
the  Tombs  of  the  Caliphs  either  on 
the  way  to  or  from  the  Petrified  Forest. 
This  will  require  about  6  hrs.  in  a 
carriage — more  on  donkeys. 

6th  Day.  Excursion  to  Safikdrah. 
This  will  occupy  the  whole  day.  If 
the  traveller  is  going  up  the  Nile  if 
may  be  made  with  less  trouble  from 
his  boat. 

Those  who  have  the  time  may 
give  a  day,  or  part  of  one,  to  an 


156 


CAIRO  :  DltlVES  AND  EXCURSIONS  : 


Sect.  II. 


excursion  to  the  Barrage.  And  there 
are  many  other  mosks,  such  as  those 
of  Kalaoon,  El  Azhar,  Hassaneyn, 
Ghoree,  Moaiud,  &c,  well  worth  giving 
a  morning  or  afternoon  to. 

No  mention  has  been  made  of  hos- 
pitals, schools,  &c,  as  each  traveller 
will  arrange  for  visits  to  them  enter- 
ing into  his  plan,  according  as  time 
permits  and  inclination  leads  him. 

To  those  who  are  very  much  pressed 
for  time,  the  following  method  of  em- 
ploying three  days  may  be  recom- 
mended:— 

1st  Day  (Morn.).  Mosks,  bazaars, 
&c,  3  hours  or  more.  (Aft.).  Shoobra 
Road  and  Palace,  2§  to  3  hours. 

2nd  Day  (Morn.).  Pyramids,  start- 
ing very  early.  5  to  6  hours.  (Aft.). 
Tombs  of  the  Caliphs  (^Kaid  Bey), 
2J  hours. 

"3rd  Day  (Morn.).  IMiopolis,  4  hrs. 
(Aft.)  Citadel,  2  hours.  All  who  can 
afford  a  fourth  day  should  devote  it  to 
the  excursion  to  Sakkarah. 

22.  Drives,  Excursions. — There  are 
three  capital  roads  on  which  an  after- 
noon drive  may  be  enjoyed.  The  Shoo- 
bra road,  the  fashionable  rendezvous, 
about  an  hour  before  sunset,  especially 
on  Sundays  and  Fridays.  The  Abbas- 
seeyah  road,  leading  to  Heliopolis,  the 
best  for  invalids,  as  being  close  to  the 
fresh  pure  air  of  the  desert.  And  the 
road  across  the  river  to  Geezeh  and 
the  Pyramids.  The  points  of  interest 
in  these  drives  will  be  found  described 
below  :— 


Excursion  I. — Shoobra. 

(For  admission  to  Palace  and  Gar- 
dens apply  to  the  Consulate.) — The 
road  to  Shoobra  lies  along  a  beautiful 
avenue  composed  of  the  sycamore  fig, 
and  the  acacia  known  in  Egypt  as  the 
"  lebbekh,"  a  tree  of  most  rapid  growth, 
and  of  great  beauty  when  in  blossom. 
The  length  of  the  avenue  from  the 
railway  station  to  the  palace  is  about 
4  miles :  on  either  side  are  houses  and 
villas,  the  most  noticeable  of  which  is 
the  Khedive's  palace  of  Kasr-en-Noossa 
on  the  left,  a  rather  handsome-looking 


building,  generally  devoted  to  the  en- 
tertainment of  distinguished  foreign- 
ers. The  Shoobra  road  may  most 
appropriately  be  called  the  "Rotten 
Row"  of  Cairo,  and  the  scene  on  a 
Sunday  or  Friday  afternoon  in  the 
season  is  very  gay  and  amusing,  but 
in  order  to  thoroughly  appreciate  it 
the  stranger  should  be  accompanied 
by  an  habitue  to  point  out  to  him 
"  who  is  who."  It  is  perhaps  the  most 
republican  promenade  in  the  world; 
no  description  of  vehicle,  nor  manner 
of  animal,  biped  or  quadruped,  is  ex- 
cluded, and  the  Khedive  and  his  out- 
riders are  jostled  and  crossed  in  most 
unseemly  fashion  by  files  of  bare-boned 
and  sore-covered  mules  and  donkeys, 
whipped  in  by  a  ragged  urchin,  who, 
with  swaying  legs  and  guttural  ejacula- 
tions, is  urging  along  his  own  wretched 
mount  and  the  miserable  team  in  front 
of  him.  Ministers,  consuls,  bankers, 
money-changers,  speculators,  singers, 
actors,  actresses,  ballet-dancers,  ad- 
venturers and  adventuresses  of  every 
sort  and  kind,  and  last,  but  not  least 
conspicuous,  the  English-speaking 
tourist,  all  follow  one  another  in  curi- 
ous medley.  Now  and  then  a  decent- 
looking  turn-out  may  be  seen,  but  the 
majority  of  vehicles  would  in  a  colder 
country  be  sold  for  firewood,  and  the 
horses  could  not  be  regarded  by  the 
most  enthusiastic  hippophagist  as  fit 
for  food. 

Before  reaching  the  palace,  you 
pass  the  village  of  Shoobra,  or,  as  it  is 
called,  Shoobra  el  Makkaseh,  to  dis- 
tinguish it  from  another  place  14  m. 
lower  down  the  river,  Shoobra  esh 
Shabeeyah,  where  the  direct  road 
to  Alexandria  crosses  the  Damietta 
branch. 

The  palace  and  garden  of  Shoobra 
were  the  work  of  Mohammed  Ali, 
whose  favourite  residence  it  was. 
They  were  left  by  him  to  his  son  Ha- 
leern  Pasha ;  but,  in  common  with  the 
other  possessions  of  that  prince  in 
Egypt,  they  have  now  passed  into  the 
hands  of  his  nephew,  the  present  Khe- 
dive. The  palace  itself  has  nothing 
to  recommend  it  but  the  view  from 
the  windows. 

The  gardens  of  Shoobra,  though  for- 


Egypt 


shoobra;  heliopolis. 


157 


mal,  are  pretty ;  and  the  scent  of  roses, 
with  the  gay  appearance  of  flowers,  is 
an  agreeable  novelty  in  Egypt.  The 
walks  radiate  from  centres  to  different 
parts  of  the  gardens,  some  covered 
with  trellis- work,  most  comfortable  in 
hot  weather. 

There  is  no  great  variety  of  flowers ; 
-roses,  geraniums,  and  a  few  other  kinds 
are  the  most  abundant.  In  one  place 
are  some  sont  trees  (Acacia  Nilotica), 
of  unusual  height,  not  less  than  40  or 
45  ft.  high.  The  great  fountain  is  the 
lion  of  the  garden.  In  the  centre  is 
an  open  space  with  an  immense  marble 
basin  containing  water,  about  4  ft. 
deep,  surrounded  by  marble  balus- 
trades. These,  as  well  as  the  columns 
and  mouldings  are  from  Carrara,  the 
work  of  Italians,  who  have  indulged 
their  fancies  by  carving  fish  and  va- 
rious strange  things  among  the  orna- 
mental details.  You  walk  round  it 
under  a  covered  corridor,  with  kiosks 
projecting  into  the  water ;  and  at  each 
of  the  four  corners  of  the  building  is  a 
room  with  divans,  fitted  up  partly  in 
the  Turkish,  partly  in  the  European 
style.  Some  have  been  surprised  to 
see  at  this  fountain  gas-lamps,  evi- 
dently of  the  same  family  as  those  in 
Regent  Street ;  but  a  more  reasonable 
cause  of  surprise  is  that  Shoobra 
should  have  been  lighted  by  gas  before 
it  was  introduced  into  any  part  of 
Paris. 

At  the  other  side  of  the  garden,  near 
the  pabce,  is  another  kiosk,  called  eg 
Gebel,  "  the  Hill,"  to  which  you  ascend 
by  flights  of  steps  on  two  sides,  and 
which  forms  a  pretty  summer-house, 
rising  as  it  does  above  a  series  of  ter- 
races planted  witli  flowers,  and  com- 
manding a  view  over  the  whole  garden, 
the  Nile,  and  the  hills  in  the  distance. 
It  consists  of  one  room  paved  with 
Oriental  alabaster,  having  a  fountain 
in  the  centre. 

About  2  m.  beyond  the  palace  are 
the  liar  as  of  Shoobra,  at  present  occu- 
pied chiefly  by  the  Arab  mares  and 
stallions  collected  during  many  years 
by  the  present  King  of  Italy,  and  sold 
by  him  to  the  Khedive  in  1870.  It  is 
under  the  management  of  M.  de  St. 
Maurice,  the  Master  of  Horse ;  and  if 


the  extensive  improvements  he  con- 
templates are  carried  out,  it  will  be 
one  of  the  most  important  breeding 
establishments  in  the  world. 


Exctjksion  II. — Heliopolis. 

a.  Drive  to  Abbasseeyah  and  Koo- 
bah.  b.  "Virgin's  Tree/'  c.  Obelisk 
and  remains  of  Heliopolis.  d.  Mata- 
reeah.  e.  Birket  el  Hag  and  Kuined 
Towns. 

a.  Drive  to  Abbasseeyah  and  Koobah. 
— The  drive  from  Cairo  to  Heliopolis, 
the  greater  part  of  which  is  along  a 
most  excellent  road,  will  occupy  about 
li  hour. 

The  road  from  the  Esbekeeyah  is 
the  same  as  to  the  station  and  to 
Shoobra,  but  on  reaching  the  new 
sebeel  or  drinking  -  fountain,  erected 
by  the  Khedive's  mother,  you  turn  to 
the  right  and  proceed  along  a  wide 
road,  bordered  for  some  way  with 
houses  of  European  aspect.  After 
a  time  the  road  divides  and  skirts 
on  either  side  a  large  square  battle- 
mented  building,  commonly  called 
Gama  ez  Zahir.  At  one  time  used  as 
a  government  bake-house,  it  was  until 
lately  almost  completely  choked  up 
with  dust  and  rubbish  both  inside  and 
out.  When  the  new  road  was  made 
all  this  was  cleared  away,  and  it  is 
now  used  as  a  guard-house.  The  S. 
gateway  forms  a  very  picturesque  ob- 
ject, with  its  massive  portal  deep  in 
the  shade  of  a  fine  old  sycamore-fig. 
A  little  further  on  is  passed  a  gate- 
way leading  into  the  suburb  called 
El  Hoseyneeyah.  To  the  right  of  the 
road,  on  the  edge  of  the  mountains, 
are  the  ruins  of  the  mosk  and  tomb  of 
the  well-known  Melek  Adal,  mother 
of  Salah-ed-Deen.  Only  the  curious 
and  richly- wrought  dome  remains. 

The  road  now  widens  into  a  really 
magnificent  cliausse'e,  planted  with 
lebbekh  trees,  which  in  a  few  years 
will  form,  a  fine  avenue.  Leaving  on 
the  right  the  old  caravan  road  to  Suez, 
which  is  still  in  very  good  repair  for 
some  distance,  and  is  the  best  drive 


158 


cairo:  excursions:  virgin's  tree;  obelisk;     Sect.  II. 


the  invalid  can  choose  for  the  sake  of 
the  fresh  pure  desert  air,  and  on  the 
left  the  Kobbet  el  Ghoree,  a  graceful 
dome  covering  the  tomb  of  the  last 
Memlook  sultan  but  one,  the  Abbas- 
seeyah  is  reached.  It  was  founded,  as 
the  name  implies,  by  the  late  Abbas 
Pasha,  as  a  sort  of  dependency  to  the 
huge  unsightly  palace  on  the  right 
after  crossing  the  railway,  now  turned 
into  a  barrack.  Here  Abbas  Pasha, 
who  was  in  constant  dread  of  assassi- 
nation— a  fear  which  his  end  justified 
— used  to  shut  himself  up,  with  watch- 
men stationed  on  the  high  look-out 
tower  at  one  corner  of  the  building, 
and  swift  dromedaries  saddled  in  the 
stable,  ready  to  fly  into  the  desert  at 
the  first  alarm. 

Owing  to  the  presence  of  so  many 
troops,  and  the  large  military  schools 
established  there,  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  Abbasseeyah  presents  a  gay  and 
busy  appearance. 

On  the  left  of  the  road,  opposite  the 
palace,  is  the  observatory,  and  a  little 
further  on,  where  the  new  plantations 
are  reached,  can  be  seen,  about  a  mile 
out  in  the  desert  to  the  right,  the  race- 
course. The  races  take  place  in  Janu- 
ary. The  Khedive  has  taken  great 
pains  to  improve  the  breed  of  horses 
in  Egypt,  and  among  his  endeavours 
to  this  end  have  been  the  establish- 
ment of  race  meetings  at  Cairo  and 
Alexandria.  He  is  of  course  himself 
the  great  breeder  and  owner ;  but  one 
or  two  Turks  and  some  wealthy  eu- 
nuchs have  taken  very  kindly  to  the 
amusement;  and  these,  with  a  few 
Europeans,  make  up  the  sporting  com- 
munity. 

The  beautiful  plantations  which  the 
traveller  now  sees  on  either  side  of 
the  road  were  only  begun  in  1869. 
The  soil  in  which  they  grow  is  merely 
desert  sand,  irrigated  with  Nile  water, 
and  so  impregnated  with  the  rich  allu- 
vial deposit  contained  by  it.  Every- 
thing grows  in  luxuriance ;  palms, 
vines,  orange  and  lemon  trees,  the 
castor-oil  plant,  and  many  others. 

After  crossing  the  old  railway  to 
Suez  the  road  turns  to  the  right,  and 
becomes  a  delicious  shady  avenue, 
bordered  with  hedges  of  lemon  shrubs 


as  far  as  the  entrance  to  the  palace  of 
Koobah.  This  palace  was  built  by  the 
present  Khedive,  and  is  chiefly  occu- 
pied by  the  hareem.  Attached  to  it 
is  a  haras. 

From  this  point  the  less  said  about 
the  road  the  better.  One  must  en- 
deavour to  forget  the  jolting  in  the 
prettiness  of  the  surrounding  scenery. 
After  passing  through  a  fine  olive- 
plantation,  you  emerge  on  a  broad 
richly-cultivated  plain.  It  was  here 
that  Sultan  Selim  gained  the  victory 
in  1517,  which  put  an  end  to  the 
Memlook  monarchy  in  Egypt,  and  made 
it  a  Turkish  province.  Here,  too,  in 
1800,  the  French,  under  Kleber,  de- 
feated the  Turks,  and  regained  pos- 
session of  Cairo. 

b.  "Virgin's  Tree."  —  Just  before 
reaching  the  village  of  Matareeah,  at  a 
little  distance  from  the  road  on  the 
right,  is  the  garden  in  which  is  shown 
the  sycamore-tree  beneath  whose  shade 
the  Holy  Family  are  said  to  have  re- 
posed after  the  flight  into  Egypt.  It 
is  a  splendid  old  tree,  still  showing 
signs  of  life,  but  terribly  mauled  alike 
by  the  devout  and  the  profane,  who 
respectively  have  forgotten  their  piety 
and  their  scepticism  in  the  egotistical 
eagerness  to  carry  away  and  to  leave 
a  record  of  their  visit.  The  present 
proprietor,  a  Copt,  fearing  lest  their 
united  efforts  should  result  in  the  total 
disappearance  and  destruction  of  the 
tree,  has  put  a  fence  round  it, 'which, 
while  it  prevents  the  ruthless  tearing 
off  of  twigs  and  branches,  affords  those 
who  are  anxious  to  commemorate  their 
visit  a  smooth  and  even  surface  on 
which,  with  the  help  of  a  knife  oblig- 
ingly kept  in  readiness  by  the  gar- 
dener, they  may  make  their  mark. 

c.  Obelisk  and  Remains  of  Heliopolis. 
— A  little  further  on  beyond  the  vil- 
lage is  Heliopolis.  It  is  sufficiently 
known  from  a  distance  by  its  obelisk. 
The  foundations  of  another  obelisk, 
which  formerly  stood  opposite  this, 
and  which  was  doubtless  of  the  same 
Pharaoh,  as  it  was  customary  for  the 
Egyptians  to  place  them  in  pairs  at 
the  entrance  of  their  temples,  have 


Egypt. 


REMAINS  OF  HELIOrOLIS. 


159 


lately  been  found.  Before  them  ap- 
pears to  have  been  an  avenue  of 
sphinxes,  which  probably  extended  to 
the  N.W.  gate  of  the  city,  fragments 
of  which  may  still  be  seen  near  the 
site  of  that  entrance.  Pococke  men- 
tions, near  the  same  spot,  a  sphinx  of 
fine  yellow  marble,  22  feet  long ;  "  a 
piece  of  the  same  kind  of  stone  with 
hieroglyphics;  and,  16  paces  more  to 
the  north,  several  blocks,"  having  the 
appearance  of  sphinxes ;  as  well  as 
another  stone  with  hieroglyphics  on 
one  side.  According  to  Strabo,  it  was 
by  one  of  these  avenues  that  you  ap- 
proached the  Temple  of  the  Sun  at 
Heliopolis,  which  he  describes  as  laid 
out  in  the  ancient  Egyptian  style, 
with  a  dromos  of  sphinxes  before  it, 
forming  the  approach  to  the  vestibule. 

The  apex  of  the  obelisk  indicates, 
from  its  shape,  the  addition  of  some 
covering,  probably  of  metal;  and  the 
form  of  that  in  the  Fyodm,  of  the  same 
king,  Osirtasen  I.,  is  equally  singular. 
It  is,  indeed,  not  unusual  to  find  evi- 
dences of  obelisks  having  been  orna- 
mented in  this  manner ;  and  the  apices 
of  those  at  Luxor,  as  well  as  of  the 
smaller  obelisk  at  Karnak,  which 
have  a  slight  curve  at  each  of  their 
four  edges,  recede  from  the  level  of 
the  faces,  as  if  to  leave  room  for  over- 
laying them  with  a  thin  casing  of 
bronze  gilt. 

The  faces  of  the  obelisk  at  Helio- 
polis measure  at  the  ground  6  ft.  1  in. 
on  the  N.  and  S. ;  6  ft.  3  in.  on  the 
E.  and  W. ;  it  stands  on  the  usual 
labical  dado,  which  reposes  on  two 
slabs,  each  about  2  ft.  high,  forming 
apparently  part  of  the  paved  dromos 
rather  than  pedestals  or  plinths,  as 
they  extend  a  long  way  inwards  be- 
yond the  dado  of  the  obelisk.  It  is 
about  62  ft.  4  in.  high,  above  the  level 
of  the  ground,  or  68  ft.  2  in.  above  the 
pavement. 

This  obelisk  is  the  oldest  in  Egypt  ; 
the  king  whose  name  it  bears,  Osir- 
tasen I.,  was  the  founder  of  the  XHth 
dynasty.  The  inscription,  which  is  the 
same  on  each  of  the  four  faces,  records 
his  erection  of  the  obelisk.  The  mounds 
and  thick  crude-brick  walls,  which  en- 
close a  space  4560  ft.  by  3560  ft.,  mark, 


according  to  M.  Mariette,  not  the 
limit  of  the  town,  but  of  the  vast  open 
space  in  front  of  the  celebrated  Temple 
I  of  the  Sun;  an  assertion  which  he 
|  defends  by  a  reference  to  similar 
enclosures  in  front  of  the  temples  at 
Sais  and  Denderah. 

According  to  Strabo  the  city  of 
Heliopolis  stood  on  a  large  mound  or 
raised  site,  before  which  were  lakes 
I  that  received  the  water  of  the  neigh- 
|  bouring  canals.  It  is  therefore  evident 
how  much  the  Nile  and  the  land  of 
I  Egypt  have  been  raised  since  his 
|  time,  as  the  obelisks  are  now  buried 
I  to  the  depth  of  5  ft.  10  in. ;  and  as  he 
I  saw  the  base  of  the  temple  and  the 
pavement  of  its  dromos,  the  inunda- 
!  tion  could  not  then  have  reached  to  a 
j  level  with  its  area.    Part  of  the  lofty 
j  mounds  may  still  "be  seen  in  the  site 
:  of  the  ancient  houses  of  the  town, 
i  which  appear  to  have  stood  on  the 
|  north  side,  on  higher  ground  than  the 
temple,  owing    no    doubt   to  their 
foundations  having  been  raised  from 
time  to  time  as  they  were  rebuilt,  and 
no  change  of  elevation  taking  place 
in  the  site  of  the  temple.    This  con- 
tinued in  the  place  where  its  founda- 
j  tions  had  been  laid  by  the  first  Osir- 
tasen.   The  same  was  observed  by 
!  Herodotus,  though  in  a  much  greater 
degree,  in  the  position  of  the  temple 
of  Diana  at  Bubastis,  "which,  haviag 
remained  on  the  same  level  where  it 
was  first  built,  while  the  rest  of  the 
town  had  been  raised  on  various 
occasions,  was  seen  by  those  who 
walked  round  the  walls  in  a  hollow 
below  them." 

The  ancient  Egyptian  name  of  He- 
liopolis was  in  hieroglyphics,  Ee-ei  or 
Ei-Be,  "  the  House,"  or  "  Abode  of 
the  Sun,"  corresponding  to  the  title 
Bethshemes,  of  the  same  import, 
which  was  applied  to  it  by  the  Jews  ; 
and  in  Scripture  and  in  Coptic  it  is 
called  "On."  Moses  is  said  to  have 
studied  there,  and  Joseph's  father-in- 
law  was  a  priest  of  its  renowned 
temple. 

Though  small,  Heliopolis  was  a 
town  of  great  celebrity ;  but  it  suffered 
considerably  by  the  invasion  of  the 
Persians.    Many  of  its  obelisks,  and 


160 


CAIEO  :  EXCUESIONS  :  MATAEEEAH  ; 


Sect.  II. 


probably  other  monuments,  were 
afterwards  taken  away  to  Eome  and 
Alexandria;  and  at  the  time  of  the 
Geographer's  visit  it  had  the  charac- 
ter of  a  deserted  city.  Strabo  also 
saw  "some  very  large  houses  where 
the  priests  used  to  live,  that  being 
the  place  to  which  they  particularly 
resorted  in  former  times  for  the  study 
of  philosophy  and  astronomy;"  but 
the  teachers,  as  well  as  the  sciences 
they  taught,  were  no  longer  to  be 
found,  and  no  professor  of  any  one 
was  pointed  out  to  him.  Those  only 
who  had  charge  of  the  temple,  and 
who  explained  the  sacred  rites  to 
strangers,  remained  there ;  and  among 
other  objects  of  interest  to  the  Greek 
traveller,  the  houses  where  Eudoxus 
and  Plato  had  lived  were  shown, 
these  philosophers  having,  it  is  said, 
remained  thirteen  years  under  the 
tuition  of  the  priests  of  Heliopolis. 
Indeed,  it  ceased  to  be  the  seat  of 
learning  after  the  accession  of  the 
Ptolemies,  and  the  schools  of  Alex- 
andria succeeded  to  the  ancient  col- 
leges of  that  city. 

A  few  fragments  bearing  the  names 
of  Kameses  II.  and  Thothmes  III.  are 
nearly  all  that  has  been  found  here  ; 
with  the  former  name,  which  occurs 
in  a  stone  gateway,  are  associated  the 
gods  Re  and  Atmoo  (Atum),  the 
former  being  called  "  the  lord  of  the 
temple."  A  pedestal  with  a  bull  and 
Osiris  were  found  by  Mr.  Salt.  The 
bull  Mnevis  shared  with  Ee  or  Phra 
the  worship  of  this  city,  and  was  one 
of  the  most  noted  among  the  sacred 
animals  of  Egypt.  It  was  kept  in  a 
particular  enclosure  set  apart  for  it, 
as  for  Apis  at  Memphis,  and  enjoyed 
the  same  honour  in  the  Heliopolite  as 
the  latter  did  in  the  Memphite  nome. 
Close  to  the  hamlet  of  Kafr  Gamors, 
a  part  of  the  Necropolis  has  been  dis- 
covered by  M.  Mariette. 

d.  Matareeah. — The  name  of  the 
neighbouring  village  Matareeah  is 
erroneously  supposed  to  signify  "  fresh 
water,"  and  to  be  borrowed  from  the 
Ain  Shems  (  "  Fountain  of  the  Sun  "  ) 
of  ancient  times;  and  though  in 
reality  supplied,  like  the  other  wells 
of  Egypt,  by  filtration  from  the  river, 


i  it  is  reputed  the  only  real  spring  in 
the  valiey  of  the  Nile.  That  the 
word  Matareeah  cannot  signify  "  fresh 
water"  is  evident  from  the  form  of 
the  Arabic  Xijl^o  M-tareeah ;  for  the 
word  Ma,  "  water,"  should  be  written 
L<j,  and,  being  masculine,  would  re- 
quire the  adjective  to  be  taree ;  and 
this  last  is  not  applied  to  water,  but 
to  fruit.  According  to  the  Mosaic  of 
Palsestrina,  the  "Fountain  of  the 
Sun "  stood  a  short  distance  to  the 
right,  or  E.  of  the  obelisks  before  the 
temple. 

Coptic  tradition  relates  that  the 
water  of  this  fountain  was  salt  until 
the  arrival  of  the  Holy  Family,  when, 
"  Our  Lady  having  bathed  in  it,  the 
waters  acquired  their  softness  and 
excellence." 

The  gardens  of  Matareeah  were 
formerly  renowned  for  the  balsam 
they  produced.  The  balsam-plants 
are  said  to  have  been  brought  from 
Judaea  to  this  spot  by  Cleopatra ;  who, 
trusting  to  the  influence  of  Antony, 
removed  them,  in  spite  of  the  oppo- 
sition of  Herod,  having  been  hitherto 
confined  to  Judaea.  Josephus  tells  us 
that  the  lands  where  the  balsam-tree 
grew  belonged  to  Cleopatra,  and  that 
"  Herod  farmed  of  her  what  she 
possessed  of  Arabia,  and  those 
revenues  that  came  to  her  from  the 
region  about  Jericho,  bearing  the 
balsam,  the  most  precious  of  drugs, 
which  grows  there  alone."  This  is 
the  Balm  of  Gilead  mentioned  in  the 
Bible.  The  plants  were  in  later 
times  taken  from  Matareeah  to 
Arabia,  and  grown  near  Mecca, 
whence  the  balsam  is  now  brought 
to  Egypt  and  Europe,  under  the  name 
of  Balsam  of  Mecca ;  and  the  gardens 
of  Heliopolis  no  longer  produce  this 
valuable  plant.  But  a  still  more 
profitable  shrub — cotton — is  said  to 
have  been  first  cultivated  about  50 
years  ago  on  the  ground  near  the 
obelisk;  an  experiment  which  has 
succeeded  far  beyond  the  most  san- 
guine expectations. 

In  the  month  of  April,  the  plain  in 
the   neighbourhood    of  Matareeah 


Egypt. 


PETRIFIED  F0RE3T. 


161 


abounds  in  quail,  and  is  in  con- 
sequence much  resorted  to  by  Oairene 
sportsmen. 

e.  Birket  el  Hag  and  Ruined  Towns. 
—Beyond  Heliopolis  are  the  Birket  el 
Hag,  or  "  Lake  of  the  Pilgrims,"  El 
Khanka,  and  some  ruined  toicns ; 
which  are  not  of  general  interest,  and 
are  seldom  visited. 

Birket  el  Hag  is  about  5  miles  to 
the  eastward  of  Heliopolis,  and  is  the 
rendezvous  of  the  Mecca  caravan. 
Beyond  this  is  El  Khanka ;  and  still 
further  to  the  N.  is  Aboozdbel,  once 
known  for  its  military  college,  camp, 
hospital,  and  schools  of  medicine. 

El  Khanka  was  remarkable  in  the 
days  of  Leo  Africanus  "  for  its  fine 
buildings,  its  mosks,  and  colleges,"  as 
the  neighbouring  plain  for  the  abun- 
dance of  dates  it  produced. 

A  mile  or  so  beyond  El  Khanka  is 
the  Birket  el  Akrashar,  abounding  in 
wild  duck ;  and  in  the  neighbourhood 
at  the  light  season  are  some  very 
good  snipe  marshes. 

Further  on  to  the  N.W.  are  the 
mounds  of  an  ancient  town  called 
Teh  el  Yahoodeli,  the  "  Mound  of  the 
Jews."  A  visit  to  this  place  might 
prove  interesting  to  the  antiquary, 
but  the  excursion  had  best  be  made 
by  taking  the  train  to  Shibeen  el 
Kanater,  the  second  station  on  the 
line  to  Zagtiziir.  The  description  will 
be  found  under  Bte.  7. 


Excursion  HI. — The  "Petrified 
Forest." 

This  excursion,  made  from  Cairo, 
will  take  from  3  to  4  hours.  The 
Tombs  of  the  Caliphs  (Kaid  Bey) 
may  be  taken  in  the  way ;  or  it  may 
be  combined  with  the  excursion  to 
Heliopolis.  It  is  a  somewhat  weari- 
some ride,  and  a  still  more  wearisome 
drive  when,  as  is  often  the  case,  the 
carriage  sticks  in  the  sand,  and 
neither  blows,  prayers,  nor  curses  are 
effectual  in  getting  the  wretched 
horses  to  move.  A  donkey  is  the 
best  means  of  getting  there ;  and  to 
those  who  do  not  care  to  take  the 


trouble  to  ride,  it  may  generally  be 
said  that  it  is  not  worth  while  to 
drive  there. 

After  passing  Kaid  Bey  the  way 
lies  along  a  sandy  noddy,  with  the 
Gebel  el  Ahmar  on  the  left,  and  the 
Gebel  Mokattam  on  the  ri*<ht.  The 
Gebel  el  Ahmar,  or  "Bed  Mountain," 
is  composed  of  red  gritstone,  which 
gradually  runs  into  a  siliceous  rock, 
contains  numerous  calcedonies,  and  is 
of  the  same  nature  as  the  vocal 
statue  at  Thebes.  Owing  to  the 
quality  of  the  stone,  which  renders  it 
peculiarly  adapted  for  mills,  this 
mountain  has  been  quarried  from  a 
very  early  period  to  the  present  day, 
as  may  be  seen  from  the  fragments 
found  at  Heliopolis.  The  same 
species  of  rock  rises  here  and  there  to 
the  southward,  upon  the  slope  of  the 
limestone  range,  and  the  bed  above 
it  contains  petrified  wood  of  various 
kinds. 

After  passing  the  Bed  Mountain, 
the  plain  opens  out  on  the  left,  and 
the  scenery  assumes  a  complete  desert 
aspect.  Nearing  the  Mokattam  hills, 
a  slight  sandy  ascent  is  climbed,  and 
on  the  plateau  at  the  top  are  to  be 
seen  lying  scattered  about  small  and 
large  fragments  of  petrified  wood.  At 
this  point  the  driver  or  donkey-boy 
will  endeavour  to  stop,  and  insist 
that  these  few  specimens  in  the  tand 
are  what  he  calls  the  "Petlified'Ood." 
But  if  the  visitor  will  persevere  for 
about  a  mile  further — he  will  be 
guided  in  the  direction  by  the  tracks 
of  his  predecessors — he  will  reach  a 
spot  where  much  larger  fragments  are 
lying,  and  among  them  two  or  three 
trees  in  situ,  several  feet  in  length. 
As  they  are  sometimes  more  and 
sometimes  less  covered  with  sand,  and 
as  moreover  pieces  are  constantly 
being  taken  to  Cairo  for  ornamental 
purposes,  it  is  hazardous  to  speak  of 
their  length,  but  in  1871  there  were 
two  on  the  left  -  hand  s:de  of  the 
track,  one  48  feet  long  and  the  other 
21,  and  on  the  rig  lit  of  the  track  one 
39  feet  long.  These  fossil  stems  and 
fragments  have  generally  been  taken 
to  represent  petrified  palm-trees,  but 
scientific  investigation   has  decided 


162 


CAIEO  I  EXCUESIONS  :  BAEEAGE  OF  THE  NILE  ;         Sect.  II. 


that  they  are  not  correlated  with  any 
existing  vegetation  in  Egypt.  In  an 
interesting  paper  contributed  to  the 
'  Geological  Magazine '  (vol.  vii.,  No. 
7,  July  1870),  by  Mr.  Carruthers,  he 
says  that  after  examining  microscopi- 
cally a  large  number  of  specimens 
collected  by  Professor  Owen,  he  has 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  stems, 
though  dicotyledonous,  are  not  coni- 
ferous, and  that  they  may  be  divided 
into  two  species,  the  Nicolia  Mgyp- 
tiaca,  already  so  named  by  linger, 
and  the  Nicolia  Owenii,  so  named 
from  the  distinguished  professor  among 
whose  specimens  he  discovered  the 
new  species.  A  great  deal  of  infor- 
mation on  the  character  and  position 
of  this  remarkable  silicified  wood, 
may  be  found  in  the  paper  mentioned 
above,  and  also  in  an  article  on  the 
"  Geology  of  Egypt,"  by  Newbbld,  in 
the  '  Quarterly  Journal  of  the  Geolo- 
gical Society  '  (No.  16,  1818). 


Excursion  IV.— The  Baeeage. 

This  excursion  is  hardly  worth 
making  for  its  own  sake,  except  to 
those  interested  in  hydraulic  engi- 
neering; but,  if  made  at  the  proper 
season,  it  might  be  combined  with  a 
day's  snipe  or  wild-fowl  shooting  in 
the  neighbourhood.  The  best  way  of 
going  is  by  the  train,  which  leaves 
the  Cairo  station  at  about  8.30  a.m.  ; 
and  if  the  object  is  merely  to  see  the 
Barrage,  there  is  plenty  of  time  to  do 
that  and  return  with  the  train  at 
midday.  If  it  is  intended  to  spend 
the  day  there,  it  will  be  necessary 
before  leaving  Cairo  to  order  a  car- 
riage or  donkeys  to  be  in  readiness  at 
the"  bridge  in  time  to  get  back  before 
dusk.  The  carriage,  which  should 
have  four  horses,  will  take  about 
hrs. ;  donkeys,      to  1  hrs. 

The  first  stone  of  the  Barrage  was 
laid  by  Mohammed  Ali  in  1847.  The 
idea  was  originated  and  the  works 
planned  by  M.  Linant-Bey.  Situated 
at  the  head  of  the  Delta,  about  12 
miles  below  Cairo,  the  object  of  this 
gigantic  work  was  to  hold  up  the 


waters  of  the  Nile  during  the  eight 
months  of  ebb,  so  as  to  maintain 
them  at  the  level  of  the  soil,  and 
supply  Lower  Egypt  during  that 
period  with  the  same  amount  of  water 
as  at  the  time  of  the  inundation.  It 
was  calculated  that  the  enormous 
expense  of  the  work  itself,  and  of  the 
new  system  of  canalisation  which 
must  be  its  necessary  complement, 
would  be  compensated  for  by  the 
great  increase  of  cultivable  land  in 
the  Delta,  and  by  the  being  able  to 
do  away  with  the  thousands  of 
saMyahs  and  shadoofs,  thus  setting 
free  for  more  useful  agricultural  pur- 
poses the  men  and  animals  employed 
in  working  them.  Unfortunately,  prac- 
tical difficulties  have  prevented  the 
realisatiou  of  this  magnificent  scheme  ; 
and  the  works  having  been  for  some 
time  abandoned,  the  Barrage,  as  it 
is,  answers  hardly  any  other  purpose 
than  that  of  obstructing  the  naviga- 
tion ;  so  that  what  should  have  been  a 
work  worthy  of  old  Egypt,  has  ended 
in  becoming  a  very  useless  impediment 
in  the  river. 

The  Barrage  consists  of  a  double 
bridge  or  weir,  the  eastern  part  span- 
ning the  Damietta  brancii  of  the 
Nile,  the  western  the  Rosetta.  Be- 
tween the  two  is  the  head  of  the 
Delta.    "To  form,"  says  Dr.  Russell, 
i  "an  idea  of  such  an  undertaking,  we 
|  must  fancy  what  it  would  be  to  throw 
I  a  barrier  across  the  Thames  at  Green- 
j  wich,  in  the  height  of  a  full  tide 
i  running  down,  with  this  exception, 
I  that  the  bottom  of  the  Thames  would 
afford  much  greater  facility  for  laying 
I  the  foundation,  for  the  Nde  bed  is  for 
many  feet  only  soft  mud.    The  ap- 
•  pearance  of  the  whole  structure  is  so 
very  light  and  graceful,  that  the 
spectator  is  apt  to  overlook  the  difti- 
I  culty  and  the  greatness  of  the  work 
I  itself.   The  Barrage  is  architecturally 
very  beautiful,  with  a  noble  front  and 
grand  general  effect,  produced  by  a 
line  of  castellated  turrets  which  mark 
the  site  of  each  of  the  sluice-gates. 
There  are  aho  two  lofty  crenellated 
towers  in  the  centre  of  each  dam,  to 
correspond  with  the  towers  over  the 
entrance  gateways.    The  turrets  on 


Egypt. 


OLD  CAIRO. 


163 


the  N.   side  are   constructed  with 
small  sentry-box-like  chambers  in- 
side."   The  sluices  "are  formed  of 
double  cones  of  hollow  iron,  in  a  semi- 
circular form,  working  on  radii  of  rods 
fixed  to  a  central  axis  at  each  side  of 
the  sluice-gate.    These  double  cones 
increase  in  size  from  the  lower  part  of 
the  cone  to  the  top,  and  the  lowest,  \ 
which  are  the  largest,  fill  with  water  j 
as  they  descend  into  the  bed  prepared 
for  them  in  the  masonry  at  the  bottom 
of  the  sluices.   The  labour  of  two  men 
raised  one  very  slowly  against  the 
great  pressure  of  the  water  from  its  ! 
bed;  when  the  gate  was  lowered,  it  \ 
was  easy  to  understand  the  advantage  j 
of  the  curved  surface  in  pressing  j 
obliquely  against,  instead  of  directly 
opposing,  the  current."   These  sluices  | 
are  never  all  closed,  as  the  vast  pres-  ! 
sure  of  such  a  mass  of  water  would 
probably  sweep  the  whole  structure 
away.    The  arrangement  of  them  has 
only  been  completed  on  the  Western, 
or  Rosetta,  half  of  the  Barrage.  At 
the  Delta  end  of  each  part  is  a  lock, 
with  sloping  terraced  quays  above 
and  below.    The  toll  levied  is  60 
paras,  or  about  3s.  an  ardeb.  Except 
daring  the  high  Nile,  the  only  water  1 
that  flows  through  the  Eastern,  or 
Damietta  half  comes  round  from  the 
other  side  by  means  of  a  canal,  and  ! 
rushes  through  two  or  three  arches  j 
only ;  the  rest  is  dry  land.     The  ! 
width  of  the  Damietta  branch  is  543 
metres,  and  at  high  Nile  there  passes  i 
through  it  298:i£  cubic  metres  of 
water  per  second,  the  mean  velocity 
being  1  metre  per  second.    The  Ro- 
setta branch  is  464  metres  wide,  and 
at  high  Nile  there  passes  through 
it  4738J  cubic  metres,  the  mean  velo- 
city being   T70  per  minute.  The 
number  of  arches  respectively  is  72 
and  62,  each  arch  having  a  span  of 
16  ft. 

Forming  part  of  the  Barrage  scheme 
is  a  series  of  strong  earthworks,  as  yet 
unfinished.  When  completed,  they 
will  form  a  very  strong  military  posi- 
tion, of  great  importance  to  the  de- 
fence of  the  capital. 

Starting  from  the  head  of  the  Delta, 
midway  between  the  two  halves  of  the 


Barrage,  is  a  large  wide  canal,  which 
follows  to  a  certain  extent  the  course 
of  the  old  Sebennytic  branch  of  the 
Nile. 


Excuesion  V. — Old  Caieo. 

a.  Drive  to  and  Description  of  Old 
Cairo,  b.  Mosk  of  Amer.  c.  Roman 
Fortress  of  Babylon,  d.  Coptic  Con- 
vents and  Churches,  e.  Island  of 
Roda  and  Nilometer. 

a.  Drive  to  and  Description  of  Old 
Cairo. — Old  Cairo  is  about  3  miles 
from  Cairo.  The  road,  after  leaving 
the  Esbekeeyah,  lies  first  a  short  waj 
down  the  Boolak  avenue,  and  then, 
turning  to  the  left,  through  the  new 
quarter  of  Ismaileeyah  to  a  road 
point  where  several  roads  meet,  One 
of  those  to  the  right  leads  to  Kasr  en 
Nil  palace  and  barrack.  Continuing 
on  along  a  shady,  but  no  longer  mac- 
adamised road,  Ka-r  el  Ali,  the  palace 
of  the  Khedive's  mother,  is  passed, 
and  Kasr  el  Ain,  where  are  the  govern- 
ment hospital  and  medical  schools. 
Soon  after  the  old  canal  or  Khaleeg 
(see  §  8)  is  crossed.  Just  beyond 
this  is  the  head  of  the  aqueduct, 
which  carries  water  to  the  citadel. 
The  original  aqueduct  of  Salah  ed 
deen  (Saladin)  was  merely  a  conduit 
supported  on  wooden  pillars ;  and  it 
was  not  till  about  the  year  1518  that 
the  present  stone  one  was  substituted, 
by  order  of  Sultan  el  Ghdree.  The 
sakiyahs  which  raise  the  water  are 
inside  the  massive  building  close  to 
the  river.  The  island  of  Roda  is 
seen  on  the  right,  divided  from  the 
mainlaind  by  a  canal-like  stream. 

Old  Cairo  may  be  said  to  commence 
directly  the  aqueduct  is  passed.  It 
was  founded  by  Amer  ebn  el  As,  who 
conquered  Egypt  in  the  caliphate  of 
Omar,  a.d.  638 ;  and  is  said  to  have 
received  its  original  name  of  Fostat 
from  the  leather  tent  (fostat)  which 
Amer  there  pitched  for  himself,  during 
the  siege  of  the  Roman  fortress.  In 
the  same  spot  he  erected  the  mosk 
that  still  bears  his  name,  which  in 
after  times  stood  in  the  centre  of  the 
city,  and  is  now  amidst  the  mounds 


164 


CAIRO  :  excursions  : 


MOSK  OF  AMER  ', 


Sect.  II. 


and  rubbish  of  its  fallen  houses.  I 
Fostat  continued  to  be  the  royal  resi- 
dence, as  well  as  the  capital  of  Egypt, 
until  the  time  of  Ahmed  ebn  Too- 
loon,  who  built  the  mosk  and  palace 
at  the  Kalat  el  Kebsh,  a.d.  879. 

Gowher  el  Kaed,  having  been  sent 
by  Mdez  to  conquer  Egypt,  founded 
the  new  city  called  Masr  el  Kaherah 
(Cairo),  which  four  years  after  (in 
a.d.  974)  became  the  capital  of  the 
country,  and  Fostat  received  the  new 
appellation  of  Masr  el  Ateekeh,  or 
"  Old  Masr,"  changed  by  Europeans 
into  Old  Cairo.  The  ancient  name 
of  the  city  which  occupied  part  of  the 
site  of  Old  Cairo  was  Egyptian  Baby- 
lon ;  and  the  Soman  station,  which 
lies  to  the  S.  of  the  mask  of  Amer,  is 
evidently  the  fortress  besieged  by  the 
Moslem  invader. 

In  1168,  when  the  Crusaders  in- 
vaded Lower  Egypt,  the  Saracens  set 
fire  to  Fostat  to  prevent  its  falling 
into  the  hands  of  the  Christians.  At 
that  time  it  extended  northwards  as 
far  as  the  mosk  of  Tooloon,  to  what 
is  the  southern  part  of  Cairo.  This 
fire,  which  is  said  to  have  lasted  fifty- 
four  days  without  being  put  out,  was 
the  ruin  of  Fostat.  Nothing  but  the 
extensive  rubbish-mounds  all  around 
remain  to  prove  its  former  size. 

b.  Mosk  of  Amer. — The  first  monu- 
ment of  interest  is  the  mosk  of  Amer, 
to  the  E.  of  the  village,  near  the  rub- 
bish-heaps. The  mosk  is  of  square 
form,  as  were  all  the  early  mosks, 
except  those  which  had  been  originally 
churches ;  *  and  it  is  somewhat  similar 
in  plan  to  the  mosk  of  Tooloon,  with 
colonnades  round  an  open  court.  At 
the  W.  end  is  a  single  line  of  columns  ; 
at  the  two  sides  they  are  three  deep, 
and  at  the  E.  end  in  six  rows,  the  total 
amounting  to  no  less  than  229  or  230, 
two  being  covered  with  masonry. 
Others  are  also  built  into  the  outer 
wall  to  support  the  diltlteh  or  platform 
of  the  moeddin ;  and  the  octagon  in  the 
centre  of  the  open  court  is  surrounded 
by  eight  columns.  Many  have  fallen 
down,  and  time  and  neglect  will  soon 
cause  the  destruction  of  the  whole 

*  This  never  was  a  church,  as  some  have 
imagined. 


!  building.  It  has  three  doors  on  the 
E.  side,  over  the  southernmost  of  which 
is  a  minaret,  and  another  at  the  S.E. 
corner. 

At  that  early  time  the  Arabs  were 
contented  with  humble  imitations  of 
Eoman  architecture,  or  with  build- 
ings erected  for  them  by  Christian 
architects,  which  appears  to  have  been 
the  case  in  this  instance ;  and  the  style 
of  the  arches  and  other  portions  of  the 
exterior  wall  is  the  same  as  that  found 
in  contemporary  Christian  edifices. 
The  general  form  of  the  arches  is 
round,  alternating  with  others  of  the 
pent-roof  head  ;  on  the  S.  side  some 
of  the  large  lower  arches  are  pointed, 
but  it  is  doubtful  if  they  are  of  the 
same  age  as  the  round  ones  above  and 
adjoining  them.  Indeed  it  may  be 
doubted  if  the  Arabs  in  the  time  of 
the  conquest  of  Egypt  had  made  suffi- 
cient progress  in  architecture  to  build 
a  mosk  of  the  size  and  character  of 
this  of  Amer ;  though  they  added  to 
the  interior  in  after  times.  Its  present 
arches,  on  columns,  which  are  built 
against  the  simpler  arches  of  the 
original  outer  wall,  are  evidently  of 
the  style  common  in  the  time  of  El 
Moaiud,  about  1412  a.d.,  when  repairs 
are  said  to  have  been  made  to  the 
mosk.  Nor  have  we  here  the  only 
instance  of  the  pointed  arch  at  that 
early  period;  and  the  Christian  re- 
mains of  Upper  Egypt  afford  several 
examples  of  its  employment,  to  cover 
small  spaces,  before  the  Arabs  invaded 
the  country. 

The  mosk  has  undergone  several 
repairs,  and  in  Murad  Bey's  time,  who 
was  one  of  its  restorers,  some  Cufic 
MSS.  were  discovered,  while  exca- 
vating the  substructions,  written  on 
the  finest  parchment.  The  origin  of 
their  discovery,  and  the  cause  of  these 
repairs,  are  thus  related  by  M.  Mar- 
cel :  "  Murad  Bey,  being  destitute 
of  the  means  of  carrying  on  the  war 
against  his  rival  Ibrahim,  sought  to 
replenish  his  coffers  by  levying  a  large 
sum  from  the  Jews  of  Cairo.  To 
escape  from  his  exactions,  they  had 
recourse  to  stratagem.  After  assuring 
him  they  had  not  a  single  para,  they 
I  promised,  on  condition  of  abstaining 


Egypt 


ROMAN  FOETBE3S  OF  BABYLON". 


165 


from  his  demands,  to  reveal  a  secret 
which  would  make  him  possessor  of 
immense  wealth.  His  word  was  given, 
and  they  assured  him  that  certain 
archives  mentioned  a  large  iron  chest, 
deposited  in  the  mosk  of  Amer,  either 
by  its  founder  or  by  one  of  his  suc- 
cessors in  the  government  of  Egypt, 
which  -was  filled  with  invaluable 
treasure.  Murad  Bey  went  imme- 
diately to  the  mosk,  and,  under  the 
plea  of  repairs,  excavated,  tbe  spot 
indicated  by  his  informants,  where,  in 
fact,  he  found  a  secret  underground 
chamber,  containing  an  iron  chest, 
half  destroyed  by  rust,  and  full — not 
of  gold — but  of  manuscript  leaves  of 
the  Koran,  on  vellum  of  a  beautiful 
quality,  written  in  fine  Cufic  charac- 
ters." This  treasure  was  not  one  to 
satisfy  the  cupidity  of  the  Memlook 
Bey,  and  it  was  left  to  the  sheykh  of 
the  mosk,  by  whom  it  was  sold  to 
different  individuals. 

Tradition  has  not  been  idle  here  ; 
and  the  credulous  believe  that  an 
ancient  prophecy  foretells  the  downfall 
of  Moslem  power  whenever  this  mosk 
shall  fall  to  decay ;  and  two  columns 
placed  10  inches  apart,  near  the  south- 
ernmost door,  are  said  to  discover  the 
faith  of  him  who  tries  to  pass  between 
them,  no  one  but  a  true  believer  in 
the  Koran  and  the  Prophet  being 
supposed  to  succeed  in  the  attempt. 
When  all  but  Moslems  were  excluded 
from  the  mosks,  the  truth  of  this  was 
of  course  never  called  in  question ; 
and  now  that  the  profane  are  ad- 
mitted, the  desecration  of  the  building 
is  readily  believed  to  cause  the  failure 
of  the  chaim.  At  the  S.E.  angle  is 
the  tomb  of  the  founder  Amer ;  and  at 
the  S.W.  a  spring,  said  by  believers 
to  communicate  with  the  holy  well  of 
Zem  Zem  at  Mecca. 

c.  Roman  Fortress  of  Babylon. — 
The  next  point  of  interest  is  the  large 
walled  enclosure  called  "  Kasr  esh 
Shemmah,"  or  "Dayr  en  Nasarah," 
or  "  Dayr  Welee  Girghis,"  occupying 
the  site  of  the  fortress  already  al- 
luded to  as  having  been  the  Koman 
station  of  Babylon.  The  style  of  its 
masonry  has  the  peculiar  character  of 
Roman  buildings ;  which  is  readily 


distinguished  by  the  courses  of  red 
tiles  or  bricks,  and  the  construction  of 
its  arches  :  and  over  the  main  entrance 
on  the  S.  side  (which  is  now  closed 
and  nearly  buried  in  rubbish)  is  a 
triangular  pediment,  under  whose 
left-hand  corner  may  still  be  seen  the 
Boman  eagle.  Above  appears  to  have 
been  a  slab,  probably  bearing  an  in- 
scription, long  since  fallen  or  removed. 
Its  solid  walls  and  strong  round 
towers  sufficiently  testify  its  former 
strength,  and  account  for  its  having 
defied  the  attacks  of  the  Arab  invaders 
for  seven  months ;  and  it  is  doubtless 
to  this  that  Aboolfeda  alludes  when 
he  says  :  "  In  the  spot  where  Fostat 
was  built  stood  a  Kasr,  erected  in  old 
times,  and  styled  Kasr  esh  Shemmah 
('  of  the  candle '),  and  the  tent  (fostat) 
of  Amer  was  close  to  the  mosk  called 
Jamat  Amer." 

Strabo  mentions  the  station  or  for- 
tress at  Babylon,  "in  which  one  of 
the  three  Boman  legions  was  quar- 
tered, which  formed  the  garrison  of 
Egypt."  This  Babylon  he  describes 
as  a  castle  fortified  by  nature,  founded 
by  some  Babylonians,  who,  having 
left  their  country,  obtained  from  the 
Egyptian  kings  a  dwelling-place  in 
this  spot.  Mis  statement,  however,  of 
its  being  fortified  by  nature,  scarcely 
agrees  with  the  Kasr  esh  Shemmah, 
unless  (which  is  very  possible)  the 
mounds  of  rubbish  have  raised  the  soil 
about  it,  and  concealed  it3  once  ele- 
vated base ;  though  the  ridge  of  hill 
it  occupied  by  the  river,  where  hy- 
draulic machines  raised  the  Nile 
water  for  its  supply,  seems  to  accord 
with  the  description  of  its  site  given 
by  Arab  writers,  who  state  that  when 
taken  by  the  Saracens  the  river  flowed 
near  its  walls.  At  all  events,  it  is 
evidently  a  Boman  station,  and  pro- 
bably the  very  one  that  existed  in  the 
days  of  the  geographer,  judging  both 
from  its  style  of  building,  and  from 
the  little  likelihood  of  their  forsaking 
a  place  "  fortified  by  nature "  for 
another  ;  and  no  vestiges  of  any  other 
Roman  ruin  are  to  be  met  with  in  the 
neighbourhood.  The  name  itself  of 
Babylon  has  been  preserved  in  the 
name  of  the  next  Dayr  beyond  the 


166 


CAIRO  :  EXCURSIONS 


COPTIC  CONVENTS 


Sect.  II. 


Kasresh  Shemmah,  which  is  still  called 
Dayr  Babloon. 

These  Babylonians,  according  to 
Diodorus,  were  descendants  of  captives 
taken  by  Sesostris :  some  suppose 
them  to  have  been  left  by  Semiramis 
ia  Egypt;  and  others  say  the  town 
was  not  founded  until  the  time  of 
Cambyses.  Some,  again,  pretend  that 
the  fort  was  first  built  by  Artaxerxes, 
while  Egypt  was  in  the  possession  of 
the  Persians.  Strabo  asserts  that 
these  Babylonians  worshipped  the 
Cynocephalus,  which  throws  great 
doubt  upon  his  assertion  of  the  town 
having  been  founded  by  foreigners, 
and  would  rather  lead  to  the  conclu- 
sion that  it  was  Egyptian;  for  it  is 
more  probable  that  those  strangers 
were  allowed  to  live  there,  as  the 
Franks  now  are  in  a  quarter  of  a 
Turkish  city,  than  that  they  were 
presented  by  the  kings  with  a  strong 
position  for  "the  erection  of  a  fortress. 

Immediately  on  entering  this 
gloomy-looking  place  by  a  low  postern 
door  on  the  W.  side,  the  visitor  finds 
himself  in  a  narrow  lane  lined  with 
shops.  Indeed,  the  whole  interior  is 
a  small  town  inhabited  principally 
by  Copts,  but  containing  also  some 
Muslims,  and  a  Greek  and  a  Latin  con- 
vent. The  objects  of  interest  are 
many :  but  the  traveller  will  find,  if 
he  trusts  to  his  dragoman,  that  they 
are  limited  to  the  church  in  which  is 
the  traditional  hiding-place  of  the 
Holy  Family,  and  perhaps  the  Greek 
convent.  It  is  well  for  those  who 
wish  to  see  something  more  to  accept 
the  services  of  a  guide  in  the  place 
itself,  and  distinctly  make  him  under- 
stand what  they  wish  to  see.  At 
some  of  the  churches  the  key  will  not 
always  be  forthcoming,  and  the  priests 
are  apt  to  be  surly  and  unaccommo- 
dating ;  but  patience  and  backsheesh 
will  work  wonders.  Some  will  find 
enough  here  to  occupy  many  hours, 
and  will  of  course  have  to  postpone 
the  remainder  of  the  excursion  to 
another  day.  A  description  of  the 
principal  churches  will  be  found  in 
its  place  in  the  following  account 
of  the  Coptic  Convents  and  Churches 
of  Old  Cairo,  which  has  been  con-  | 


tributed  by  Mr.  Greville  Chester.  It 
would  be  very  desirable  if  a  plan 
could  be  made  of  the  fortress  as 
it  formerly  existed.  The  principal 
points  at  which  remains  of  it  are  seen 
are  inside  the  court  of  the  Greek  con- 
vent ;  inside  the  Coptic  church  called 
"  El  Moallaka ;"  in  the  courtyard  near 
the  Jewish  synagogue ;  and  at  the  end 
of  a  lane,  where  the  inside  of  one  of 
the  towers  is  used  as  a  corn-mill :  this 
part  is  called  El  Borg,  and  is*  said  to 
be  the  spot  where  people  were  hanged. 
It  evidently  forms  a  portion  of  a  large 
Boman  building,  with  additions  of  a 
|  later  period  :  crossing  the  lower  part 
of  one  of  the  towers,  the  entrance  to 
which  is  beneath  a  fine  old  round 
arch,  is  a  more  modern  pointed  brick 
horseshoe  arch,  which  has  been  built 
to  support  more  recent  erections  inside 
the  old  round  tower. 

d.  Coptic  Convents  and  Churches. — 
The  ancient  Christian  churches,  now 
belonging  to  the  Copts  and  Greeks, 
which  are  scattered  about  in  different 
positions  amongst  the  mounds  of  the 
Arabian  Fostat,  have  received  far  less 
attention  than  they  deserve,  consider- 
ing their  high  architectural  import- 
ance, and  the  numerous  curiosities  and 
works  of  art  which  they  contain. 
The  Dayrs,  or  convents,  in  which  they 
are  situated  are  fortress-like  build- 
ings, evidently  constructed  with  a 
view  to  security  against  attack,  and 
often  containing,  besides  the  church 
or  churches,  a  regular  town  within 
their  walls,  as  notably  in  the  case  of 
the  Kasr  esh  Shemmah. 

The  churches  within  these  ancient 
Dayrs  are  invariably  extremely  plain 
on  the  outside.  They  are  constructed 
of  thin  dark-red  bricks,  probably  of 
Boman  manufacture.  One,  three,  or 
more  domes  rise  above  their  roofs,  and 
the  thickness  of  the  walls  and  the 
narrowness  of  the  apertures  for  light 
render  them  admirably  adapted  to 
the  warmth  of  the  climate.  Inter- 
nally they  are  divided  by  wooden 
screens  into  different  compartments,  in 
the  westernmost  of  which  is  commonly 
found  the  well  or  tank  for  the  water 
blessed  at  the  Feast  of  the  Epiphany. 
The  Baptistery  proper  is  generally  in 


Egypt- 


AND  CHURCHES. 


167 


a  separate  chapel.  The  other  com- 
partments are  for  the  women  and  for 
laymen,  and  that  within  the  screen, 
which  answers  to  the  Iconostasis  of 
Greek  churches,  is  reserved  for  the 
use  of  the  clergy  in  the  celebration  of 
the  Holy  Eucharist.  The  side  aisles 
are  likewise  separated  from  the  nave 
by  openwork  screens.  The  central 
and  side  altars,  of  which  the  latter 
are  rarely  used,  stand  under  baldac- 
chinos  supported  upon  ancient  marble 
pillars,  and  behind  each  is  almost 
invariably  an  apse  with  semicircular 
stone  seats,  aud  a  central  throne, 
anciently  but  not  at  the  present  time 
used  by  the  bishop  according  to  pri- 
mitive Christian  practice.  The  walls 
of  the  apses  are  decorated  with  mosaics 
or  painted,  and  paintings  cover  the 
ceilings.  The  altars  are  themselves 
square,  and  under  each  is  a  cavity  at 
the  back.  They  are  invariably  made 
of  stone,  and  on  the  top  there  is  a 
central  groove,  in  which  is  placed  the 
square  wooden  receptacle  for  the 
Sacred  Elements.  Persons  entering 
the  doors  of  the  Iconostasis  are  ex- 
pected to  take  off  their  shoes,  a  prac- 
tice of  remote  antiquity,  and  one 
which  recalls  the  command  of  the 
Almighty  addressed  to  Moses  at  the 
Burning  Bush.  The  celebrating 
clergy  at  the  Eucharist  are  generally 
altogether  barefooted.  As  in  the 
Greek  Church,  there  are  no  organs  ; 
the  only  instruments  of  music  used 
being  cymbals  and  triangles.  The 
voices  of  the  clergy  as  they  "  praise 
God  with  the  loud  cymbals "  have  a 
singularly  wild  and  impressive  effect. 
There  are  no  images,  but  a  great 
number  of  paintings  in  the  stiff 
Byzantine  style,  but  some  of  them  are 
not  wanting  in  a  kind  of  rude  gran- 
deur. The  principal  painting  is  al- 
ways that  of  our  Lord  in  the  act  of 
benediction. 

The  following  are  among  the  prin- 
cipal objects  found  in  those  churches 
which  merit  the  attention  of  anti- 
quaries and  those  interested  in  ancient 
ecclesiastical  art : — 1.  Pulpits  of  mar- 
ble, enriched  with  mosaics  in  marble 
and  mother-of-pearl.  2.  Shrines  con- 
taining the  relics  of  saints,  enclosed 


in  wooden  cases  wrapped  in  rich  silk 
or  other  stuff,  and  precisely  resembling 
bolsters.  3.  Processional  crosses, 
often  with  flags  attached,  and  hand- 
crosses  of  brass  and  silver.  4.  Ancient 
silver  and  brass  censers,  of  which 
some  have  small  bells  attached  to 
the  chains.     5.  Brass  candlesticks. 

6.  Silver  boxes  to  hold  the  incense. 

7.  Silver  chalices,  patens,  and  spoons. 

8.  Coverings  for  copies  of  the  Gospel, 
made  of  silver,  silver-gilt,  or  iron. 
Many  of  these  are  enriched  with  inter- 
lacing work,  crosses,  and  inscriptions 
in  Coptic  and  Arabic  in  relief.  The 
Gospels  are  hermetically  sealed  inside 
these  cases.  9.  Ancient  Arabic  lamps 
of  glass.  Only  two  or  three  of  these 
now  remain  in  use.  10.  Square 
painted  boxes  or  receptacles  for  the 
Sacred  Elements  at  the  time  of  cele- 
bration. 11.  Ostrich  eggs  in  metal 
casing,  suspended  from  the  roofs,  like 
those  in  Mohammedan  mosks.  12. 
Staves  upon  which  the  clergy  and 
laity  rest  themselves  during  long 
services.  13.  Large  carved  wooden 
chairs  used  as  supports  for  relics,  or 
for  the  Gospels,  and  occasionally  as  a 
seat  for  the  Patriarch.  14.  Screens 
of  inlaid  wood  and  ivory,  often  of 
extreme  beauty  and  intricacy  of  de- 
sign. 15.  Bich  hangings  for  cur+ains 
and  coverings  of  the  altar.  16.  Vest- 
ments, of  extremely  ancient  design, 
but  rarely  of  ancient  manufacture. 
17.  Wall-decoration  of  Arabic  and 
Persian  (or  Bhodian)  tiles. 

In  making  a  few  observations  on 
these  ancient  Dayrs,  and  the  churches 
which  they  contain,  it  will  be  conve- 
nient to  arrange  them  in  the  order  in 
which  they  occur  as  the  visitor  ap- 
proaches from  the  Bab  Seyyideh 
Zeynib,  at  the  S.  end  of  Cairo : — 

1.  Bayr  Mart  Mena,  containing  the 
Coptic  church  of  Mari  Mena,  with  a 
chapel  lately  occupied  by  the  Syrians 
attached,  and  the  comparatively  mo- 
dern church  of  the  Armenians. 

St.  Menas,  whose  name  is  interest- 
ing as  recalling  that  of  the  first 
recorded  King  of  Egypt,  nourished  at 
the  beginning  of  the  fourth  century. 
There  was  a  celebrated  convent  bear- 
ing his  name  at  Alexandria,  and 


168 


CAIRO  :  excursions  : 


COrTIC  CHURCHES. 


Sect.  II. 


there,  probably,  were  made  the  numer- 
ous Christian  bottles  inscribed  with 
his  name  and  effigy  which  are  found 
in  the  catacombs  at  Alexandria  and 
elsewhere  in  Egypt. 

Mart  Mena.  —This  church  contains 
an  extremely  curious  candlestick  of 
bronze,  representing  two  dragons  with 
their  heads  at  each  extremity,  and 
their  tails  interlaced  in  the  middle. 
The  lights  are  fixed  along  the  back. 
This  candlestick  was  copied  about  150 
years  since  fur  the  adjoining  church 
of  the  Armenians. 

2.  Dayr  Aboo  Seplieen,  containing 
the  churches  of  Aboo  Sepheen,  Amba 
Shenooda,  and  Sitt  Miriam. 

Aboo  Seplieen. — A  very  fine  and  in- 
teresting church.  The  ancient  wooden 
door  is  defended  by  a  casing  made  of 
the  scales  of  crocodiles  !  In  a  reli- 
quary is  preserved  the  arm  of  St.  Ma- 
carius.  The  pulpit  is  magnificent, 
with  mosaics  of  coloured  marbles  in- 
termixed with  mother-of-pearl.  The 
screens  are  of  wood,  inlaid  with  ivory, 
and  superbly  carved.  The  central 
apse  has  a  magnificent  semi-circle  of 
marble  steps,  and  the  wall  above  is 
lined  with  fine  mosaics.  Some  of  the 
paintings,  upon  a  gold  ground  over 
the  screens,  appear  very  ancient. 
There  is  a  fine  Arabic  ewer  and  basin 
enamelled  in  blue  and  green,  and  a 
remarkably  perfect  wooden  book-desk. 
The  nave  has  a  high- pitched,  roof,  and 
the  dome  is  unusually  lofty.  Near 
the  Epiphany  water-tank  is  a  curious 
prostrate  stone  column,  4  ft.  10  in. 
long,  entirely  covered  with  Arabic 
inscriptions,  which  merits  investi- 
gation. 

Amba  Shenooda. —  An  interesting 
church.  There  is  a  fine  early  pulpit 
of  wood,  and  some  curious  coverings 
for  the  altar.  Here  are  a  Gospel -cover 
of  base  silver,  and  two  silver  diadems 
used  in  marriages. 

3.  The  Roman  fortress  known  as 
"  Kasr  esh  Shemmah,"  or  Dayr  Meri 
Girgliis,  containing  the  Coptic 
churches  of  Meri  Girghis,  Kedeseh 
Berbarra,  Sitt  Miriam  (a),  Sitt  Miriam 
(b),  called  also  "El  Moallaka,"  and 
Aboo  Sirgeh,  with  the  subterranean 
church  of  Sitt  Miriam  beneath.  Here 


also  is  an  ancient  Jewish  synagogue, 
formerly  the  church  of  St.  Michael, 
and  a  Greek  convent  containing  the 
church  of  St.  George,  and  the  chapel 
of  the  Forty  Saints  below  it,  which 
last  is  close  to  an  ancient  well,  sur- 
rounded by  a  circle  of  massive  columns 
supporting  round  arches. 

Kedeseh  Berbarra. — A  very  curious 
church  of  early  date.  The  shrine  of 
St.  Berbarra  is  gaudily  painted  in 
bright  colours,  and  contains  within  a 
brass  grill  the  relics  of  St.  Berbarra 
wrapped  in  a  kind  of  blue  bolster. 
The  nave  is  supported  on  ten  pillars, 
upon  which  rest  elegantly  painted 
beams  of  wood,  above  which  are  pointed 
arches.  The  lofty  marble  pulpit 
stands  upon  ten  marble  pillars,  and  is 
enriched  with  mosaics.  This  church 
abounds  with  splendid  early  carvings 
in  wood  and  ivory.  The  paintings  on 
the  screen  before  the  Iconostasis  are 
unusually  good.  There  is  a  curious 
triple  standing  candlestick  of  iron,  a 
single  one  of  brass,  and  a  corona  now 
disused. 

Aboo  Sirgeh. — A  large,  fine,  and  lofty 
church.  The  pulpit  in  the  central 
aisle  is  of  early  wood-work.  The 
principal  screen  is  a  magnificent  spe- 
cimen of  carved  ivory  and  wood:  to 
the  left  of  it  are  some  interesting 
panels  sculptured  with  St.  George  (the 
patron  saint  of  the  Copts),  other 
Saints,  and  Scriptural  subjects.  Behind 
the  high  altar  there  is  a  grand  flight 
of  seven  lofty  steps  of  white  and 
coloured  marbles,  the  wall  above  being 
faced  with  exquisite  mosaics,  in  which 
the  ( coloured  marbles  are  intermixed 
with  mother-of-pearl  and  pieces  of 
blue  opaque  glass.  This  mixture  of 
shell  with  marbles  can  only  be  seen  in 
a  very  few  of  the  finest  churches  and 
mosks,  and  has  a  remarkably  elegant 
effect.  In  the  space  in  front  of  the 
Iconostasis  two  narrow  staircases  de- 
scend to  a  small  three-aisled  subter- 
ranean chapel  with  plastered  walls, 
apparently  of  great  antiquity.  It  is 
dedicated  to  Sitt  Miriam  (the  Lady 
Mary).  Two  pillars  on  each  side 
divide  the  side  aisles  from  the  centre. 
In  the  eastern  wall  of  the  central  aisle 
is  a  deep  cavity  or  niche  with  a  cross- 


Egypt. 


COPTIC  CHURCHES 


169 


slab  at  the  bottom,  and  with,  the  side 
and  roof  carefully  finished  with  hewn 
stones.  In  the  end  of  the  S.  aisle  is  a 
font  embedded  in  stone  like  a  copper, 
and  used  for  the  baptism  of  small 
children.  In  the  side  wall  of  each  of 
the  side  aisles  there  is  another  niche, 
at  the  bottom  of  each  of  which  is  a 
sculptured  cross.  Tradition  reports 
that  at  the  time  of  the  Flight  into 
Egypt,  the  Blessed  Virgin  and  the 
Holy  Child  rested  in  one  cavity,  and 
St.  Joseph  in  tbe  other. 

Sitt  Miriam  (El  Moalldka).  —  A 
church  of  paramount  interest.  This 
church,  being  situated  upstairs  in  one 
of  the  towers  of  the  Roman  Gateway 
of  Babylon,  and  at  a  considerable 
height  frnm  the  ground,  is  known  as 
"  El  Moallaka,"  i.e.,  "  the  Suspended." 
The  approach  is  by  a  lofty  staircase, 
with  side  walls  of  ancient  stone 
masonry,  and  a  vaulted  roof  of  small 
dark-red  bricks.  It  has  five  aisles, 
supported,  as  usual  in  these  churches, 
by  pillars  and  capitals  torn  from 
ancient  Greek  or  Roman  buildings. 
Upon  these  rest  beams  of  wood  sculp- 
tured with  ancient  Coptic  inscriptions, 
and  above  are  series  of  pointed  arches. 
From  the  introduction  of  the  cross 
amidst  the  Corinthianizing  foliage  of 
some  of  the  capitals  it  is  evident  that 
they  belong  to  the  Boman-Christian 
period.  In  the  principal  aisle  there 
is  a  remarkable  marble  pulpit,  orna- 
mented with  Opus  Alexaiidrinum,  and 
supported  on  marble  pillars.  The 
pulpit  staircase  is  adorned  with  two 
sculptured  crosses.  Beneath  is  the 
tomb  of  a  Coptic  Patriarch.  The 
principal  screen,  which  is  surmounted 
by  good  paintings  of  our  Lord  with 
Saints  and  Angels,  is  exquisitely 
sculptured  in  ebony,  cedar  wood.  :md 
ivory.  In  a  small  space  to  the  left  of 
the  high  altar  two  leaves  of  a  cedar 
door  are  preserved,  which  are  carved 
with  great  delicacy  and  elegance, 
and  are  of  the  highest  interest.  The 
panels  are  eight  in  number ;  the  two 
upper  ones  represent  crosses  amidst 
interlacing  foliage,  below  which  are 
the  following  subjects  :  The  Adoration 
:  of  the  Magi,  Our  Lord's  Baptism.  Our 
Lord's  Triumphant  Entry  into  Jeru- 

[Egypt] 


salem,  The  Ascension,  The  Descent 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  on  the  Day  of  Pen- 
tecost, and  another  subject,  possibly 
the  Avowal  of  St.  Peter.  In  one  of 
the  aisles  is  a  portion  of  pavement 
executed  in  Opus  Alexandrinum,  and 
there  are  some  good  fragments  of 
mosaic  in  the  Baptistery.  Many  of  the 
details  of  this  church  are  extremely 
curious.  It  also  possesses  the  only 
specimen  of  a  stained-glass  window 
to  be  found  around  Cairo  in  a 
Christian  church.  A  door  in  the 
entry  gives  access  to  the  interior  of  one 
of  the  Boman  Gate-towers,  which  is 
partly  used  for  burials.  By  another 
door  access  is  obtained  to  the  remark- 
able doorway  which  bears  a  long 
Christian  inscription  in  Greek,  and 
Christian  sculptures  upon  beams  of 
cedar.  The  capitals  which  support 
the  beams  are  themselves  carved  out 
of  wood.  Unfortunately  the  beams 
are  so  built  into  the  wall  at  one  end 
that  the  beginning  of  the  inscription 
is  illegible.  It  is  arranged  in  four 
lines,  and  appears,  so  far  as  it  can  be 
deciphered,  to  cousist  of  sentences 
from  the  Greek  liturgy.  The  pre- 
sence of  the  letters  AIOK  near  the 
end  of  the  last  line  has  led  to  the 
supposition  that  the  inscription  is  to 
be  referred  to  the  time  of  the  Emperor 
Diocletian,  but  the  debased  style  of 
the  Greek  letters  would  rather  point 
to  a  later  origin.  Tne  sculpture  re- 
presents Our  Blessed  Lord,  seated 
within  a  vescica  or  nimbus,  and  on 
either  hand  are  six  Apostles,  divided 
from  each  other  by  rude  columns 
or  palm-trunks.  Beyond  the  door- 
way is  a  small  chamber  with  a  vaulted 
brick  roof.  The  whole  no  doubt  for- 
merly was  a  side  entrance  to  the 
original  Greek  church.  It  is  probable 
that  the  edifice  came  into  the  pos- 
session of  the  Copts  at  the  time  of  the 
Muslim  conquest,  when  Arner  re- 
warded them  for  their  leady  submis- 
sion and  aid  by  making  over  to  them 
various  properties  belonging  to  the 
hated  fellow-Christians  by  whom  they 
had  been  so  long  oppressed. 

The  Greek  Convent  is  a  large  build- 
ing, and  contains  many  objects  of 
i 


170 


CAIRO  :  EXCURSIONS 


ISLAND  OF  RODA  ; 


Sect.  II. 


interest.  In  the  church  are  some 
beautiful  specimens  of  old  Arabic  and 
Persian  tiles. 

The  Jewish  Synagogue,  already  al- 
luded to,  is  the  desecrated  Christian 
Church  of  St.  Michael,  given  up 
several  centuries  since  to  the  Jews,  to 
whom  a  large  sum  was  owed  which 
the  Copts  were  unable  to  pay.  In 
plan  it  resembles  a  Basilica  in  minia- 
ture. Above  and  around  the  niches 
for  the  books  of  the  Law  are  nume- 
rous Hebrew  inscriptions  amidst 
interlacing  foliage  executed  in  wood 
and  plaster.  A  door  to  the  left  of  the 
building  admits  to  an  open  space, 
where  a  fine  view  is  obtained  of  the 
interior  of  one  of  the  Eoman  bastion- 
towers,  and  of  the  inside  of  the  gate 
on  the  S.  side,  mentioned  above. 

4.  Dayr  Babldon,  preserving  the 
name  of  the  Eoman  Babylon  of  Egypt, 
and  containing  the  Church  of  Sitt 
Miriam. 

5.  Dayr  Tedreus,  containing  the 
Church  of  Sitt  Mir. am,  and  that  of 
Aboo  Eer  wa  Hanna. 

Aboo  Eer  wa  Hanna  (Honnes).— 
This  church  has  been  rebuilt  at  no 
very  remote  period.  It  contains, 
however,  several  curious  objects,  pre- 
eminent among  which  is  a  magnificent 
silver-gilt  Gospel-case,  ornamented 
with  Arabic  and  Coptic  inscriptions. 
Here  are  also  some  fine  crimson  and 
gold  vestments,  and  a  pair  of  silver- 
gilt  girdle-clasps,  enriched  with  niello. 
The  relics  of  Aboo  Eer  wa  Hanna 
are  preserved  in  a  chapel  to  the  right 
of  the  church.  The  cup  and  paten  of 
this  church  appear  to  be  ancient. 

6.  Dayr  Melek  Michael  (the  Arch- 
angel Michael),  with  the  church  of 
St.  Michael. 

7.  Dayr  El  Admeeh,  by  the  side  of 
the  Nile,  a  little  on  the  Cairo  side  of 
the  village  of  Tooreh. 

It  may  be  added  that  all  these 
ancient  churches  arc  built  east  and 
west,  and  in  their  arrangements  and  I 


fittings  give  as  accurate  a  picture  of 
early  Christian  usages  as  can  any- 
where be  found. 

Dayrs  Nos.  1  and  2  might  be  taken 
on  the  visitor's  way  back  to  Cairo, 
supposing  him  to  have  begun  with 
No.  3. 

e.  Island  of  Boda  and  Nilometer. — 
The  Island  of  Boda  lies  opposite  Old 
Cairo,  from  which  it  is  separated  by  a 
canal-like  branch  of  the  river.  The 
N.  part  of  it  was  formerly  occupied 
by  beautiful  gardens,  planted  chiefly 
.by  Ibraheem  Pasha.  Though  no 
longer  resorted  to  by  the  Cairenes  as  a 
cool  and  shady  retreat  in  summer,  it 
still  presents  a  very  pretty  and  pleas- 
ing appearance.  Arab  tradition  has 
chosen  it  as  the  site  of  the  finding  of 
Moses  by  Pharaoh's  daughter. 

In  the  time  of  the  latter  princes  of 
the  Greek  empire,  Eoda  was  joined  to 
the  main  land  by  a  bridge  of  boats, 
for  the  purpose  of  keeping  up  a  direct 
communication  between  Babylon  and 
Memphis,  which  still  existed  at  the 
period  of  the  Arab  invasion  under 
Amer ;  and  at  a  later  period  the  island 
was  fortified  by  the  Baharite  Memlooks 
with  a  wall  and  towers  of  brick,  some 
of  which  still  remain. 

At  the  S.  extremity  of  the  Island  is 
the  Nilometer,  situated  in  the  garden 
of  a  house,  the  entrance  to  which  may 
be  reached  in  a  boat  from  Old  Cairo. 

The  Nilometer,  in  Arabic  Mehheeas 
(measure),  is,  as  its  name  indicates, 
used  for  the  purpose  of  measuring  the 
height  of  the  Nile.  It  consists  of  a 
square  well  or  chamber,  in  the  centre 
of  which  is  a  graduated  pillar.  This 
pillar  is  divided  into  16  cubits,  each 
21Tg  inches  long;  the  10  uppermost  of 
these  cubits  are  again  sub-divided  into 
24  digits  each,  but  the  6  lowest  are 
separated  only  by  a  line.  According 
to  the  measurement  of  Cairo,  where  the 
cubit  is  reckoned  at  about  14|  inches, 
the  column  contains  24  cubits.  Some 
have  stated  that  the  cubits  are  of  dif- 
ferent lengths,  but  this  is  not  the  case  ; 
though  it  is  certain  that  no  accurate 
calculation  can  be  obtained  from  a 
column  which  has  been  broken  and 


Egypt. 


THE  NILOMETER. 


171 


repaired  in  such  a  maimer  that  one  of  | 
the  cubits  remains  incomplete ;  and  it  j 
is  evident  that  the  number  of  cubits  of 
the  river's  rise,  as  calculated  at  the 
time  of  its  erection,  must  differ  much 
from  that  marked  by  it  at  the  present 
day ;  the  elevation  of  the  bed  of  the 
Nile  having  altered  the  relative  pro- 
portion of  the  rise  of  the  water,  which, 
now  passes  about  one  cubit  and  two- 
thirds  above  the  highest  part  of  the 
column. 

The  interior  of  the  building  is  about 
18  feet  square,  and  was  formerly  sur- 
mounted by  a  dome  which  is  said  to 
have  borne  a  Curie  inscription,  and  a 
date  answering  to  a  d.  848.  On  each 
side  is  a  recess,  about  six  feet  wide, 
and  three  deep,  surmounted  by  a 
pointed  arch.  Over  each  of  these 
arches  is  an  inscription  in  Cufic,  and  a 
similar  inscription  rims  round  the 
upper  part  of  the  chamber.  They  are 
passages  from  the  Koran,  relating  to 
the  "water  sent  by  God  from  heaven," 
which  shows  the  received  opinion  of 
the  causes  of  the  inundation,  first  al- 
luded to  by  Homer  in  the  expression 
Airn-eTeos  ttotclu.oio  applied  to  the  Nile, 
and  occasionally  discarded  and  read- 
mitted by  succeeding  authors  until  a 
very  late  period.  The  inscriptions  have 
no  date,  but  their  age  may  be  fixed  by 
the  character  in  which  they  are 
written ;  they  being  the  same  as  that 
used  in  the  mosk  of  Ebn  Tooloon,  ami  a 
different  writing  having  been  intro- 
duced in  the  century  following.  The 
fixing  of  this  date  is  of  considerable 
architectural  interest,  as  it  affords  an 
additional  proof  of  the  early  use  of  the 
pointed  arch :  and  if  Mr.  Lane's  date, 
a.d.  861,  for  the  completion  of  the 
first  Nilometer  at  Roda  be  accepted 
it  follows  that  the  pointed  arches  here 
seen  are  16  years  older  than  those  of 
the  mosk  of  Tooloon. 

According  to  Mr.  Lane  the  first 
Nilometer  of  Er-Kddah  was  built 
duriug  the  Caliphate  of  El  Weleed, 
who  reigned  from  a.d.  705  to  717. 
"  This  was  washed  down  by  the  river, 
or,  as  some  say,  was  pulled  down  bv 
the  order  of  the  Khali  ef.  h  El-Ma- 
moon,  about  the  beginning  of  the  third 
century  of  the  Flight ;  but  that  which 


replaced  it  was  not  finished  by  him  ; 
under  the  Khaleefeh  El-Mutawekkil  it 
was  completed  in  the  beginning  of  247 
(a.I).  861).  "  This  is  the  building  now 
existing"  (says  El-Is-hakee,  in  bis 
history,  which  he  brought  down  to 
a.h.  1032).  In  the  year  259,  Ebn  Too- 
loon went  to  inspect  it  and  gave  orders 
for  repairing  it ;  which  was  done ;  1000 
deenars  were  expended  on  it;  the. 
Khaleefeh  El-Mustansir  is  also  said  to 
have  caused  some  trifling  repairs  to  be 
done  to  it.  But  it  has  undergone  very 
slight  alteration  since  the  time  of  El- 
Mutawekkil." 

Diodorus  would  seem  to  affirm  that 
the  first  Nilometer  in  the  time  of  the 
Pharaonic  kings  was  erected  at  Mem- 
phis, which  is  repeated  by  Arab  his- 
torians. Herodotus  speaks  of  the 
measurement  of  the  river's  rise  under 
Mosris,  and  at  the  period  he  visited 
Egypt:  a  Nilometer  is  mentioned  at 
Eileithyias,  of  thy  time  of  the  Ptole 
mies  :  that  of  Elephantine  is  described 
by  Strabo ;  and  from  the  inscriptions 
remaining  there  we  know  it  to  have 
been  used  in  the  reigns  of  the  early 
Eoman  emperors.  A  movable  Nilo- 
meter was  preserved  till  the  time  of 
Constantine  in  the  Temple  of  Serapis 
at  Alexandria,  and  was  then  trans- 
ferred to  a  church  in  that  city,  where 
it  remained  until  restored  to  the  Sara- 
peum  by  Julian.  Theodosius  after- 
wards removed  it  again,  when  that 
building  was  destroyed  by  his  order. 

"  Remains  of  an  ancient  Nilometer 
existed  in  the  time  of  El-Makreezee  in 
the  Deyr-el  Benat  in  the  Ka?r-eshn 
Shema;  which  was  the  Milometer 
before  El-Islam."  The  first  Nilometer 
built  in  Egypt  after  the  Arab  conquest 
is  ascribed  to  Abel  el  Azee'z,  brother  of 
the  Caliph  Abd  el  Melek,  erected  at 
Helwau  about  the  year  700 ;  but  being 
found  not  to  answer  there,  a  new  one 
was  made  by  his  successor  El  Weleed, 
as  already  stated,  in  the  Isle  of  Ro  'a. 
Mamoon  built  another  at  the  village 
of  Benbenoo.la,  in  the  Saeed,  and  re- 
paired an  ancient  one  at  l.khrneem. 
These  are  perhaps  the  oldest  con- 
structed by  the  Arab  kings  ;  though 
Kalkasendas  pretends  that  Omar  has 
I  a  prior  claim  to  this  honour. 

i  2 


172 


CAIEO  ;  EXCUESIONS  :  THE  PYEAMIDS  ; 


Sect.  II. 


The  rise  of  the  Nile  as  measured  by 
the  Mlometer  of  Koda  is  proclaimed 
in  the  streets  of  Cairo  every  day 
during  the  inundation  by  several  criers, 
to  each  of  whom  a  particular  district 
is  allotted.  Their  duties  begin  the 
first  week  in  July,  soon  after  the  com- 
mencement of  the  rise,  and  continue 
until  the  end  of  September  when  the 
river  has  reached  its  greatest  height. 
The  ceremony  of  the  cutting  of  the 
Canal  already  described  takes  place 
when  the  river  has  reached,  according 
to  the  official  declaration,  the  sixteenth 
cubit  of  the  Kilometer ;  but  the 
actual  rise  of  the  river  at  the  time 
of  the  ''Wefa  en-Neel,"  (the  com- 
pletion, or  abundance  of  the  Nile)  as 
it  is  termed,  is  generally  about  twenty 
or  twenty-one  feet  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  metropolis.  Twenty-two 
cubits  is  reckoned  by  the  Cairenes  as  a 
perfect  inundation.  From  24  to  26 
feet  may  be  taken  as  the  ordinary 
maximum  of  the  rise  at  Cairo. 

A  full  account  of  all  the  observances 
in  connexion  with  the  rise  of  the  Nile 
will  be  found  in  Lane's  '  Modern 
Egyptians,'  from  which  the  above 
particulars  have  been  principally 
taken. 

The  view  from  the  terrace  of  the 
palace  at  the  S.  point  of  Koda  is  ani- 
mated and  interesting.  Immediately 
to  the  left  is  the  port  of  Old  Cairo,  one 
of  the  principal  ferry-stations  between 
the  two  banks.  Boats  of  all  sizes,  con- 
taining a  curious  medley  of  human 
beings,  camels,  and  donkeys,  are  con- 
stantly passing ;  and  it  is  difficult  to 
say  which  is  the  most  striking  and  the 
least  pleasing,  the  bray  of  the  donkey, 
the  roar  of  the  camel,  or  the  harsh 
shrieks  of  the  passengers  and  the 
boatmen  disputing  over  the  fare. 
The  traveller  of  the  present  day,  who 
can  loll  in  his  carriage  all  the  way  to 
the  Pyramids,  loses  the  annoyance 
and  the  interest  of  the  ferry-crossing 
between  Old  Cairo  and  Geezeh,  which 
used  to  be  a  principal  feature  in  that 
excursion.  The  Nile  is  here  seen  in 
its  full  width  and  grandeur,  and  the 
eye  can  follow  its  course  for  some 
distance  S.  To  the  right  are  mag- 
nificent  palm-groves   stretching  for 


miles  along  the  plain,  and  behind 
them,  on  the  edge  of  the  desert,  rises  a 
long  line  of  pyramids  reaching  from 
Geezeh  to  Dashdor. 

On  the  return  home,  the  route  may 
be  varied  by  taking  the  road  to  the 
right  after  passing  under  the  aque- 
duct. This  will  lead  by  the  Chris- 
tian cemeteries  and  the  two  Coptic 
convents  of  Meri  Mena,  and  Aboo 
Sepheen  described  above,  to  the  mosk 
of  Seyyideh  Zeyneb,  and  thence  to  the 
Esbekeeyah. 

Excursion  VI.— The  Pyramids. 

a.  Preliminary  Observations.  b. 
Drive  to  the  Pyramids.  Boolak.  Ge- 
zeereh.  Geezeh.  c.  The  History  and 
Object  of  pyramidal  buildings  in 
Egypt,  d.  The  pyramid  platform  of 
Geezeh.  e.  The  Great  Pvramid.  f. 
The  Second  Pyramid.  g.'The  Third 
Pyramid,  h.  Other  small  Pyramids. 
*.  The  Sphinx,  h.  Tombs.  I.  The 
Causeways,  m.  Pyramid  of  Aboo- 
roash.    n.  Pyramids  of  Abooseer. 

a.  Preliminary  Observations. — The 
excursion  to  the  Pyramids  is  no 
longer  what  it  used  to  be.  Carriages, 
a  bridge  over  the  Nile,  and  a  macadam- 
ised road  have  superseded  donkeys, 
the  ferry  at  Geezeh,  and  the  tortuous 
dusty  footpath.  It  is  no  longer  neces- 
sary, however  high  the  Nile  may  be, 
to  go  many  miles  out  of  the  way  in 
order  to  avoid  some  canal  or  fields 
under  water.  Starting  in  a  carriage 
from  the  Esbekeeyah,  the  Pyramids 
may  be  reached  at  any  time  of  year 
in  1^  hour  by  the  excellent  high  road, 
which  lies  above  the  reach  of  the 
inundation,  and  crossing  all  the  prin- 
cipal canals  on  stone  bridges,  leads  up 
to  the  very  base  of  the  Great  Pyramid 
itself.  Some  will  regret  the  change, 
and  not  appreciate  the  facilities  afford- 
ed to  the  European  ol  iroKKoi  of  Cairo, 
for  aiding  in  the  task  already  too  well 
performed  by  those  who  should  know 
better,  of  disfiguring  the  monuments ; 
while  others  may  think  that  in  a  coun- 
try where  to  lay  a  railroad  is  easier 
than  to  make  a  road,  a  first-class  car- 
riage and  a  locomotive  would  be  a  de- 


Egypt 


DRIVE  TO  THE  PYRAMIDS. 


173 


sirable  and  obvious  improvement  upon 
a  rickety  chaise  and  a  pair  of  screw-. 

The  whole  excursion  to  the  Pyra- 
mids from  Cairo  and  back,  may  be 
"  done  "  in  five  or  six  hours  ;  but  those 
who  are  not  pressed  for  time  will  do 
well  to  devote  a  whole  day  to  it.  Leav- 
ing Cairo  at  a  rnoilerately  early  hour — 
say  8-30  a.m..  there  will  be  time  to  drive 
to  the  Pyramids,  make  the  ascent  of  the 
Great  Pyramid,  and  visit  the  interior 
before  the  middle  of  the  day ;  two  hours 
may  then  be  devoted  to  luncheon  and 
rest,  and  plenty  of  time  will  still  remain 
for  the  other  two  pyramids,  the  sphinx, 
and  the  tombs.  The  hire  of  a  car- 
riage will  be  from  16  shillings  to  11., 
whether  the  whole,  or  part  of  a  day 
be  employed.  For  a  donkey  four 
shillings. 

As  the  ascent  of  the  Great  Pyramid, 
and  the  groping  into  the  interior  are 
very  fatiguing,  ladies  who  are  not  very 
strong  will  do  well  to  send  on  donkeys 
from  Cairo,  to  carry  them  about  to  the 
Sphinx  and  other  objects  of  interest. 
The  monopoly  of  acting  as  guides  is  in 
the  hands  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 
village  on  the  edge  of  the  plain  close 
to  the  Pyramids,  commonly  called  the 
Pyramid  Bedaween,  and  their  Sheykh 
is  responsible  for  the  good  behaviour  of 
his  nitn.  and  the  safety  of  visitors. 
There  is  a  regular  tariff  of  2  shillings 
which  should  be  paid  to  the  Sheykh. 
and  for  which  he  is  bound  to  furnish 
two  or,  if  desired,  three  men  to  assist 
in  making  the  ascent,  and  visiting 
the  interior.  This  should  not  be  paid 
in  advance,  and  the  traveller  should 
decidedly  refuse  the  assistance  of  any 
men.  except  those  appointed  by  the 
Sheykh.  If  he  is  accompanied  by  a 
dragoman  it  will  be  better  to  leave  the 
settlement  of  everything  in  his  hands, 
making  him  distinctly  understand  that 
he  is  to  arrange  it  all.  and  prevent  all 
annoyance  as  much  as  possible.  Of 
all  pestilent  nuisances  to  which  the 
sight-seeing  traveller  is  subjected  in 
the  course  of  his  wanderings,  the 
Pyramid  Arabs  are  by  far  the  worst, 
and  the  pleasure  of  the  trip  is  often 
spoiled  by  the  annoyauce  and  weari- 
ness caused  by  their  importunities. 
Perhaps  the  best  plan  is  to  choose  one 


as  a  special  attendant,  and  make  his 
backsheesh  dependent  on  the  manner  in 
which  he  keeps  off  the  others. 

It  may  be  taken  for  granted  that,  as 
a  rule,  any  so-called  antiquity  offered 
for  sale  at  the  Pyramids  is  not 
genuine.  Things  of  small  value,  such 
as  bits  of  mummy-clot  n.  beads,  &c., 
may  be  old.  as  there  is  an  inexhaustible 
supply  of  them  at  Sakkarah,  and  if 
they  are  not  of  very  remote  date  the 
investment  is  not  larse  enough  to  be 
a  matter  of  regret :  but  so-called  an- 
tique gems  and  other  articles,  for 
which  a  comparatively  high  price  is 
asked,  are  almost  invariably  counter- 
feit. When  the  Pyramid  Arabs  have 
got  a  good  thing,  they  do  not  offer  it 
at  first  hand  to  the  European  sight- 
seer. 

All  who  desire  to  see  well  the  in- 
terior of  the  King's  Chamber,  inside 
the  Great  Pyramid,  should  take  some 
magnesium  wire  with  them.  A  rope 
ladder  is  necessary  for  those  who  wish 
to  see  any  of  the  other  chambers. 
Candles  will  also  be  wanted  for  the 
passages  in  the  pyramids  and  for  some 
of  the  tombs. 

It  is  possible  to  go  to  the  Pyramids, 
and  then  on  to  Sakkarah,  or  vice  versa, 
and  back  to  Cairo  in  one  day,  but  it  is 
a  very  long  day's  work,  and  not  to  be 
recommended.  By  taking  tents,  how- 
ever, and  camping  out  at  either  of  the 
two  places,  the  two  excursions  may 
very  pleasantly  be  combined  in  one. 
(See  Exclusion  vii.,  Sakkarah,  a.) 

b.  Drive  to  the  Pyramids.  Booldh. 
Gezeereh.  Geezeh. — The  route  for  a 
short  distance  is  the  same  as  to  Old 
Cairo ;  it  then  turns  to  the  right  to 
Kasr-en-Nil.  and  crosses  the  river  over 
a  handsome  iron  bridge  above  Boolak. 
Although  few  will  probably  stop,  either 
going  or  coming  back,  to  visit  Boolak, 
it  will  be  convenient  to  introduce  here 
a  short  description  of  what  there  is 
to  be  seen  in  that  suburb  of  Cairo  : 
premising  that  all  the  things  to  be 
mentioned,  with  the  exception  of  the 

j  Museum,  will  require  an  order  for  see- 
ing them,  and  that  none  of  them  are 

|  worth  the  trouble  of  a  visit  except  to 

j  any  one  specially  interested. 


174 


CAIEO  :  EXCUKSIONS  :  THE  PYRAMIDS 


Sect.  II.. 


Booldh,  as  has  been  already  said,  j  the  wrecks  of  houses,  once  the  summer 
may  be  called  the  port  of  Cairo.  From  j  retreats  of  the  Memlooks  and  Cairenes. 
Ka*r-en-Nil  to  opposite  Embabeh,  the  \  At  the  time  of  the  Memlooks  it  was 
bank  is  crowded  with  boats  of  all  j  fortified,  and  formed,  with  the  Isle  of 
kinds,  and  decidedly  the  best  view  of  !  Boda,  a  line  of  defences  which  com- 
Boolak  is  that  which  may  be  obtained  I  manded  or  protected  the  approach  to 
from  the  river.    Beginning  from  the  the  capital.    Leo  Africanus  calls  it  a 


South  end,  the  first  object  of  interest 
is  the  Museum  already  described. 
Next  come  the  stables  of  the  Khe- 
dive, seen  on  the  right  immediately 
after  leaving  the  avenue.  Permission 
to  see  them  can  be  obtained  by  apply- 
ing to  M.  de  St.  Maurice,  the  Master 
of  the  Horse.  Continuing  from  the 
Museum,  we  reach,  after  passing- 
through  the  most  crowded  part  of  the 
narrow  main  street  of  Boolak,  the 
Government  Printing  Establishment, 
at  which  are  printed  works,  both  in 
Arabic  and  the  European  tongues ; 
lithography  is  also  done,  and  there  is 
a  drawing-school.  Next  to  the  Print- 
ing-house is  a  paper  mill,  the  first 
built  in  Egypt ;  a  very  good  kind  of 
paper  is  made  there  of  the  grass  called 
"  hilfeh."  A  little  further  on,  still  on 
the  river-side  of  the  road,  is  the  Arse- 
nal, presenting  no  feature  of  interest. 
And  nearly  opposite  the  entrance  to  it 
is  the  building  in  which  the  lunatics 
are  lodged ;  most  of  the  inmates  are 
harmless,  violent  cases  being  seldom 
known  :  the  so-called  santons,  or  saints, 
who,  under  the  protection  of  their  real 
or  pretended  madness,  used  to  infest 
the  streets  of  Cairo,  and  practise  all 
kinds  of  horrors,  have  suffered  from 
the  effect  of  advancing  civilisation, 
and  are  confined  here  as  lunatics. 

We  now  return  to  the  direct  road 
to  the  Pyramids.  After  crossing  the 
river-,  and  leaving  on  the  right  Gezeereh 
and  its  palace  (see  §16),  the  drive 
enters  a  beautiful  avenue  of  lebbeTch 
trees  leading  to  the  palace  of  Geezeh, 
a  summer  retreat,  built  by  the  present 
Khedive.  It  is  not  shown  to  visitors. 
After  passing  it,  the  direct  road  to 
the  Pyramids  crosses  a  large  camping- 
ground,  and  turns  to  the  right,  leaving 
the  town  and  station  of  Geezeh  on 
the  left. 

The  Coptic  name  of  Geezeli  was 
Tpersioi.  It  is  now  a  mere  village, 
with  a  few  cafe's,  ruined  bazaars,  and 


city,  beautified  by  the  palaces  of  the 
Memlooks,  who  there  sought  retire- 
ment from  the  bustle  of  Cairo,  and 
frequented  by  numerous  merchants 
and  artisans.  It  was  also  the  great 
market  for  sheep,  brought,  as  he  says, 
from  the  mountains  of  Barca,  whose 
owners,  the  Arabs,  fearing  to  cross  the 
river,  sold  their  stock  there  to  agents 
from  the  city.  The  mosks  and  beau- 
tiful buildings  by  the  river's  side  are 
no  longer  to  be  seen  at  Geezeh  :  and 
the  traveller,  as  he  approaches  it  from 
the  river,  wanders  amidst  uneven 
heaps  of  rubbish,  and  the  ill-defined 
limits  of  potters'  yards,  till  he  issues 
from  a  breach  in  the  crumbling  Mem- 
look  walls  into  the  open  plain.  No 
one  is  likely  to  turn  aside  on  his  way 
to  the  Pyramids,  to  look  at  Geezeh, 
and  its  name  only  will  claim  his 
notice,  as  distinguishing  the  locality  of 
the  Pyramids  par  excellence  of  Egypt. 

From  Geezeh  the  road  continues 
along  the  cultivated  land  in  one  un- 
broken straight  line  ;  and  a  glaring, 
dusty  highway  it  is,  though  the  trees 
on  each  side  give  promise  in  a  short 
time  of  a  shady  avenue.  The  em- 
bankment, on  the  top  of  which  the 
road  runs,  is  a  very  broad  and  sub- 
stantial one.  The  inundation  finds  an 
exit  through  two  bridges.  The  first  to 
drive  to  the  Pyramids  without  a  break, 
were  the  Prince  and  Princess  of  Wales, 
in  1868.  The  inundation  of  that 
year  washed  the  bridges  and  some  of 
the  road  away,  but  they  were  repaired 
for  the  Suez  Canal  fetes  in  1869,  and 
have  successfully  stood  the  test  since 
then  ;  a  result  in  some  measure  owing 
to  the  better  system  of  canalisation 
inagurated  in  Upper  Egypt,  and  the 
consequent  diminution  in  the  rush  of 
the  inundation  by  the  time  it  reaches 
Cairo.  It  is,  no  doubt,  a  great  conveni- 
ence to  be  able  to  drive  to  the  Pyramids 
in  an  hour  and  a  half,  along  a  good 
road  ;  but  the  sense  of  the  convenience 


Egypt. 


DRIVE  TO  THE  PYRAMIDS. 


175 


is  tempered  by  regret  at  the  loss  of 
much,  that  was  picturesque  aud  striking 
in  the  old  round-about  donkey  ride. 
The  principle  features  of  this  ride,  as 
it  used  to  be,  are  thus  well  described — 
"  The  plain  we  now  traversed,  being- 
intersected  in  various  directions  by 
canals,  and  partly  covered  by  broad 
sheets  of  water,  the  remains  of  the 
iuundation,  between  which  in  many 
places  lay  the  road,  over  slippery 
causeways,  or  banks  of  earth,  barely 
wide  enough  to  admit  of  one  person's 
riding  along  them  at  a  time.  Large 
flights  of  ibises  (?),  as  white  as  snow, 
continually  kept  hovering  above  us,  or 
alighted  on  the  lakes,  while  several 
other  kinds  of  water-fowl,  of  brilliant 
plumage,  were  scattered,  here  and 
there  in  flocks.  A  great  portion  of 
the  plain  was  covered  with  forests  of 
date-palms,  of  magnificent  growth; 
planted  in  regular  lines,  and  springing 
up  from  a  level  carpet  of  grass,  or 
growing  corn  of  the  brightest  green. 
Interspersed  among  these  woods,  and 
numerous  smaller  groves  of  tamarisk- 
and  acacias,  were  the  villages,  mos- 
ques, and  Sheikh's  tombs;  not  un- 
pleasing  objects  when  beheld  by  a 
cheerful  eye. 

"  As  owing  to  the  quantity  of  water 
which  still  remained  from  the  inun- 
dation, the  pathway  turned  in  various 
directions,  and  proceeded  in  a  very 
circuitous  manner;  we  often  seemed 
to  be  moving  towards  the  east,  and 
caught  a  view  of  the  Mokattam 
Mountains :  frequently  the  Pyramids 
of  Sakkarah,  Abousir,  and  Dashour 
became  visible  in  the  distance  towards 
the  south  ;  but  though  they  were  many 
in  number,  I  could  discern  no  more 
than  seven.  The  appearance  of  the 
country  continued  extremely  fine, 
and  the  rocks  and  grey  sand-hills  of 
the  desert,  which  bounded  our  view 
towards  the  west,  seemed  only  to 
enhance  by  contrast  the  splendour  of 
the  intervening  landscapes.  It  would 
appear  to  be  mere  prejudice  to  suppose, 
that  a  fine  level  country  like  Egypt, 
contemplated  through  an  atmosphere 
of  extraordinary  purity,  with  a  surface 
diversified  by  all  the  accidents  of  wood 
a  id  water,  rustic  architecture,  flocks 


and  herds,  or  hemmed  in  by  rocks 
and  sands  eternally  barren,  must 
necessarily  be  insipid  and  unpictur- 
esque.  The  landscape  now  before  me 
was  beautiful,  and  there  are  art;sts  in 
England  who,  from  such  materials,  and 
without  overstepping  the  modesty  of 
nature,  couid  create  pictures  to  rival 
the  softest  scene  among  the  works  of 
Claude.  The  date-palm  itself  is  a 
lovely  object ;  far  more  lovely  than  I 
have  ever  seen  it  represented  by  the 
pencil ;  and  when  beheld  in  its  native 
country,  relieved  against  a  deep  blue 
sky,  or  against  tlie  yellow  sands  of  the 
desert,  with  a  herd  of  buffaloes,  a 
long  string  of  laden  camels,  or  a  troup 
of  Bedouins  passing  under  it,  lance  in 
hand,  it  constitutes  a  perfect  picture. 
But  when  we  have  before  us  a  whole 
forest  of  these  trees,  of  all  sizes,  from 
ten  to  one  hundred  feet  in  height, 
intermingled  with  mimosas,  acacias, 
tamarisks,  and  Egyptian  sycamores, 
more  noble,  if  possible,  than  the  oak, 
disposed  in  arched  echoing  walks, 
with  long  green  vistas,  glimpses  of 
cool,  shady  lakes,  villages,  mosques, 
pyramids,  the  whole  ever  canopied  by 
a  sky  of  stainless  splendour,  and  glow- 
ing beneath  the  pencil  of  that  arch 
painter,  the  sun,  nothing  seems  to  be 
wanting  but  genius  to  discover  the 
elements  of  the  most  magnificent  land- 
scapes."— J.  St.  John. 

The  view  from  the  present  high-road 
over  the  fertile  plain  on  each  side  is  a 
very  beautiful  one,  especially  in  the 
month  of  January,  when  everything  is 
green ;  and  the  back-ground  of  pyra- 
mid and  desert  in  going,  and  of  Cairo 
and  its  citadel  and  the  Mokattam 
hills  in  retundng,  are  worthy  settings 
to  the  picture. 

The  sportsman,  too,  will  regard  it 
with  no  less  interest  than  the  artist, 
as,  in  the  months  of  March  and  April, 
the  fields  of  clover,  corn,  and  vetch, 
abound  in  quail,  and  bags  of  30  or  40 
brace  are  often  made  by  two  guns  in 
a  few  hours. 

Most  travellers  have  expressed  their 
sense  of  disappointment  on  approach- 
ing the  Pyramids,  so  vast  at  a  distance, 
so  apparently  insignificant  when  only 
a  short  way  off — a  feeling  not  dispelled 


176 


CAIRO  :  EXCURSIONS 


THE  PYRAMIDS  ; 


Sect.  II. 


until  one  stands  close  under  the  Great 
Pyramid.  '■  I  found  the  best  way  of 
getting  an  inirr  jssive  idea  of  the  enor- 
mous magnitude  of  these  pyramids, 
was  to  place  myself  in  the  centre  of 
one  side  and  to  look  up.  The  eye  thus 
travels  over  all  the  courses  of  stone, 
from  the  very  bottom  to  the  apex, 
which  appears  literally  to  pierce  the 
blue  vault  above.  This  way  of  looking 
at  the  Great  Pyramid — perhaps  it  is  a 
way  which  exaggerates  to  the  eye  its 
magnitude  unfairly — makes  it  look 
alpine  in  height,  while  it  produces  the 
strange  effect  just  noticed." — Bev.  B. 
Zincke. 

On  the  right  of  the  road,  just  as  it 
reaches  the  desert  and  begins  to  ascend 
the  rocky  platform  on  which  the  Pyra- 
mids stand,  is  a  building  intended  for 
an  hotel.  Emerging  from  between  the 
walls  which  keep  this  last  portion  of 
the  road  from  being  buried  in  sand,  the 
traveller  finds  himself  at  the  foot  of 
the  Great  Pyramid. 

c.  Tiie  History  and  Object  of  pyra- 
midal buildings  in  Egypt. — What  may 
be  called  the  Pyramid  Field  of  Egypt, 
extends  in  a  long  series  of  groups,  over 
about  three  parts  of  a  degree  of  lati- 
tude, from  Abooroash  in  the  N..  to 
Illahoon,  in  the  Fyoom,  in  the  S. 
The  number  contained  within  that 
space  has  been  variously  estimated  ; 
but  may  be  taken  at  nearly  one 
hundred.  Brick  pyramidal  structures 
are  also  found  at  Thebes.  In  Ethiopia, 
near  Napata  (Meroe),  there  are  also 
many  similar  structures.  Of  the  pyra- 
mids of  Egypt,  the  oldest  is,  probably, 
the  large  one  of  Sakkarah,  built  in  de- 
grees ;  (see  Exc.  vii.).  Stone  is  the 
material  employed  in  building  them, 
with  a  few  exceptions,  such  as  the 
crude  brick  ones  at  Dashoor,  in  the 
Fyoom,  and  at  Thebes ;  all  of  which, 
however,  are  probably  of  a  later  date 
than  the  stone  ones.  The  "law  of 
Egyptian  pyramid  building"  has  been 
thus  described,  according  to  the  theory 
of  Lepsius  and  Mr.  Wild  :  "  A  rocky 
site  was  first  chosen  and  a  space 
made  smooth,  except  a  slight  emi- 
nence in  the  centre,  to  form  a  peg 
upon  which  the  structure  should  be 


fixed.  Within  the  rock,  and  usually 
below  the  level  of  the  future  base,  a 
sepulchral  chamber  was  excavated, 
with  a  passage,  inclining  downwards, 
leading  to  it  from  the  north.  Upon 
the  rock  was  first  raised  a  moderate 
mass  of  masonry,  of  nearly  a  cubic 
form,  but  having  its  four  sides  inclined 
inwards,  upon  this  a  similar  mass  was 
placed  ;  and  around,  other  such  masses, 
generally  about  half  as  wide.  At  this 
stage,  the  edifice  could  be  completed 
by  a  small  pyramidal  structure  being 
raised  on  the  top,  and  the  sides  of  the 
steps  filled  in,  the  whole  being  ulti- 
mately cased,  and  the  entrance  passage, 
which  had  of  course  been  continued 
through  the  masonry,  securely  closed; 
or  else  the  work  could  be  continued  ou 
the  same  principle.  In  this  manner  it- 
was  possible  for  the  building  of  a  pyra- 
mid to  occupy  the  lifetime  of  its  founder 
without  there  being  any  risk  of  his 
leaving  it  incomplete." 

Many  have  been  the  ideas  pro- 
pounded, as  to  the  purpose  which 
pyramids  were  intended  to  serve. 
Temples,  granaries,  observatories, 
tombs,  and  many  other  notions,  have 
all  had  their  advocates ;  but  it  is  now 
a  pretty  generally  accepted  fact  among 
Egyptologists,  that  they  were  simply 
tombs  :  that  in  fact,  during  a  certain 
period  of  Egyptian  history,  it  was 
customary  to  raise  a  structure  of  pyra- 
midal form,  varying  in  size  according 
to  the  importance  of  the  owner,  over 
every  tomb  of  any  consequence — a 
theory  which  the  uniform  subterranean 
chamber  and  descending  passage  found 
beneath  every  pyramid  yet  examined 
seems  to  confirm.  How  far  it  is  [ap- 
plicable to  the  special  case  of  the 
Great  Pyramid,  with  its  complicated 
arrangement  of  chambers  in  the  very 
heart  of  the  structure,  is  not  a  ques- 
tion that  need  be  decided  here.  Many- 
learned  men  have  seen,  in  the  elabo- 
rate structure  of  the  Great  Pyramid, 
a  wider  intention  and  a  more  abstruse 
meaning;  and  the  latest  and  most 
able  opponent  of  the  tomb  theory  as 
applied  to  the  Great  Pyramid,  Mr. 
Piazzi  Smyth,  has  written  a  learned 
work,  to  prove  that  it  is  a  "metrological 
monument,"  intended  to  serve  as  a 


Egypt. 


PYRAMID  PLATFORM  OF  GEEZEH. 


177 


standard  for  all  kinds  of  measures. 
Some  think  they  served  for  astrono- 
mical purposes  as  well  as  for  tombs. 
The  latest  authority,  M.  Mariette,  thus 
speaks  decisively  in  favour  of  their 
being  nothing  but  tombs :  "  With  re- 
gard to  the  object  for  which  the  Pyra- 
mids were  destined,  it  is  contrary  to  all 
that  we  know  of  Egypt,  to  all  that  ar- 
chaeology has  taught  us  of  the  monu- 
mental customs  of  that  country,  to  s^e 
in  them  anything  but  tombs.  The 
pyramids,  such  as  they  are,  are  tombs ; 
massive,  complete,  hermetically  sealed 
everywhere,  even  to  the  most  carefully 
constructed  passages,  without  windows, 
without  doors,  without  any  external 
opening.  They  are  the  gigantic  and 
for  ever  impenetrable  casing  of  a 
mummy  ;  and  the  fact  that  one  alone 
among  them  has  accessible  interior 
chambers,  from  which  astronomical 
observations  might  have  been  made, 
as  from  the  bottom  of  a  well,  only 
proves  that  such  was  not  the  purpose 
for  which  it  was  originally  destined. 
It  is  useless  to  argue  that  the  orient- 
ation of  the  four  sides  denotes  some 
astronomical  object.  The  four  sides 
are  thus  accurately  arranged  because 
they  are  dedicated  for  mythological 
reasons  to  the  four  cardinal  points, 
ami  tuerefore,  in  a  monument  so  care- 
fully finishc!  as  a  pyramid  is,  a  side 
dedicated  to  the  north  for  instance, 
would  not  face  any  other  point  but  the 
north.  The  pyramids  then,  are  only 
tombs  ;  and  the  enormous  size  of  some 
of  them  can  furnish  no  argument 
against  this  conclusion,  since  there  are 
many  not  more  than  twenty  feet  high. 
Be  it  remarked,  moreover,  that  there 
is  not  in  Egypt  a  single  pyramid  that 
is  not  situated  in  a  necropolis ;  a  fact 
enough  of  itself  to  settle  the  question 
of  their  destination." 

The  hieroglyphic  word  for  pyramid 
appears  to  be  br-br,  though  some  have 
derived  the  word  "  pyramid "  itself 
from  Pi-Kama,  the  "  mountain  ;"  it  is 
probably,  however,  of  Greek  origin,  and 
may  b«  derived  either  direct  from  7rCp, 
fire,  or,  following  Mr.  Taylor,  quoted 
by  Mr.  Piazzi  Smyth,  from  irvpos, 
wheat,  and  [isrpov,  measure :  or  it 
may  he  referred  to  the  TTvpafxovs  or 


-Kvpafus,  a  pointed  cake  used  in  the 
rites  of  Bacchus— the  object  of  com- 
mon life  suggesting  a  name  for  the 
mathematical  solid.  With  regard 
both  to  the  derivation  of  the  word 
and  the  purpose  of  the  thing,  we 
may  come  to  the  most  satisfactory 
conclusion  with  Lord  Lindsay,  when  he 
says  : — "Temples  or  tombs,  monuments 
of  tyranny,  or  of  priestly  wisdom,  no 
theory,  as  to  the  meaning  of  the 
pyramids, 

'  Those  glorious  works  of  fine  intelligence,' 

has  been  broached  so  beautiful,  to  my 
mind,  as  old  Sandys's  ;  who,  like  Mil- 
ton and  the  ancients,  believing  them 
modelled  in  imitation  of  '  that  formless 
formtaking  substance,'  fire,  conceives 
them  to  express  the  '  or  'ginal  of  things.' 
'  For  as  a  pyramis,  beginning  at  a  point 
by  little  and  little  dilateth  into  all 
parts,  so  nature,  proceeding  from  an  in- 
dividual fountain,  even  God,  the 
Sovereign  Essence,  receiveth  diversity 
of  form,  effused  into  several  kinds  and 
multitudes  of  figures,  uniting  all 
in  the  supreme  head,  from  whence  all 
excellencies  issue.'  A  truth  that  will 
outlive  the  pyramids." 

d.  The  Pyramid  platform  of 
Geezeli. — The  rocky  plateau  on  which 
stand  the  Pyramids  of  Geezeh,  was 
from  the  time  of  the  IVth  dynasty  one 
of  the  cemeteries  of  Memphis.  It  is 
elevated  about  100  feet  above  the 
plain,  and  forms  a  sort  of  promontory 
in  the  Libyan  chain,  whose  greatest 
]3rojection  is  towards  the  north-east. 
Thy  principal  monuments  situated  on 
this  platform  are  the  Sphinx,  and  the 
three  large  pyramids  known  as  the 
Great  Pyramid,  or  Pyramid  of  Cheops, 
the  Second  Pyramid,  or  Pyramid  of 
Ch-phren,  and  the  Third  Pyramid, 
or  Pyramid  of  Mycerinus  ;  in  addition 
to  which  there  are  several  smaller  pyra- 
mids, and  many  ordinary  tombs.  The 
rock  is  what  is  commonly  called  num- 
mirlite  limestone,  abounding  in  fossil 
remains,  and  nummulites  of  the  kind 
called  Nautilus  Mammilla,  or  Lenti- 
cularis.  They  were  mistaken  by  Strabo 
for  the  petrified  residue  of  the  lentils 
and  barley,  that  formed  the  staple  food 
I  3 


TOPOGRAPHICAL  PLAN  OF  THE  PYRAMIDS  OF  GEEZEH. 
A,  Real  and  forced  entrance  to  the  great  pyramid.  B,  entrance  to  the  second  pyramid. 
C  C,  Long  pits,  by  some  supposed  for  mixing  the  mortar.  D,  Pyramid  of  the  daughter  of  Cheops 
(Herodotus,  ii.  126).  E,  Pavement  of  black  stories  (basaltic  trap),  tbe  same  as  found  on  the  cause- 
ways of  the  pyramids  of  Sakkara.  F,  Remains  of  masonry.  G,  Round  enclosures  of  crude  brick, 
of  Arab  date,  at  n.e.  angle  'of  this  pyramid.  H,  Tombs  of  individuals,  with  deep  pits.  I,  The 
tomb  of  numbers.  K,  Two  inclined  passages,  meeting  under  ground,  apparently  once  belonging 
to  a  small  pyramid  that  stood  over  them.  L  L,  'lhe  rock  is  here  cut  to  a  level  surface.  M, 
A  narrow  and  s-hallow  trench  cut  in  the  rock.  N,  A  square  space  cut  in  the  rock,  probably  to 
receive  and  support  the  corner-stone  of  the  casing  of  the  pyramid.  Tbe  corner  itself  is  of  rock. 
P,  Here  stood  a  tomb  which  has  received  the  title  of  the  Temple  of  Osiris.  Q,  Tomb  of  trades,  to 
west  of  tombs  H.  R,  A  pit  cased  with  stone,  of  modern  date.  S,  The  third  pyramid.  T,  Three 
small  pyramids.  In  the  centre  one  is  the  name  of  a  king.  (See  below,  p.  192.)  U  V,  Temples 
ia  iront  of  second  and  third  pyramids.  W  W  W,  Fragments  of  stone  arranged  in  the  manner  of 
a  wall.  X,  A  few  palms  and  sycamores,  with  a  well.  Y,  Southern  stone  causeway.  Z,  Northern 
causeway,  repaired  by  the  Caliphs,  a,  Tombs  cut  in  the  rock,  b,  Masonry,  c,  Black  stones. 
d  d,  Tombs  cut  in  the  rock,  e,  The  sphinx.  /,  Granite  and  alabaster  temple,  with  oval  of  Chephren, 
builder  of  second  pyramid  :  in  it  was  found  the  large  statue  of  Chpphren,  now  in  the  museum  at 
Cairo,  g,  Pits,  h,  Stone  ruin  on  a  rock,  i.  Doorway,  or  passage  through  the  southern  causeway. 
Jc,  A  grotto  in  the  rock,  and  above  to  the  s.e.  are  pits  at  t.  I,  Inclined  causeway,  part  of  Y. 
to  n,  Tombs  in  the  rocks,  o,  Some  hieroglyphics  on  the  rock,  and  trenches  below,  cut  when  the 
squared  blocks  were  taken  away,  p,  Tombs  cut  in  the  scarp  of  the  rock,  q.  Stone  wall,  r,  Steps 
cut  in  the  rock,  near  tbe  N.w.  angle  of  the  great  pyramid.  M  N,  m  s,  Magnetic  North  and  South, 
in  1832  and  1836:  T  IV  is  True  North,  u,  Campbell's  tomb,  v.  Arched  tomb,  with  name  of 
Psammitichus.  w,  A  tomb  with  figures  in  relief  and  the  Egyptian  curved  cornice.  The  con- 
structed tombs  at  H,  and  behind  the  rocks,  d  d,  are  less  regularly  disposed  than  in  the  plan,  but  it 
s  difficult  to  define  them  exactly  on  so  small  a  scale. 


Egypt 


THE  GREAT 


PYRAMID. 


179 


of  the  workmen  employed  in  building  \ 
the  pyramids,  and  when  we  see  the 
views  of  the  present  day,  we  readily 
forgive  the  geographer  for  his  fanciful 
conclusion. 

e.  The  Great  Pyramid. — The  first 
visitor  to  Egypt  who  left  any  record 
of  his  travels  was  Herodotus,  2300 
years  ago,  and  he  thus  relates  the 
history  of  the  building  of  this  Pyramid. 
.  .  .  .  Cheops  succeeded  to  the  throne, 
and  at  once  plunged  into  all  manner  of 
wickedness.  He  closed  all  the  temples, 
and  forbade  the  Egyptians  to  perform 
sacrifices  ;  after  which  he  made  them 
all  work  for  him.  Some  were  em- 
ployed in  the  quarries  of  the  Arabian 
hills,  to  cut  stones,  to  drag  them  to  the 
river,  and  to  put  them  into  boats, 
others  being  stationed  on  the  opposite 
shore  to  receive  them,  and  drag  them 
to  the  Libyan  hills ;  and  the  100,000 
men  thus  occupied  were  relieved  by 
an  equal  number  every  three  months. 
Of  the  time,"  he  adds  "  passed  in  this 
arduous  undertaking,  10  years  were 
taken  up  with  the  construction  of  the 
causeway  for  the  transport  of  the 
stones,— a  work  scarcely  less  wonder- 
ful in  my  opinion  than  the  pyramid 
itself;  for  it  has  5  stades  in  length,  10 
orgyes  in  breadth,  and  8  in  height  in 
the  highest  part,  and  is  constructed  of 
polished  stones,  sculptured  with  the 
figures  of  animals.  These  10  years 
were  occupied  exclusively  in  the  caues- 
way,  independently  of  the  time  spent 
in  levelling  the  hill  on  which  the  pyra- 
mids stand,  and  in  making  the  subter- 
ranean chambers  intended  for  his  tomb 
in  an  island  formed  by  the  waters  of 
the  Nile,  which  he  couducted  thither 
by  a  canal.  The  building  of  the 
pyramid  itself  occupied  20  years.  It  is 
square,  each  face  measuring  8  plethra 
in  length,  and  the  same  in  height. 
The  greater  part  is  of  polished  stones, 
most  carefully  put  together,  no  one  of 
which  is  less  than  30  feet  long. 

"  This  pyramid  w,>s  built  in  steps, 
and,  as  the  work  proceeded,  the  stones 
were  raised  from  the  ground  by  means 
of  machines  made  of  short  pieces  of 
wood.  When  a  block  had  been  brought 
to  the  first  tier,  it  was  placed  in  a 


machine  there,  and  so  on  from  tier  to 
tier  by  a  succession  of  similar  machines, 
there  being  as  many  machines  as  tiers 
of  stone  ;  or  perhaps  one  served  for  the 
purpose,  being  moved  from  tier  to  tier 
as  each  stone  was  taken  up.  I  mention 
this,  because  I  have  heard  both  stated. 
When  completed  in  this  manner,  they 
proceeded  to  make  out  (the  form  of) 
the  pyramd,  beginning  from  the  top, 
and  thence  downwards  to  the  lowest 
tier.  On  the  exterior  was  engraved 
in  Egyptian  characters  the  sum  expen- 
ded in  supplying  the  workmen  with 
raphanu^  onions,  and  garlic  ;  and  he 
who  interpreted  the  inscription  told  me, 
as  I  remember  well,  that  it  amounted 
to  1600  talents  (200,000Z.  sterling.") 
"  If  that  be  true,  how  much  must  have 
been  spent  on  the  iron  tools,  the  food 
and  clothing  of  the  workmen,  employ- 
ing as  they  did,  all  the  time  above 
mentioned,  without  counting  that 
occupied  in  cutting  and  transporting 
the  stones  and  making  the  subterrane- 
ous chambers,  which  must  have  been 
considerable !" 

Diodorus,  the  next  authority  in  point 
of  time,  says  that  "  Chembis  (or 
Chemmis),  a  Memphite,  who  reigned  50 
years,  built  the  largest  of  the  three 
pyramids,  which  are  reckoned  among 
the  seven  wonders  of  the  world.  They 
stand  on  the  Libyan  side  (of  the  Nile), 
distant  from  Memphis  120  stadia,  and 
45  from  the  river.  They  strike  every 
beholder  with  wonder,  both  from  their 
size  and  the  skill  of  their  workmanship ; 
for  every  side  of  the  largest,  at  the  base, 
is  7  plethra  in  length,  and  more  than 
6  in  height.  Decreasing  in  size  to- 
wards the  summit,  it  there  measures 
6  cubits  (9  feet.)  The  whole  is  of 
solid  stone,  made  with  prodigious 
labour,  and  in  the  most  durable 
manner,  having  lasted  to  our  time,  a 
period  not  less  than  1000  years,  or,  as 
some  say,  upwards  of  3400  ;  the  stones 
still  preserving  their  original  position, 
and  the  whole  structure  being  un- 
injured. The  stone  is  said  to  have 
been  brought  from  Arabia,  a  consider- 
able distance,  and  the  building  made 
by  means  of  mounds  (inclined  planes), 
machines  not  having  yet  been  invented. 
What   is   most   surprising  is  that, 


180 


CAIRO  :  EXCURSIONS  :  THE  PYRAMIDS  ; 


Sect.  II. 


though  these  structures  are  of  such 
great  antiquity,  and  all  the  surround- 
ing ground  is  of  so  sandy  a  nature, 
there  is  no  trace  of  a  mound,  nor 
vestige  of  the  chippings  of  the  stone  : 
so  that  the  whole  seems  as  if  placed 
on  the  surrounding  sand  by  the  aid 
of  some  deity,  rather  than  by  the  sole 
and  gradual*  operations  of  man.  Some 
of  the  Egyptians  try  to  make  wonder- 
ful stories  about  them,  saying  that  the 
mounds  (inclined  planes)  were  made  of 
salt  and  nitre,  which  by  directing  the 
water  of  the  river  upon  them,  were 
afterwards  dissolved  without  human 
aid  when  the  work  was  completed. 
This  cannot  be  true;  but  the  same 
number  of  hands  that  raised  the 
mounds  removed  the  whole  to  the 
original  place  whence  they  were 
brought.  Fur  it  is  reported  that 
360,000  men  were  employed  in  this 
work,  and  the  time  occupied  in  finish- 
ing the  whole  was  scarcely  less  than 
20  years." 

Pliny  says,  "The  largest  pyramid 
is  built  of  stones  from  the  Arabian 
quarries ;  366,000  men  are  said  to  have 
been  employed  for  20  years  in  its  con- 
struction ;  and  the  three  were  all  made 
in  68  years  and  1  months.  Those  who 
have  written  about  flu  m  are  Herodotus, 
Euhemerus,  Duris  of  Samos,  Arista- 
gorus,  Dionysius,  Artemidorus,  Alex- 
ander Polyhistor,  Butori  Antisthenes, 
Demetrius,  Demoteles,  Apion;  and 
yet  no  one  of  them  shows  satisfac- 
torily by  whom  they  were  built :  a 
proper  reward  to  the  authors  of  such 
vanity  that  their  names  should  be 
buried  in  oblivion. 

Some  have  affirmed  that  1800 
talents  were  spent  in  raph anus-roots, 
garlic,  and  onions.  The  largest  covers 
a  space  of  8  acres  (jugera),  with  4  faces 
of  equal  size  from  corner  to- corner,  and 
each  measuring  883  feet ;  the  breadth 
at  the  summit  being  25  feet. 

;£  No  vestiges  of  houses  remain  near 
them,  but  merely  pure  sand  on  every 
side,  with  something  like  lentils,  com- 
mon in  the  greater  part  of  Africa. 
The  principal  question  is.  how  the 
blocks  were  carried  up  to  such  a 
height?  For  some  suppose  that 
mounds,  composed  of  nitre  and  salt, 


were  gradually  formed  as  the  work 
advanced,  and  were  afterwards  dissol- 
ved by  the  water  of  the  river  as  soon 
as  it  was  finished;  others,  that  bridges 
were  made  of  mud -bricks,  which, 
when  the  work  was  completed,  were 
used  to  build  private  houses;  since 
the  Nile,  being  on  a  lower  level,  could 
not  be  brought  to  the  spot." 

Modern  research  has  decided  that 
|  the  Cheops  of  Herodotus  is  identical 
I  with  the  Suphis  of  Manetho,  and 
the  Shoofoo  of  the  Tablets  of 
Abydos  and  Sakkaiak,  the  3rd  King 
of  the  rVtk  dynasty,  reigning  at 
Memphis  some  time  between  1235  B.C.. 
and  2150  B.C.,  according  to  the  system 
of  chronology  adopted.  His  hierogly- 
phic name,  Shoofoo,  (a),  is 
found  in  the  Great  Pyramid 
on  bricks  and  in  the  upper- 
most chamber,  and  in  some 
of  the  tombs  of  the  platform. 
The  story  of  his  wickedness, 
and  of  the  way  in  which  he 
oppressed  the  Egyptians  is  incon- 
sistent with  the  testimony  of  certain 
contemporary  monuments,  which  re- 
present him  as  treated  as  a  divinity, 
and  specially  worshipped.  ■*  Manetho' s 
account,  "  that  he  was  arrogant  to- 
wards the  gods ;  but,  repenting,  he 
wrote  the  Sacred  Book "  seems  to 
reconcile  both  views  of  his  character. 

The  statement  of  the  three  writers 
already  cited,  that  Cheops's  Pyramid 
was  built  with  stone  from  the  quarries 
of  the  Arabian  mountains,  is  partly 
true,  as  much  of  the  material  comes 
from  the  magnesian  limestone  quar- 
ries of  Toora,  at  Gebel  Masarali,  a 
continuation  of  the  Mokattam  range, 
a  few  miles  south  of  Cairo,  but  the 
nummulite  limestone  of  the  neigh- 
bouring  rock  has  also  been  largely 
employed.  The  causeway  along  which 
the  stone  from  the  other  side  of  the 
river  was  brought  will  be  found  de- 
scribed further  on  (?.).  Traces  of  a 
similar  causeway  have  been  observed 
between  G  ebel  Masarah  and  the  Nile, 
which  probably  served  for  the  convey- 
ance of  the  stone  from  the  quarry  to  the 
river.  Herodotus' s  expression,  that  the 
"  greater  part  is  of  polished  stone,  most 
carefully  put  together,"  corroborated 


Egypt. 


THE  GEE  AT 


PYRAMID. 


181 


by  similar  statements  of  Plato,  Pliny, 
and  early  Arabian  authors,  though  con- 
jectured to  mean  that  the  Great  Pyra- 
mid had,  originally,  a  smooth  and  even 
surface,  similar  to  what  may  still  be 
seen  at  the  top  of  the  Second  Pyramid, 
received  no  proof  until  the  discovery 
by  Col.  Howard  Vyse,  in  1837,  of  two 
of  the  "  casing  stones."  in  situ.  They 
were  blocks  of  limestone  from  the 
Toora  quarries  4  feet  11  inches  in  per- 
pendicular'height,  and  8  feet  3  inches 
long,  the  outer  face  sloping  with,  an 
angle  of  51°  50'.  After  this  discovery, 
there  was  no  longer  any  doubt  that 
the  spaces  between  the  several  corners 
of  the  Pyramid  bad  been  filled  in  with 
similar  blocks,  which  after  insertion, 
had  been  shaped  to  the  required 
angle,  and  then  polished  to  an  uni- 
form surface.      It  is  conjectured  that 


these  stones,  with  the  exception  of 
the  two  found  by  Col.  Vyse,  were 
taken  away  dming  the  time  of  the 
Caliphs,  for  building  purposes  at  Cairo. 
They  were  in  their  place,  in  the  time 
of  Abd-el-Lateef.  who  speaks  of  the 
extreme  nicety  with  which  the  stones 
of  which  the  pyramid  is  constructed 
have  been  prepared  and  adjusted,  a 
nicety  so  precise  that  not  even  a  needle 
or  hair  can  be  inserted  between  any 
two  of  them.  The  same  author  corro- 
borates Herodotus  in  his  assertion,  that 
these  polished  exterior  stones  were 
covered  with  writing,  and  adds. 
il  These  inscriptions  are  so  numerous, 
that  if  those  only,  which  are  seen 
on  the  surface  of  these  two  pyramids 
were  copied  upon  paper,  more  than 
10.000  pages  would  be  filled  with 
them."  The  stones  which  now  appear 
on  the  exterior  are  of  various  sizes, 
varying  from  2  feet  to  5  feet  in  depth  : 


the  first  layer  is  laid  in  the  rock,  and 
the  others,  each  receding  about  a  foot, 
form,  as  it  were,  a  staircase.  The 
mortar  used  appears  to  be  made  of 
crushed  red  bricks,  gravel,  sand,  Nile 
mad,  and  lime. 

The  method  employed  in  the  con- 
struction of  pyramids  has  been  already 
described,  and  is  applicable  in  all  its 
general  features  to  the  Great  Pyra- 
mid. The  rock  has  been  carefully 
levelled  all  round,  and  a  nucleus  of 
native  rock,  about  22  feet  high,  left 
in  the  interior.  As  to  how  the  stones 
were  raised  into  their  places  and 
what  was  the  form  of  the  machines 
mentioned  by  Herodotus,  nothing  is 
known.  "  The  notion  of  Diodorus 
that  machines  were  not  yet  invented, 
is  sufficiently  disproved  by  common 
sense,  and  by  the  assertion  of  Hero- 
dotus. It  is  certainly  singular,  that 
the  Egyptians,  who  have  left  behind 
them  so  many  records  of  their  customs, 
should  have  omitted  every  explanation 
of  then  mode  of  raising  the  enormous 
blocks  they  used.  Some  have  ima- 
gined inclined  planes,  without  recol- 
lecting what  their  extent  woidd  be 
when  of  such  a  height  of  length  of 
base;  and,  though  the  inclined  plane 
may  have  been  employed  for  some 
purposes,  as  it  was  in  sieges  by  the 
Assyrians  and  others,  as  a  "bank" 
(2  Kings  xix.  32 ;  2  Samuel  xx.  ]  5) 
for  running  up  the  movable  towers 
against  a  perpendicular  wall,  it  would 
be  difficult  to  ail  apt  it  to  the  sloping 
face  of  a  pyramid,  or  to  introduce  it 
into  the  interior  of  a  large  temple." — 
Bawlinson's  Herodotus. 

The  dimensions  of  the  Great  Py- 
ramid have  been  variously  stated  at 
different  times  by  ancient  and  mo- 
dern writers.  Herodotus  makes  it 
8  plethra  (800  ft.)  in  length  on  each 
side  at  the  base,  and  the  same  in 
height;  this  last  measured  no  doubt 
not  vertically,  but  along  the  sloping- 
side.  Diodorus  makes  it  7  plethra 
(700  ft.)  in  length,  and  6  (600  ft.)  in 
height.  Pliny  gives  the  length  at 
883  ft.  Nine  modern  writers  have 
equally  varied  in  their  calculations. 
The  following  is  the  result  of  the  two 
most  careful  modern  measurements : — 


182 


CAIRO  :  EXCURSIONS  I  THE  PYRAMIDS  ; 


Sect.  IT. 


SrK  G.  Wilkinson.         Col.  H.  Vtse. 
Former  length  of  each  sida  when  entire  .        75 6  ft.  764  ft. 

Present  length   732  ft.  746  It. 

Former  perpendxular  height   480  ft.  9  in.  4«u  ft.  9  in. 

Present  ditto    460  ft.  450  ft.  9  in. 

Former  area   571  ,536  sq.  ft.  13  ac.  1  rd.  22  ps. 

Present  area   535,824  sq.  ft.  12  ac.  3  rds.  3  ps. 


The  space  covered  by  this  pyramid 
is  said  to  equal  the  area  of  Lincoln's 
Inn  Fields ;  and  its  solid  contents 
have  been  calculated  at  85,000,000 
cubic  ft.  It  may  be  interesting  to 
compare  its  height  with  that  of  other 
well-known  edifices.  The  tower  of 
Strasburg  Cathedral,  the  highest  in 
Europe,  is  461  ft.  high.  The  dome 
of  St.  Peter's  at  Rome,  429  ft.  high. 
The  dome  of  St.  Paul's,  London,  404  ft. 
high. 

Having  now  given  the  history,  and 
described  the  exterior,  of  the  Great 
Pyramid,  the  next  thing  is  to  accom- 
plish the  task,  which  most  travellers 
think  it  necessary  to  set  themselves,  of 
getting  to  the  top  of  it.  The  ascent  is 
usually  made  from  the  N.E.  corner, 
near  the  chalet  which  was  built  by  the 
Khedive  for  the  visit  of  the  Prince  and 
Princess  of  Wales  in  1868.  Some  pro- 
nounce the  getting  to  the  top  to  be  a 
very  fatiguing  business,  while  others  j 
declare  that  it  is  the  easiest  thing 
possible.  Some  speak  of  the  giddiness 
they  experienced,  and  others  affirm 
that  the  weakest  head  has  nothing  to 
fear.  The  truth  may  be  said  to  lie 
between  these  two  extremes,  at  least 
for  those  who  are  neither  very  old  nor 
very  young,  very  strong-headed  nor 
very  subject  to  vertige :  the  not  alto- 
gether inactive  may  find  it  a  little 
fatiguing ;  and  heads  that  are  un- 
accustomed to  going  aloft,  either  on 
rigging  or  Alps,  may  feel  a  little 
dizzy.  The  following  account  gives  a 
good  idea  of  the  ascent.  If  the  tra- 
veller has  nerve  and  determination 
enough,  he  should  insist  on  no  Arabs 
accompanying  him  but  those  who  have 
been  told  off  for  the  job. 

"  On  looking  up,  it  was  not  the 
magnitude  of  the  pyramids  which 
made  me  think  it  s  aicely  possible 
to  achieve  the  ascent,  but  the  unre- 
lieved succession,  almost  infinite,  of 
bright  yellow  steps,  a  most  fatiguing 


image.  Three  strong  and  respectable- 
looking  Arabs  now  took  me  in  charge. 
One  of  them,  seeing  me  pinning  up 
my  gown  in  front  that  I  might  not 
stumble  over,  gave  me  his  services  as 
lady's-maid.  He  tied  up  my  gown  all 
round,  and  tied  it  in  a  most  squeezing 
knot,  which  lasted  all  through  the 
enterprise.  We  set  out  from  the  N.E. 
corner.  By  far  the  most  formidable 
part  of  the  ascent  was  the  first  6  or  8 
blocks.  If  it  went  on  to  the  top  thus 
broken  and  precipitous,  the  ascent 
would,  I  felt,  be  impossible.  Already 
it  was  disagreeable  to  look  down,  and 
I  was  much  out  of  breath.  One  of  my 
Arabs  carried  a  substantial  camp-stool, 
which  had  been  given  me  in  London, 
with  a  view  to  this  very  adventure — 
that  it  might  divide  the  higher  steps, 
some  of  which,  being  4  ft.  high,  seem 
impracticable  enough  beforehand.  But 
I  found  it  better  to  trust  to  the  strong 
and  steady  lifting  of  the  Arabs  in  such 
places,  and,  above  everything,  not  to 
stop  at  all,  if  possible  ;  or,  if  one  must 
stop  for  breath,  to  stand  with  one's 
face  to  the  pyramid.  I  am  sure  the 
guides  are  lijjflit  in  taking  people 
quickly.  The  height  is  not  so  great, 
in  itself:  it  is  the  way  in  which  it  is 
reached  that  is  trying  to  look  back 
|  upon.  It  is  trying  to  some  heads  to 
I  sit  on  a  narrow  ledge,  and  see  a  daz- 
|  zling  succession  of  such  ledges  for  200 
or  300  ft.  below ;  and  then  a  crowd  of 
diminutive  people  looking  up  to  see 
whether  one  is  coming  bobbing  down 
all  that  vast  staircase.  I  stopped  for 
a  few  seconds  2  or  3  times  at  good 
broad  corners  or  ledges.  When  I  left 
the  angle,  and  found  myself  ascending 
the  side,  the  chief  difficulty  was  over  ; 
and  I  cannot  say  that  the  fatigue  was 
j  at  all  formidable.  The  greater  part 
I  of  one's  weight  is  lifted  by  the  Arabs 
at  each  arm ;  and  when  one  comes  to 
j  a  4  ft.  step,  or  broken  ledge  there  is  a 
|  third  Arab  behind.    When  we  arrived 


Egypt. 


THE  GEEAT  PYRAMID. 


183 


at  a  sort  of  recess,  broken  in  the  angle, 
my  guides  sported  two  of  their  English 
words,  crying  out,  '  Half  vay '  with 
great  glee.  The  last  half  was  easier 
than  the  first.  I  felt,  what  proved  to 
be  true,  that  both  must  be  .easier  than 
the  coming  down." — H.  Martineau. 

At  the  top  there  is  a  space  about 
30  ft.  square.  "  I  was  agreeably  sur- 
prised," says  the  writer  last  quoted, 
"to  find  at  the  top,  besides  blocks 
standing  up  which  gave  us  some  shade, 
a  roomy  and  even  platform,  where  we 
might  sit  and  write,  and  gaze  abroad, 
and  enjoy  ourselves,  without  even  see- 
ing over  the  edge  unless  we  wished 
it."  The  view  from  the  summit  is  ex- 
tensive, and,  during  the  inundation, 
peculiarly  interesting  and  character- 
istic of  Egypt.  The  canals  winding- 
through  the  plain,  or  the  large  ex- 
panse of  water  when  the  Nile  is  at  its 
highest,  and  the  minarets  of  Cairo,  the 
citadel,  and  the  range  of  the  Mokat- 


I  tarn  hills  in  the  distance,  with  the 
!  quarries  of  Masarah,  whence  so  many 
i  of  the  blocks  used  for  building  the 
j  pyramids  were  taken,  are  interesting 
features  in  this  peculiar  landscape  ; 
and  the  refreshing  appe  arance  of  the 
plain,  whether  covered  with  water  or 
with  its  green  vegetation,  are  striking 
contrasts  to  the  barren  desert  on  the 
:  W.    To  the  southward  are  the  pyra- 
|  mids  of  Abooseer,  Sakkarah,  and  l)as- 
|  ho'or ;  to  the  northward  the  heights  of 
Abooroash ;  and  a  little  to  the  E.  ol 
N.  are  the  2  stone  bridges  built  by  the 
Arab  kings  of  Egypt,  which  some  sup- 
pose to  have  served  for  the  transport 
of  the  stones  from  the  pyramids  to 
Cairo. 

The  descent  is  generally  made  by 
the  same  way  as  the  ascent,  but  it  can 
be  made  down  the  S.W.  corner.  It 
should  not  be  forgotten  that  a  high 
wind  is  destructive  of  any  enjoyment 
to  be  gained  by  an  ascent  of  the  py- 


PLAN  OF  THE  GEEAT  PYRAMID. 


A.  Pyramid  when  cased  and 

entire. 

B.  Pyramid  as  at  present. 

C.  Base  of  Pyramid. 

D.  Natural  rock. 

a.  Entrance. 

b.  Descending  passage. 

c.  Horizontal  continuation  of  b. 

d.  Subterranean  chamber. 

e.  Passage  out  of  d. 

ft  Pit  dug  by  Col.  H.  Vyse. 


g.  Granite  block  closing  upper 

passage. 

h.  Passage  forced  by  Caliph 

El  Mamoon. 

i.  Ascending  gallery. 
j.  Mouth  of  well. 

Ic.  Well. 

I.  Horizontal  gallery  leading 

to  Queen's  Chamber, 
m.  Queen's  Chamber. 
n.  Great  Gallery. 


o.  Vestibule. 

p.  King's  Chamber. 

q.  Sarcophagus  in  King's 
Chamber. 

r.  Davidson's  Chamber. 

5.  Wellington's  Chamber. 

t.  Nelson's  Chamber. 

u.  Lady  Arbuthnot's  Cham- 
ber. 

u.  Campbell's  Chamber. 


184 


CAIRO  :  EXCURSIONS  :  THE  PYRAMIDS  ; 


Sect.  IT. 


rarnid,  and  a  clear  day  is  necessary 
for  appreciating  the  view.  Before  mid- 
day is,  as  a  rule,  the  best  moment  for 
avoiding  the  wind  and  gaining  the 
view.  Sunrise  and  sunset  produce,  of 
course,  their  own  peculiar  effects ;  but, 
unless  preparations  are  made  for  en- 
camping, they  involve  an  early  start 
or  a  late  return. 

Before  penetrating  to  the  interior  of 
the  Great  Pyramid,  it  will  be  well  to 
have  some  idea  of  those  internal  pecu- 
liarities which  distinguish  it  from  any 
other  specimen  of  pyramidal  construc- 
tion, and  which  chiefly  constitute  its 
claim,  according  to  Mr.  Piazzi  Smyth, 
and  writers  who  hold  his  views,  to  be 
considered  as  intended  for  some  higher 
purpose  than  that  of  holding  a  king's 
body.  As  has  been  said  in  the  re- 
marks on  pyramidal  structures  in  ge- 
neral, an  ordinary  pyramid  is  a  solid 
mass  of  stone,  erected  over  a  well  lead- 
ing to  a  sepulchral  chamber,  excavated 
in  the  solid  rock  which  forms  the 
platform  of  the  building.  This  cham- 
ber is  duly  in  its  place  in  the  Great 
Pyramid  (d),  and  is  mentioned  by  He- 
rodotus and  Pliny,  though  their  state- 
ments that  a  communication  existed 
with  the  Nile,  by  means  of  which 
water  was  introduced,  so  as  to  inundate 
the  sepulchral  chambers,  appears  to  be 
inaccurate,  as  the  bottom  of  the  cham- 
ber is  considerably  above  the  level  of 
the  high  Nile  at  the  present  time, 
and  must  have  been  still  more  so  in 
the  days  when  the  pyramid  was  built : 
moreover,  an  excavation,  36  ft.  in  depth, 
by  Col.  Howard  Vyse  (/),  sunk  dia- 
gonally in  the  sepulchral  chamber  (d), 
failed  to  reveal  any  signs  of  this  sub- 
terranean communication.  The  direct 
way  to  this  chamber  is  by  a  passage 
306  ft.  long  {b),  leading  from  the 
main  entrance  of  the  pyramid,  and  it  is 
supposed  that  if  Herodotus,  Strabo, 
and  Pliny  were  ever  at  all  inside  the 
pyramid,  that  this  passage  and  well 
were  all  they  knew  of  its  interior. 

Of  the  entrance  itself  (a)  no  sign 
was  visible  in  the  smooth  and 
polished  surface  of  the  pyramid's 
sides  as  they  presented  themselves 
to  the  travellers  of  those  days ;  and 
even  if,  which  is  not  at  all  certain 


!  the  old  Egyptians  revealed  to  privi- 
leged strangers  the  secret  of  the  open- 
ing (Strabo  speaks  of  a  movable  stone), 
and  allowed  them  to  see  or  hear  of  the 
subterranean  chamber,  no  hint  was 
given  of  there  being  anything  else 
hidden  within  that  enormous  mass  ; 
nor  did  anything  in  that  long  passage 
suggest  to  the  most  inquisitive  eye  the 
possibility  of  other  passages  and  other 
chambers.  And  inviolable  the  secret 
remained  for  5000  years  or  so  till  the 
year  a.d.  820,  when,  according  to  Arab 
writers,  it  was  violently  brought  to  light 
by  the  Caliph  El  Mamoon,  son  of  Ha- 
roon  er  Easheed.  Tradition,  and  the 
romancing  story-tellers  of  the  day,  de- 
clared that  the  pyramids  had  been 
built  by  "  Saurid  ebn  Salnook,  a  king 
of  Egypt,  who  lived  before  the  flood," 
who  had  placed  in  them  all  kinds  of 
treasures,  including  a  "  cock  made  of 
precious  stones,"  and  "  a  quantity  of 
gold  coins  put  up  in  columns,  every 
piece  of  which  was  the  weight  of  1000 
dinars."  Incited  by  these  stories,  the 
caliph  ordered  the  engineers  of  the 
day  to  discover  the  entrance,  and  open 
the  pyramid.  In  order  more  effectu- 
ally to  deceive  those  who  should  at- 
tempt to  violate  the  tomb,  the  Egyp- 
tians had  placed  the  passage  23  ft. 
from  the  centre.  The  workmen  of  the 
caliph  commenced,  as  was  natural 
enough,  and  as  the  Egyptians  foresaw, 
in  the  centre  of  the  face,  and  with  iron, 
fire,  and  vinegar,  quarried  their  way 
through  the  solid  masonry.  The  la- 
bour must  have  been  excessive ;  but, 
says  Mr.  Piazzi  Smyth,  from  whose 
graphic  account  we  will  now  borrow, 
"the  progress,  though  slow,  was  so 
persevering,  that  they  penetrated  at 
length  no  less  than  10U  ft.  in  depth 
j  from  the  entrance.  After  that,  how- 
ever, they  were  beginning  to  despair  of 
I  the  hard  and  hitherto  fruitless  labour, 
1  and  to  remember  tales  of  an  old  king, 
who  had  found,  on  a  calculation,  that 
all  the  wealth  of  Egypt  in  his  time 
would  not  enable  him  to  destroy  one  of 
j  the  pyramids.  They  were  almost  be- 
j  coming  rebellious,  when  one  day,  in  the 
!  midst  of  their  murmurings,  they  heard 
|  a  great  stone  fall  in  a  hollow  passage 
i  within  no  more  than  a  few  feet  of  them. 


Egypt. 


THE  GREAT  PYRAMID. 


185 


Energetically  they  pushed  on  after 
that ;  hammers,  and  fire,  and  vinegar 
being  employed  again,  until  they 
reached  the  hollow  way,  'exceeding 
dark,  dreadful  to  look  at,  and  difficult 
to  pass/  they  said  at  first,  where  the 
sound  had  occurred.  A  large,  angular- 
fitting  stone  that  had  made  for  ages  a 
smooth  and  polished  portion  of  the 
ceiling  of  the  lonely  and  narrow  pas- 
sage, undistinguishable  from  any  oi  her 
part  of  its  course,  had  now  dropped  on 
the  floor  before  their  eyes,  and  revealed 
that  there  was  at  that  point  a  passage 
beyond  and  above,  ascending  out  of 
this  descending  one.  But  that  ascend- 
ing passage  was  closed  by  a  granite 
portcullis  (gf) :  not  built  in  or  built  up, 
as  if  never  intended  to  be  entered,  but 
merely  left  portcullis  down :  a  port- 
cullis of  finished  workmanship,  and 
intended  to  be  raised  in  its  regular 
grooves  when  the  proper  time  and 
right  man  should  have  arrived.  Mean- 
while it  was  of  most  portentous  weight, 
and  the  crew  who  had  gathered  about 
it  were  decidedly  not  the  right  men. 
Accordingly,  unable  to  lift  the  true 
gate,  they  broke  in  sideways  and  round 
about  through  the  smaller  masonry  (7i), 
and  so  up  again  into  the  ascending 
passage  (<),  at  a  point  past  the  obstruc- 
tion. On  they  rushed,  that  lawless 
crowd,  thirsting  for  the  promised 
wealth.  Up  no  less  than  ]  00  ft.  of  the 
steep  incline,  crouched  hands  and  knees 
and  chin  together,  through  a  passage  of 
royally-polished  marble,  but  only  14  in. 
in  height  or  breadth,  they  had  pain- 
fully to  crawl,  with  their  torches  burn- 
ing too.  Then  suddenly  they  emerge 
into  a  tall  gallery  (?i)  in  front  of  them. 
On  the  level  another  low  passage  (7), 
leading  to  an  inconsiderable  room  (m) ; 
on  the  rt.  a  black,  ominous-looking 
well's  mouth  (Jj ;  and  onwards  and 
above  them  a  continuation  of  the  glo- 
rious gallery  or  hall  leading  on  to  all 
the  treasures  of  the  earth.  Narrow, 
certainly,  was  the  way,  only  6  ft.  broad 
anywhere,  and  contracted  to  3  ft.  at 
the  flour,  but  rising  to  a  height  of  28  ft., 
almost  above  the  power  of  their  smoky 
lights  to  illuminate,  and  of  polished 
glistening  marble-like  Cyclopean  stone 
throughout.    That  must  surely  be  the 


j  high-road  to  fortune  and  wealth.  Up 
|  and  up  its  receding  floor-line,  ascend- 
ing at  an  angle  of  26°,  they  had  to 
push  their  toilsome  way  for  150  ft. 
more;  then  an  obstructing  ledge  to 
climb  over,  then  a  low  doorway  in 
solid  granite  to  bow  below,  then  a 
hanging  portcullis  to  pass  under,  then 
another  doorway  :  and  after  that  they 
leapt  without  further  let  or  hindrance 
at  once  into  the  grand  chamber  (p), 
which  was  the  conclusion  of  every- 
thing :  the  chamber  to  which,  and  for 
which,  and  towards  which,  according 
to  every  subsequent  writer,  in  whatever 
other  theoretical  point  they  may  differ, 
the  whole  of  the  Great  Pyramid  was 
built." 

Access  was  thus  at  length  obtained 
to  the  place  of  the  wished-for  treasures, 
and  great  hopes  were  entertained,  say 
the  Arab  historians,  of  finding  a  rich 
reward  for  their  tod.  But  these  hopes 
were  doomed  to  end  in  disappointment. 
The  chamber  indeed  was  "a  right 
noble  apartment  ...  of  polished  gra- 
nite throughout ;  in  blocks  squared 
and  true,  and  so  large,  '  that  8  floors 
it,  8  roofs  it,  8  flags  the  ends,  and  16 
the  sides  ; '  and  all  put  together  with 
such  exquisite  skill,  that  the  joints  are 
barely  discernible  to  the  closest  in- 
spection." But  all  there  was  in  it 
was  a  stone  chest  without  a  lid  (g). 
Clearly  the  pyramid  had  been  pre- 
viously entered  and  rifled,  and  the 
caliph  was  about  to  abandon  his  vain 
search,  when  the  people  began  to 
evince  their  discontent  and  to  censure 
his  ill-placed  avidity.  To  check  their 
murmurs,  he  had  recourse  to  artifice. 
He  secretly  ordered  a  large  sum  of 
money  to  be  conveyed  to,  and  buried 
!  in,  the  innermost  part  of  the  excavated 
!  passage ;  and  the  subsequent  disco- 
{ very  of  the  supposed  treasure,  which 
j  was  found  to  be  about  equal  to  what 
j  had  been  expended,  satisfied  the  people; 
and  the  caliph  gratified  his  own  curi- 
osity at  the  expense  of  their  labour, 
their  money,  and  their  unsuspecting 
I  credulity.  Abd-el-H6km  says  that  a 
statue  resembling  a  man  was  found 
in  the  sarcophagus,  and  in  the  statue 
(mummy-case)  was  a  body,  with  a 
breastplate  of  gold  and  jewels,  bearing 


186 


CAIRO  I  EXCURSIONS  :  THE  PYRAMIDS  ; 


Sect.  IL 


characters  written  with  a  pen  which  | 
no  one  understood.     Others  mention 
an  emerald  vase  of  beautiful  work- 
manship.   But  the  authority  of  Arab 
writers  is  not  always  to  be  relied  on  ; 
and  it  may  be  doubted  whether  the 
body  of  the  king  was  really  depo.-ited  j 
in  the  sarcophagus.     Lord  Munster  j 
found  in  the  second  pyramid  the  bones  j 
of  an  ox,  which  he  brought  with  him.  j 
to  England :  but  from  these  no  con- 1 
elusion  can  be  drawn,  as  they  may  I 
have  been  taken  into  it  after  it  was 
opened,  either  by  men  or  wild  beasts  ; 
neither  of  whom  were  aware  how  much 
they  might  puzzle  future  antiquaries 
with  speculations  about  the  bones  of 
Apis. 

That  both  the  pyramids  had  been 
opened  before  the  time  of  the  Arabs 
is  exceedingly  probable,  as  we  find 
the  Egyptians  themselves  bad  in  many 
instances  plundered  the  tombs  of 
Thebes ;  and  the  fact  of  its  having  been 
closed  again  is  consistent  with  expe- 
rience in  other  places.  Belzoni's  tomb 
had  been  rifiVd  and  re-closed,  and 
the  same  is  observed  in  many  Theban 
tombs,  when  discovered  by  modern 
excavators. 

The  forced  passage  of  the  Caliph 
could  once  be  followed  for  a  great  dis- 
tance from  the  point  where  the  upper 
and  lower  passages  join ;  but  it  is  now 
filled  with  stones,  brought  from  the 
excavations  in  the  pyramid.  The  Ca- 
liph's workmen  in  the  course  of  their 
labours  cleared  the  real  passage  to 
its  mouth,  being  more  convenient 
for  their  ingress  and  egress  than  the 
rough  way  they  had  forced.  The  way 
thus  opened  by  El  Mamoon  was  not 
again  closed,  and  people  continued  to 
go  in  and  out.  But  no  further  dis- 
coveries were  made  till  in  1763,  when 
Mr.  Davidson,  British  Consul  at  Al- 
giers, discovered  another  room  over  the 
King's  Ch amber.  This  was  followed  in 
1839  by  Col.  Howard  Vyse's  discovery 
of  four  other  chambers,  one  above 
another  over  Davidson's  chamber  (r), 
which  he  called  respectively  Welling- 
ton's (s),  Nelson's  (t),  Lady  Arbuth- 
not's  \u),  and  Campbell's  chamber  (v). 
No  more  hollow  spaces  have  since 
been  discovered,  though  many  ex- 


plorers, convinced  that  the  hollow 
portion  of  the  pyramid  was  greatly 
out  of  proportion  to  its  solid  substance, 
have  restlessly  tried  in  every  direction 
in  the  hope  of  finding  something. 

Having  now  some  general  idea  of 
the  inside  of  the  Great  Pyramid  so 
far  as  it  is  known,  let  us  proceed  to 
the  north  side  on  which  the  entrance 
is  situated,  and  mount  the  heap  of 
rubbish  and  stones  that  have  accumu- 
lated below  the  opening.  Getting  in- 
side the  pyramid  is  not  a  very  pleasant 
operation,  and,  on  the  whole,  it  is 
perhaps  more  fatiguing  than  going  to 
the  top ;  the  close  air,  the  scrambling, 
and  the  dust  all  contribute  to  make  it 
disagreeable.  Nervous  ladies  had  cer- 
tainly better  not  attempt  it.  Miss 
Martineau  says  :  "  To  the  tranquil 
the  inside  of  the  pyramid  is  sufficiently 
airy  and  cool  for  the  need  of  the  hour. 
But  it  is  a  dreadful  place  in  which  to 
be  seized  with  a  panic,  and  no  woman 
should  go  who  cannot  trust  herself  to 
put  down  panic  by  reason.  There  is 
absolutely  nothing  to  fear  but  from 
oneself;  no  danger  of  bad  falls,  or  of 
going  astray,  or  of  being  stifled.  The 
passages  are  slippery :  but  there  are 
plenty  of  notches ;  and  a  fall  could 
hardly  be  dangerous  —  unless  at  one 
place — the  entrance  upon  the  passage 
to  the  King's  Chamber  .  .  .  The  one 
danger  is  from  the  impression  upon 
the  senses  of  the  solidity  and  vastness 
of  the  stone  structure  in  such  dark- 
ness." Nails  in  the  shoes  are  as  bad 
for  going  inside  the  pyramid  as  they 
are  good  for  going  up  it  :  slippers  give 
the  best  foothold  in  the  slippery  parts. 
As  has  been  advised  in  the  Preli- 
minary Kemarks,  magnesium  wire 
should  be  taken  for  the  purpose  of 
seeing  the  King's  Chamber  to  advan- 
tage, and  each  person  would  do  well 
to  have  a  candle  to  themselves,  and 
matches  in  their  pocket :  there  will  be 
plenty  of  candidates  for  carrying  water, 
but  no  more  Arabs  than  is  absolutely 
necessary  should  be  allowed  to  enter, 
as  they  only  add  to  the  dust  and  heat, 
and  seem  to  think  that  the  more  noise 
they  make  the  greater  will  be  the  im- 
pression of  awe  made  on  the  mind  of 
the  visitor. 


Egypt. 


THE  GREAT  PYRAMID. 


187 


The  entrance  («)  is,  as  has  been 
said,  like  that  of  all  other  pyramids, 
on  the  northern  face,  about  23  ft.  from 
the  true  centre,  and  45  ft.  from  the 
ground.  Over  it  is  a  block  of  immense 
size,  on  which  are  four  other  large 
blocks,  resting  against  each  other,  so 
as  to  form  a  pent-roof  arch,  and  so  serv- 
ing to  take  off  the  superincumbent 
weight  from  the  roof  of  the  passage. 
The  position  of  the  stones  in  the  body 
of  the  pyramid  is  horizontal,  but  at 
the  entrance  they  follow  the  inclina- 
tion of  the  passage,  which  is  an  angle 
of  26°  41'.  This  passage  (6)  is  3  ft. 
5  in.  high  and  3  ft.  11  in.  wide,  and  is 
roofed  with  well- wrought  and  closely 
fitted  stones.  This  passage  continues 
in  the  same  incline  for  320  ft.,  and 
with  such  exactness  that  the  sky  is 
visible  from  the  farther  end.  It  then 
runs,  with  somewhat  smaller  dimen- 
sions, for  27  ft.  farther  in  a  horizontal 
direction,  and  ends  in  a  subterranean 
chamber  (d),  already  spoken  of  as  the 
sepulchral  chamber  common  to  all 
pyramids.  This  chamber  is  46  ft.  long, 
27  ft.  broad,  and  11  ft.  6  in.  high,  and 
the  roof  of  it  is  more  than  90  ft.  from 
the  base  of  the  pyramid.  It  has  been 
left  in  a  rough  and  unfinished  state. 
Into  here,  if  anywhere,  must  have 
flowed  the  water  of  the  Nile  through 
the  canal  mentioned  by  Herodotus, 
but  though  Col.  H.  Vyse  excavated 
36  ft.  down,  he  discovered  no  signs  of 
it.  From  the  S.  side  of  the  chamber 
issues  a  narrow  passage  53  ft.  long, 
ending  abruptly  in  nothing. 

All  this,  however,  is  seldom  seen  by 
the  ordinary  visitor.  We  return  to  join 
him  at  a  point  in  the  descending  pass- 
age 63  ft.  from  the  entrance.  Here  is 
seen  the  end  of  a  granite  block  (g),  once 
carefully  connected  by  a  triangular 
piece  of  stone  fitting  into  the  roof  of 
the  passage,  and  secured  in  that  po- 
sition by  an  iron  cramp  on  either  side. 
It  was  probably  the  falling  of  this 
stone  which  revealed  to  the  workmen 
of  El  Mamoon  the  existence  of  the 
entrance  passage.  But  as  they  were 
unable  to  remove  the  granite  block  it 
had  concealed,  this  block  still  remains 
in  its  original  place ;  and  in  order  to 
avoid  and  pass  above  it,  you  turn  to 


the  right  by  the  forced  passage  (7i) 
that  these  workmen  made,  and  after 
climbing  a  few  rough  steps  find  your- 
self at  the  upper  extremity  of  the 
block,  and  in  another  passage  (i),  the 
entrance  to  which  this  block  had 
sealed.  This  upper  passage  continues 
ascending  at  nearly  the  same  angle  as 
the  lower  one  for  125  ft.,  until  what  is 
called  the  Great  Gallery  (n)  is  reached. 

At  this  point  a  horizontal  passage 
(I)  branches  off,  110  ft.  long,  leading 
to  what  is  called  the  Queen's  Cham- 
ber (m).  Near  the  end  of  this  passage, 
not  far  from  the  chamber,  there  is  the 
descent  of  a  step,  after  which  the  pas- 
sage becomes  higher.  The  Queen's 
Chamber  is  18  ft.  9  in.  long,  17  ft. 
broad,  and  20  ft.  high  in  the  centre. 
It  is  roofed  with  blocks  of  stone  rest- 
ing against  one  another,  m  the  man- 
ner of  a  pent-house,  like  those  over  the 
entrance  of  the  pyramid  ;  and  in  order 
to  give  them  strength  they  have  been 
carried  a  long  way  into  the  masonry. 
The  stones  in  the  side- walls  are  ad- 
mirably fitted  together,  so  that  the 
joints  can  scarcely  be  traced ;  and  an 
incrustation  of  salt  has  tended  to  give 
them  the  appearance  of  having  been 
hewn  in  the  solid  rock.  On  the  E. 
side,  a  short  way  from  the  door,  is  a 
sort  of  niche  or  recess,  built  with 
stones  projecting  one  beyond  the  other. 
The  object  of  this  niche  is  not  known ; 
the  Arabs,  probably  in  the  hope  of 
finding  treasure,  have  broken  into  the 
masonry  at  the  back  for  some  distance. 
An  excavation  in  the  floor  by  Sir  G. 
Wilkinson  revealed  no  signs  of  a  se- 
pulchral pit.  This  chamber  is  67  ft. 
above  the  base  of  the  pyramid,  407  ft. 
below  the  original  summit,  and  71  ft. 
below  the  King's  Chamber.  Accord- 
ing to  Col.  H.  Vyse,  Sir  G.  Wilkinson, 
and.  others,  it  stands  immediately  under 
the  apex  of  the  pyramid. 

Keturning  to  the  commencement  of 
the  horizontal  passage,  immediately  on 
the  right  of  the  Great  Gallery,  is  the 
mouth  of  an  opening,  commonly  called 
the  well  (/,  k).  It  is  a  passage  partly 
vertical,  partly  slanting  and  irregular, 
which  leads  down  into  the  descending 
passage  from  the  entrance  to  the  sub- 
terranean cavern.    It  is  191  ft.  deep, 


188 


CAIRO  :  EXCURSIONS  :  THE  PYRAMIDS  ; 


Sect.  II. 


and  2  ft.  4  in.  square.  This  well  is  cut 
through  the  masonry,  which  evidently 
proves  that  it  was  an  afterthought,  and 
was  probably  made  for  the  purpose 
of  affording  a  means  of  communication 
after  the  closing  of  the  upper  passage 
with  the  block  of  granite  above  men- 
tioned. The  workmen  having  by  it 
reached  the  lower  passage  could  ascend 
to  the  entrance.  The  Great  Gallery 
continues  to  ascend  at  the  same  angle 
as  the  passage  of  which  it  is  a  con- 
tinuation. It  is  151  ft.  long,  28  ft. 
high,  and  nearly  7  ft.  wide,  but  this 
width  is  reduced  one-half  by  a  stone 
ramp  on  each  side  20  in.  wide  and 
2  ft.  high.  Notches  are  cut  in  the 
floor  at  intervals,  which  are  supposed 
to  have  some  connexion  witli  the  ma- 
chinery by  which  the  sarcophagus  in 
the  King's  Chamber  was  raised  :  as  it 
is  they  serve  as  welcome  footholds  on 
the  slippery  surface  of  the  smooth  and 
polished  stone.  There  are  8  courses 
of  stone  in  the  side  walls,  which  pro- 
ject one  over  the  other,  so  giving  the 
gallery  the  appearance  of  being  arched. 
At  the  end  of  the  Great  Gallery  is  an 
ascending  step  into  a  vestibule  (o),  for- 
merly closed  according  to  some  authors 
with  4  granite  portcullises,  sliding  in 
grooves  of  the  same  stone,  which  con- 
cealed and  stopped  the  entrance  to 
anything  beyond.  On  the  other  side 
of  these,  one  of  which  remains  in  its  i 
original  position,  is  a  short  passage  j 
leading  into  the  King's  Chamber  (p).  \ 
This,  the  principal  apartment  of  the 
pyramid,  is  34  ft.  3  in.  long.  17  ft.  1  in. 
broad,  and  19  ft.  1  in.  high.  The 
floor  is  138  ft.  from  the  base  of  the 
pyramid,  and  its  position  is  not  exactly 
under  the  apex,  but  a  little  southward 
and  eastward  of  the  vertical  line.  The 
roof  is  flat,  and  formed  of  simple  blocks 
of  granite,  resting  on  the  side-walls, 
which  are  built  of  the  same  materials ; 
and  so  truly  and  beautifully  are  these 
blocks  fitted  together  that  the  edge  of 
a  penknife  could  not  be  inserted  be- 
tween them.  At  the  upper  end,  placed  1 
N.  and  S.,  is  the  sarcophagus  (g),  of 
red  granite  or  porphyry  like  the  blocks : 
"  the  only  and  one  thing,"  says  Sandys, 
"  which  this  huge  mass  contained 
within  its  darksome  entrails."  It  is 


without  a  lid,  and  totally  devoid  of 
hieroglyphics  or  any  ornamental  carv- 
ing. The  measurements  given  of  it  by 
different  authors  are  various.  Taking 
those  of  Col.  Howard  Vyse,  we  find 
the  length  of  the  exterior  given  as 
90"5  in.,  the  breadth  39  in.,  and  the 
height  41  in. ;  the  length  of  the  in- 
terior 78  in.,  the  breadth  26-o  in.,  and 
the  height  34  5  in.  On  being  struck, 
it  emits  a  very  fine  sound,  as  of  a 
deep-toned  bell;  but  the  foolishness 
of  travellers  in  endeavouring  to  verify 
this  assertion,  and  also  to  carry  off 
pieces  of  the  stone,  will  end  in  re- 
ducing it  to  a  mere  fragment.  It 
is  such  a  bad  example,  too,  for  the 
Arabs,  wiio  want  no  encouragement  to 
the  wanton  destruction  of  relics  of  an- 
tiquity. The  object  of  this  stone  chest, 
in  which  most  Egyptologists  agree  to 
see  nothing  but  a  simple  sarcophagus, 
is  the  subject  of  much  ingenious  con- 
jecture on  the  part  of  a  few,  of  whose 
views  Mr.  Piazzi  Smyth  may  be  con- 
sidered as  the  chief  exponent.  He  sees 
in  the  "  coffer,"  as  he  calls  it,  a  stand- 
ard measure  of  capacity  and  weight 
for  all  ages.  His  views,  which  are 
curious  if  not  conclusive,  on  this  and 
the  pyramids  generally,  will  be  found 
at  length  in  his  book,  '  Our  Inherit- 
ance in  the  Great  Pyramid.'  In  the 
side  walls  of  the  king's  chamber  are 
small  holes  or  tubes,  the  use  of  which 
perplexed  every  one  until  Colonel 
Howard  Vyse  ascertained  their  real 
use,  as  tubes  to  conduct  air  into  the 
interior  of  the  pyramid.  One  is  on  the 
N.,  and  the  other  on  the  S.  side  of  the 
chamber,  about  3  ft.  from  the  floor. 

Over  the  king's  chamber  is  another 
room  (r),  or  rather  entresol,  which,  like 
those  above  it,  was  evidently  intended 
to  protect  the  roof  of  that  chamber 
from  the  pressure  of  the  mass  of 
masonry  above.  The  ascent  to  it  was 
by  means  of  small  holes  cut  into  the 
wall  at  the  S.E.  corner  of  the  great 
gallery,  at  the  top  of  which  was  the 
entrance  of  a  narrow  passage  leading 
into  it.  This  room  is  not  more  than 
3  ft.  6  in.  high ;  and  the  floor,  which 
is  the  upper  side  of  the  stones  forming 
the  roof  of  the  chamber  below,  is  very 
uneven.     Its  roof    also  consists  of 


Egypt- 


THE  SECOND  PYRAMID. 


189 


granite  blocks,  like  that  of  the  king's 
chamber,  and  serves  as  the  floor  of 
another  entresol  (s) ;  above  which  are 
three  other  similar  low  rooms  (f,  u,  v,) 
the  uppermost  of  which  has  a  pent-  j 
roof,  made  of  blocks  placed  against  ; 
each  other,  like  those  of  the  queen's 
chamber,  and  over  the  entrance  of  the 
pyramid. 

On  the  stones,  in  the  uppermost 
chamber,  were  found  some  hierogly- 
phics, painted  in  red  ochre,  presenting, 
besides  the  quarry  marks  of  the  work- 
men, the  oval  of  King  Shoofoo 
(Cheops).  In  the  chamber  below  the 
upper  one  is  another  royal  oval  (a), 
which  may  be  a  variation  of 
the  first,  but  which  by  some 
has  been  taken  to  be  that 
of  another  king,  Noo  Shoo- 
foo, and  the  argument 
drawn  from  this  is  that 
the  two  were  brothers,  and 
shared  the  throne,  and  that 
the  so-called  queen's  cham- 
ber was  for  one,  and  the  king's  cham- 
ber for  the  other.  Their  names  are 
found  together  in  an  adjacent  tomb. 

It  may  seem  remarkable  that,  while 
the  roofs  of  these  chambers  are  smooth 
and  even,  the  floors  are  left  rough,  the 
inequalities  of  the  stones  in  some 
places  being  of  several  feet ;  but  this 
only  shows  that  they  were  not  intended 
for  any  use  beyond  that  of  relieving 
the  king's  chamber  from  the  superin- 
cumbent weight.  Towards  the  ends 
of  the  blocks  in  the  floor  of  the  upper- 
most room  are  small  square  holes,  the 
object  of  which  it  is  difficult  to  deter- 
mine. They  are  probably  connected 
with  their  transport  from  the  quarry, 
or  their  elevation  to  their  present  posi- 
tion. 

These  chambers  are  seldom  visited, 
the  ascent  without  a  ladder  being 
extremely  difficult :  nor  is  there  any- 
thing to  make  it  worth  the  ordinary 
traveller's  while.  He  will  probably 
have  had  quite  enough  scrambling  and 
crawling  by  the  time  he  reaches  the 
king'schamber,  and  may  think  the  sight 
of  that  a  sufficient  reward  for  his  exer- 
tions. "  There  is  nothing  else  like  it," 
says  Miss  Martineau,  "no  catacomb  or 
cavern  in  the  world ;  there  never  was, 


and  surely  there  never  will  be  .  .  . 
the  symmetry  and  finish  so  deepen  the 
gloom  as  to  make  (it)  seem  like  a  fit 
prison-house  for  fallen  angels."  And 
very  like  fallen  angels  one  may  be  dis- 
posed to  think  the  attendant  Arabs 
as  they  shout,  and  hollow,  and  scream 
in  the  almost  black-darkness.  It  is 
with  a  feeling  of  relief,  as  of  a  task 
accomplished,  that  the  entrance  and 
daylight  are  once  more  reached.  Care 
should  be  taken  on  coming  out,  if  it  is 
evening,  or  the  wind  is  cool,  to  have 
some  warm  covering  to  put  on. 

The  Second  Pyramid.  Herodotus 
writes  thus  of  this  pyramid  which  stands 
about  500  ft.  to  the  S.W.  of  the  Great 
Pyramid.  "  Cheops,  having  reigned 
50  years,  died,  and  was  succeeded  by 
his  brother  Cephren,  who  followed  the 
example  of  his  predecessor.  Among 
other  monuments  he  also  built  a  pyia- 
mid,  but  much  less  in  size  than  that 
of  Cheops.  I  measured  them  both. 
It  has  neither  underground  chambers, 
nor  any  canal  flowing  into  it  from  the 
Nile,  like  the  other,  where  the  tomb  of 
its  founder  is  placed,  in  an  island  sur- 
rounded by  water.  The  lowest  tier 
of  this  pyramid  is  of  Ethiopian  stone 
of  various  colours  (granite).  It  is  40 
ft.  smaller  than  its  neighbour.  Both 
are  built  on  the  same  hill,  which  is 
about  100  ft.  high."  Diodorus  has  the 
following :  "  On  the  death  of  this 
king,  his  brother  Cephern  succeeded 
to  the  throne,  and  reigned  56  years. 
Some  say  he  was  his  son,  by  name 
Chabry'is,  and  not  his  brother.  All, 
however,  agree  that  on  his  accession, 
wishing  to  emulate  his  predecessor,  he 
built  the  second  pyramid,  similar  to 
tne  other  in  its  style  of  building,  but 
far  inferior  in  size,  each  face  being 
only  one  stade  in  length  at  its  base. 
On  the  larger  one  is  inscribed  the  sum 
spent  in  herbs  and  esculent  roots  for 
the  workmen,  amounting  to  upwards 
of  1600  talents.  The  smaller  one  has 
no  inscription,  but  on  one  side  steps 
are  cut  to  ascend  it." 

The  Cephren  of  Herodotus  is  now 
considered  to  be  the  Shafra  of  the 
monuments  ;  his  name  is  not  found  on 
any  stone  in  this  pyramid,  but  it 


190 


CAIRO  :  EXCURSIONS  I  THE  PYRAMIDS  J 


Sect.  II. 


occurs  in  many  tombs  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood, and  the  magnificent  statue 
of  him,  found  with  eight  other 
smaller  ones  by  M.  Mariette  in  the 
granite  and  alabaster  temple  near 
the  Sphinx,  proves  the  high  state  of 
civilisation  at  which  the  Egyptians 
had  already  arrived ;  while  the  hiero- 
glyphics it  bears  are  a  sufficient  proof, 
were  any  further  needed,  that  the 
builders  of  the  Pyramids  were  acquain- 
ted with  the  art  of  writmar.  According 


to  the  Tablets  of  Abydos  and  Sakkarah, 
Shafra  was  not  the  immediate  suc- 
cessor of  Shoofoo,  one  King  Eatetfe, 
whose  reign  was  probably  of  short 
duration,  intervening. 

The  size  of  this  pyramid  is  not  much 
j  inferior  to  that  of  the  Great  Pyramid, 
1  and  the  fact  of  its  standing  on  higher 
ground  gives  it  the  app:  arance,  when 
seen  from  certain  positions,  of  greater 
height.  The  following  are  the  dimen- 
sions given  respectively  by 


Former  length  of  base  

Present  length  of  base  

Former  height  

Present  height  *  . 

Former  area  

Present  area  

The  number  of  granite  blocks  lying 
about  prove  the  correctness  of  Hero- 
dotus's  assertion  that  the  lowest  tier 
was  of  :<  variegated  Ethiopic  stone  "  on 
the  outside.  The  remainder  was  built, 
like  the  Great  Pyramid,  partly  of  the 
nummulile  rock  from  the  neighbour- 
hood, and  partly  of  stone  from  the 
other  side  of  the  river  ;  but  the  stones 
have  been  less  carefully  selected,  and 
the  spaces  in  some  parts  of  the  interior 
appear  to  have  been  filled  in  with 
rubble.  Like  the  Great  Pyramid,  this 
one  also  formerly  presented  a  smooth 
and  polished  surface.  Some  of  the 
casing,  indeed,  still  remains  for  about 
130  or  150  ft.  from  the  top.  Except 
for  the  purpose  of  examining  this 
casing,  there  is  no  object  in  mounting 
to  the  summit,  and  the  ascent  is  rather 
difficult,  not  to  say  dangerous,  as  the 
casing  considerably  projects  beyond 
and  overhangs  the  part  below.  In  the 
smooth  part  there  are  holes  cut  to 
serve  as  steps.  It  is  a  favourite  amuse- 
ment with  some  travellers,  when  at  the 
top  of  the  Great  Pyramid,  to  give  an 
Arab  a  small  backsheesh  to  run  to  the 
bottom,  then  across  the  intervening 
ground,  and  up  to  the  top  of  the 
Second  Pyramid,  over  the  smooth 
space,  in  less  than  ten  minutes.  Ac- 
cording to  the  account  of  ancient 
writers,  the  people  of  the  neighbouring 
village  of  Busiris  were  wont  to  practise 
the  same  feat  for  a  similar  considt ra- 
tion. 


Sir  G,  Wilkinson. 

690  ft. 
453  ft. 
4  46  ft.  9  in. 


Col.  H.  Vtse. 

707  ft.  9  in. 

690  ft.  9  in. 

454  ft.  3  in. 

447  ft.  6  in. 
11  ac.  1  rd.  38  ps. 
10  ac.  3  rds.  30  ps. 


This  pyramid  has  two  entrances,  one 
at  about  the  same  relative  height  as 
that,  of  the  great  pyramid,  and  the 
other  in  the  pavement  at  the  base. 
Both  descend  at  the  same  angle  for 
over  100  ft.  At  this  point  they  are 
closed  by  a  granite  portcullis.  The 
lower  one  then  becomes  horizontal, 
and  passes  over  an  excavated  chamber 
34  ft.  long  10  ft.  broad,  and  8  ft.  high. 
Soon  after  it  begins  to  ascend,  and 
joins  the  upper  passage,  which  beyond 
the  portcullis  also  becomes  horizontal, 
and  proceeding  on  ends  in  a  chamber 
46  ft.  long,  16  ft.  broad,  and  22  ft. 
high,  called,  after  the  name  of  its  re- 
disco  vere-,  Belzoni's  Chamber.  He  re- 
opened this  pyramid  in  1816.  In  the 
chamber  is  a  sarcophagus  of  red 
granite  sunk  in  the  floor,  lather  larger 
than  that  in  the  Great  Pyramid,  and 
like  it,  without  sculpture  or  hiero- 
glyphics. It  contained,  when  found 
by  Belzoni,  the  bones  of  an  ox.  From 
an  Arabic  inscription  in  this  chamber, 
it  appeared  that  the  pyramid  had  been 
already  opened  either  by  Sultan  Ali 
Mohammed  or  Saltan  el  Azeez  Oth- 
man,  translators  differing  in  their 
versions. 

An  area  sunk  in  the  rock  runs  round 
its  northern  and  western  face,  parallel 
with  the  pyramid,  distant  from  it  on 
the  N.  200,  and  on  the  W.  100  ft. 
The  object  of  thus  cutting  away  the 
rock  was  to  level  the  ground  for  the 
base  of  the  pyramid,  the  hill  in  this 


Egypt. 


THE  THIRD  PYRAMID. 


191 


part  having  a  slight  fall  towards  the 
E.  and  S. ;  which  is  very  evident  from 
the  N.W.  corner  of  the  scarped  rock 
being  of  great  height,  32  ft.  6  in.,  and 
gradually  decreasing  to  its  southern 
and  eastern  extremities.  In  the  level 
surface  below  this  corner  the  rock  has 
been  cut  into  squares,  measuring  about 
9  ft.  each  way.  similar  to  those  at 
Tehneh  near  Minieh;  showing  the 
manner  in  which  the  blocks  were 
taken  out  to  form  this  hollow  space, 
and  to  contribute  at  the  same  time 
their  small  share  towards  the  con- 
struction of  the  pyramid.  On  the  face 
of  the  rock  on  the  W.  and  N.  sides  are 
two  inscriptions  in  hieroglyphics.  One 
contains  the  name  of  Barneses  the 
Great,  and  of  an  individual  who  held 
the  office  of  superintendent  of  certain 
functionaries  supposed  to  be  attached 
to  the  king,  ami  officiating  at  Heliopo- 
lis.  The  inscription  is  in  intaglio,  and 
of  much  more  modern  style  than  the 
hieroglyphics  in  the  neighbouring 
tombs ;  which  would  suffice  to  show, 
if  other  evidence  were  wanting,  how 
much  older  the  latter,  and  consequently 
the  pyramids  themselves,  are  than  this 
king. 

About  270  ft.  to  the  E.  of  this 
pyramid  are  the  ruins  of  a  building 
(U),  which  was  probably  the  temple 
dedicated  to  king  Cephren,  here  wor- 
shipped in  front  of  his  tomb  as  a  god. 

g.  The  Tliird  Pyramid.  The  story 
of  this  pyramid  is  variously  told. 

"After  Cephren,"  says  Herodotus, 
"  Mycerinus,  the  son  of  Cheops,  ac- 
cording to  the  statement  of  the  priests, 
ascended  the  throne.  He  also  built  a 
pyramid,  much  less  than  his  father's, 
being  20  ft.  smaller.  It  is  square: 
each  of  its  sides  is  3  plethra  lon^ ;  and 
it  is  made  half-way  up  of  Ethiopian 
(granite)  stone.  There  are  some 
Greeks,"  he  says,  "  who  ascribe  it  to 
the  courtesan  Rhodopis,  but  they  are 
m  error,  and  do  not  appear  to  know 
who  she  was,  or  surely  they  would  not 
have  attributed  to  her  the  building  of 
a  pyramid,  which  must  have  cost 
thousands  and  thousands  of  talents. 
Besides,  Rhodopis  did  not  live  in  the 
t  me  of  Mycerinus,  but  of  Amosis, 


many  years  after  the  kings  who  built 
these  monuments." 

The  account  of  Diodorus  is  some- 
what similar :  "  After  them  i  Chembis 
and  Cephren)  came  Mycerinus,  or,  as 
some  call  him,  Mecherinus.  the  son  of 
the  founder  of  the  great  pyramid.  He 
built  the  third,  but  died  previous  to  its 
completion.  Each  side  was  made  3 
plethra  long  at  the  base,  with  (a  casing 
of;  black  stone,  similar  to  that  called 
Thebaic,  as  far  as  the  fifteenth  tier, 
the  rest  being  completed  with  stone  of 
the  same  quality  as  the  other  pyramids. 
Though  inferior  in  size  to  the  others, 
it  is  superior  in  its  style  of  building 
and  the  quality  of  the  stone.  On  the 
N.  side  is  inscribed  the  name  of  its 
founder,  Mycerinus.  Some  think  it 
was  erected  as  a  tomb  for  Rhodopis  by 
certain  monarchs  who  had  loved  her." 

Strabo  repeats,  with  variations,  the 
fable  rejected  by  Herodotus  : — "  At 
some  distance,  on  a  more  elevated  part 
of  the  hill  is  the  third,  smaller  than 
the  other  two,  but  bu.lt  in  a  more 
costly  manner.  From  the  base  to  about 
the  middle  it  is  of  black  stone,  of  which 
they  make  mortars,  brought  from  the 
mountains  of  Ethiopia  ;  and  this  being 
hard  and  difficult  to  work  rendered  its 
construction  more  expensive.  It  is 
said  to  be  the  tomb  of  a  courtesan, 
built  by  her  lovers,  whom  Sappho  the 
poetess  calls  Doricha,  the  friend  of  her 
brother  Charaxus,  at  the  time  that  he 
traded  in  wine  to  Naucratis.  Others 
call  her  Rhodope,  and  relate  a  story 
that,  when  she  was  bathing,  an  eagle 
carded  off  one  of  her  sandals,  and, 
having  flown  with  it  to  Memphis,  let 
it  fall  into  the  lap  of  the  king  as  he  sat 
in  judgment.  Struck  by  this  singular 
occurrence  and  the  beauty  of  the 
sandal,  the  king  sent  to  every  part  of 
,  the  country  to  inquire  for  its  owner, 
I  and.  having  found  her  at  Naucratis, 
1  he  made  her  his  queen,  and  buried  her 
1  at  her  death  in  this  sepulchre." 
j  Pliny  says,  "  The  third  pyramid  is 
I  less  than  the  other  two,  but  much  more 
elegant,  being  of  Ethiopian  stone,  and 
measures  363  ft.  between  the  corners." 
Manetho,  according  to  Eusebius  and 
Africanus,  say  that  it  was  built  by 
Nitoeris,  the  last  sovereign  of  the  sixth 


192 


CAIRO  :  EXCURSIONS  :  THE  PYRAMIDS  : 


Sect.  II. 


dynasty.    The  question  as  to  who  was 
the  founder  of  this  pyramid  is  con- 
— ^TN   sidered   to  have 
W   jt^k     H   \  been    settled  by 
IjJLKJy  £°  discovery,  by 
~— Col.  H.  Vyse,  of  a 
wooden  mummy  case,   now  in  the 


British  Museum,  with  the  oval  of  King 
Menkera,  or  Menkeoora  (a),  the  Men- 


cheres  of  Manetho.  As,  however, 
there  is  evidence  of  its  having  been 
enlarged,  it  is  not  impossible  that  the 
addition  to  its  size  may  have  been 
made  by  Nitocris. 

The  dimensions  of  this  pyramid  are 
much  less  than  those  of  the  two 
others. 


Col.  H.  Vyse.  Sik  G.  Wilkinson. 

Former  base   364  ft.  6  in. 

Present  base   333  ft. 

Former  height   208  ft. 

Present  height   203  ft.                       203  ft.  1  in. 

Extent  of  area   2  ac.  3  rds.  21  ps. 

Angle  of  casing   51° 


The  casing  of  granite  mentioned  by 
all  writers,  still  covers  it  to  a  height 
of  36  ft.  9  in.  on  the  W.  side,  and  25 
ft.  10  in.  on  the  N.  From  the  colour  of 
the  granite,  this  pyramid  has  been 
called  by  Arab  writers  the  Eed  Pyramid. 
The  stones  of  the  casing  have  bevelled 
edges ;  a  style  of  masonry  common  in 
Syria,  Greece,  and  Eome ;  but  round 
the  entrance  their  surfaces  are  smooth, 
and  of  a  lower  level  than  the  rest,  as  if 
something  had  been  let  into  that  de- 
pressed part.  Here  perhaps  were  the 
hieroglyphics  containing  the  name  of 
Mycerinus,  mentioned  by  Diodorus. 

This  pyramid  shows  the  mode,  al- 
ready explained,  of  constructing  these 
monuments  (not  perceived  in  any  of 
the  other  two),  in  almost  perpendicular 
degrees  or  stories,  to  which  a  sloping 
face  has  been  afterwards  added.  For 
it  has  been  conjectured  by  Dr.  Lepsius 
and  Mr.  Wild,  and  doubtless  with  rea- 
son, that  all  the  pyramids  were  built  in 
this  manner,  and  that  the  statement  of 
Herodotus,  '<that  they  finished  them 
from  the  top,"  is  explained  by  their 
first  filling  up  the  triangular  spaces  of 
the  uppermost  degree.  It  is,  however, 
true  that  at  the  pyramids,  as  in  other 
Egyptian  buildings,  the  stones  were 
put  up  rough  and  afterwards  smoothed 
off  to  a  level  surface. 

With  the  exception  of  a  statement 
by  Edreesee  writing  in  1250  a.d.,  to 
the  effect  that  "  the  Red  Pyramid  had 
been  opened  a  few  years  before,"  no 
tradition  existed  of  any  attempt  to 
open  this  pyramid,  nor  was  there  any 
sign  of  an  entrance.    One  or  two  un- 


successful efforts  to  force  an  opening 
were  made  at  the  beginning  of  the 
century,  but  they  only  resulted  in 
making  a  hole  in  the  north  face  and 
throwing  down  numerous  stones,  which 
encumbered  the  spot  where  the  real  en- 
trance was.  The  right  entrance  was 
successfully  discovered  by  Caviglia, 
and  the  operations  begun  by  him  were 
concluded  by  Col.  H.  Vyse,  who  found 
that,  like  the  others,  this  pyramid  had 
been  already  opened  and  rifled.  The 
entrance  as  usual  is  on  the  north  side, 
about  13  ft.  from  the  base.  Thence 
a  passage  descends  at  an  angle  of  26° 
2'.  It  is  104  ft.  long,  28  of  which  are 
lined  with  granite.  At  the  end  is 
a  vestibule  with  sculptured  panels, 
beyond  which  are  granite  portcullises. 
A  horizontal  passage  now  leads  to  a 
chamber  46  ft.  long  and  12  broad, 
nearly  under  the  apex  of  tlie  pyramid. 
In  the  floor  is  a  depression,  perhaps 
meant  for  a  sarcophagus,  but  no  si»;ns 
of  one  was  found,  except  some  fragments 
of  granite.  From  this  chamber,  another 
passage,  entered  from  the  floor,  de- 
scends into  a  second  sepulchral  chamber 
hned  with  granite,  in  which  was  found 
a  basalt  sarcophagus,  without  inscrip- 
tions, but  sculptured  in  compartments. 
Its  broken  lid  was  found  in  the  inclined 
passage,  and  also  a  body,  now  in  the 
British  Museum;  the  mummy  case, 
mentioned  before,  was  found  in  the 
first  chamber.  The  sarcophagus  was 
got  out,  and  sent  to  England,  but  the 
vessel  carrying  it  foundered  at  sea. 
There  is  another  chamber  again  below 
this,  in  wdiich  are  niches,  meant  prob- 


Egypt 


SMALLEK  PYRAMIDS  ;  THE  SPHINX. 


193 


ably  for  the  reception  of  mummies,  i 
Eeturning  to  the  chamber  first  reached, 
another  passage  is  seen  near  the  top  of ! 
the  north  side,  which  leads  upwards 
towards  the  exterior,  but  ends  abruptly- 
after  about  50  ft.  It  is  conjectured 
that  this  was  the  entrance  passage  to 
the  original  pyramid;  but  that,  when 
the  pyramid  was  enlarged,  this  entrance 
whs  blocked  up  by  the  added  masonry, 
and  the  new  entrance  and  passage 
made  probably  from  within,  out- 
words. 

The  site  on  which  this  pyramid 
stands  has  been  made  level  by  raising 
on  the  eastern  side  a  substructure,  10 
ft.  in  height,  composed  of  two  tiers  of 
immense  blocks. 

As  in  the  case  of  the  Second  Pyra- 
mid, a  ruined  temple  (t)  stands  about 
40  ft.  from  the  E.  face  of  this  one,  in- 
tended for  the  worship  of  the  deified 
royal  occupant  of  the  tomb.  From  it 
leads  a  part  of  the  causeway  (l)  for 
bringing  stones  to  the  Third  Pyra- 
mid. 

Enclosing  this  group  of  monuments, 
and  the  3  small  pyramids  mentioned 
below,  is  an  enclosure  (w)  about  1200 
ft.  square,  formed  of  rough  stones 
heaped  on  each  other  in  the  form  of  a 
low  rude  wall.  Similar  heaps  of  stones 
occur  in  parallel  rows  to  the  northward 
of  it,  bounded  by  others  which  run 
parallel  to  the  western  face  of  the 
second  pyramid. 

h.  Other  Small  Pyramids. 

To  the  E.  of  the  Great  Pyramid  are 
3  small  ones,  built  in  degrees  or  stages. 
The  centre  one  (d)  is  stated  by  Hero- 
dotus to  have  been  erected  by  the 
daughter  of  Cheops,  of  whom  he  re- 
lates a  ridiculous  story,  only  surpassed 
in  improbability  by  another  he  tells 
of  the  daughter  of  Ehampsinitus.  It 
is  122  ft.  square,  which  is  less  than 
the  measurement  given  by  the  histor- 
ian of  1\  plethrum,  or  about  150  ft.: 
but  this  difference  may  be  accounted 
for  by  its  ruined  condition.  All  these 
have  descending  pas-ages  leading  to  a 
subterranean  chamber,  but  nothing  has 
ever  been  found  in  any  of  them. 

Three  somewhat  smaller  pyramids 


I  (t),  again,  stand  to  the  S.  of  the  Third 
Pyramid.  They  also  each  have  a  pas- 
!  sage  leading  to  a  chamber  ;  and  in  the 
centre  one  is  the  name  of  the  king 
Mencheres  (or  Mycerinus),  painted  on 
a  stone  in  the  roof  of  its  chamber,  the 
same  that  occurs  on  the  wooden  coffin 
of  the  Third  Pyramid.  The  roof  is  flat, 
and  above  it  is  a  space  or  entresol,  as 
in  the  great  pyramid,  to  protect  it  from 
the  pressure  of  the  upper  part  of  the 
building.  In  the  chamber  is  a  sarco- 
phagus of  granite,  without  hierogly- 
phics or  sculpture  of  any  kind.  The 
lid  had  been  forced  open  before  it  was 
found  by  Colonel  Vyse,  and  is  remark- 
able for  the  ingenious  contrivance  by 
which  it  was  fastened.  It  was  made 
to  slide  into  a  groove,  like  the  sliding 
lids  of  our  boxes ;  and  its  upper  rim 
(which  projected  on  all  sides  to  a  level 
with  the  four  outer  faces  of  the  sarco- 
phagus) was  furnished  with  a  small 
movable  pin,  that  fell  from  the  under 
part  of  it  into  a  corresponding  hole, 
and  thus  prevented  the  lid  being 
drawn  back. 

Of  the  remaining  two  pyramids,  one 
has  not  been  finished ;  but  in  the 
sepulchral  chamber  of  the  other  a 
sarcophagus  was  found  containing 
bones,  said  to  be  those  of  a  female. 

There  are  indications  of  the  exist- 
ence of  other  pyramidal  structures  in 
different  parts  of  the  Necropolis. 

i.  Hie  Spfiinx. — About  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  to  the'  S.E.  of  the  Great 
Pyramid  is  the  Sphinx,  the  most  re- 
markable object,  next  to  the  Pyramids, 
exhibited  on  the  Geezeh  platform.  No 
mention  is  made  of  the  Sphinx  by  any 
author  or  traveller  before  the  Eoman 
period;  a  fact  which,  as  will  be  seen, 
goes  to  prove  the  fallacy  of  attempting 
to  argue  the  non-existence  of  ancient 
monuments  at  the  time  any  account 
of  the  country  was  written,  from  the 
circumstance  of  no  mention  of  such 
monument  being  made  in  that  his- 
tory ;  just  as,  e.g.,  some  people  have 
asserted  that  the  Pyramids  could  not 
have  been  built  when  Abraham  or  the 
Israelites  were  in  Egypt,  because  no 
mention  of  them  is  made  in  the  Bible. 
Negative  testimony  is  of  little  value  in 
K 


194 


caieo:  excursions; 


Sect.  II. 


such  cases.  Pliny  gives  a  long  account 
of  the  Sphinx,  and  says  that  they 
supposed  it  in  his  time  to  he  the  tomb 
of  Amasis  of  the  XXVIth  dynasty. 
Till  quite  recently  most  Egyptologists 
were  inclined  to  recognise  in  it  the 
work  either  of  Thothmes  IV.  of  the 
XVIIIth  dynasty,  or  of  Chephren  the 
builder  of  the  Second  Pyramid,  but 
the  researches  of  M.  Mariette  have 
proved  it  to  be  of  even  greater 
antiquity  than  the  Pyramids.  In 
the  museum  at  Cairo  is  a  stone 
found  by  him  in  a  ruined  building 
at  the  foot  of  the  southernmost  of 
the  three  small  pyramids  close  to 
the  Great  Pyramid.  It  appears  to 
have  formed  part  of  a  wall.  Among 
the  inscriptions  with  which  it  is 
covered  are  the  following,  thus  ren- 
dered by  M.  Mariette :  "  The  liv- 
ing Horus,  the  .  .  .  .  ,  the  king  of 
Upper  and  Lower  Egypt,  Shoofoo, 
during  his  lifetime,  has  cleaned  out 
the  temple  of  Isis,  ruler  of  the  Pyra- 
mid, which  is  situated  at  the  spot 
where  is  the  Sphinx,  on  the  N.E.  side 
of  the  temple  of  Osiris,  Lord  of  Kosa- 
too.  He  has  built  his  Pyramid  where 
the  temple  of  this  goddess  is,  and  he  j 
has  also  built  the  Pyramid  of  the  prin- 
cess Heut-sen  where  this  temple  is. 
The  living  Horus,  the  .  .  .  .  ,  the 
king  of  Upper  and  Lower  Egypt,  J 
Shoofoo,  during  his  lifetime,,  has  paid 
this  honour  to  his  mother  Isis,  the 
divine  mother  Athor  having  ordered 
him  to  have  it  graven  on  a  stone. 
And  he  has  renewed  (the  foundation) 
of  the  divine  offerings,  and  has  built 
for  them  his  temple  in  stone,  and  a 
second  time  he  has  also  restored  the 
gods  (of  this  temple)  in  the  sanctuary." 
After  the  gods  referred  to  follow  re- . 
presentations  of  their  statues,  accom- 
panied by  descriptions  indicating  their 
size,  and  the  materials  of  which  they  i 
should  be  made.  Among  them  figures 
the  Sphinx,  followed  by  this  inscrip- 
tion, "The  place  of  the  Sphinx  of 
Hor-em-Khoo  is  to  the  south  of  the  j 
temple  of  Isis,  ruler  of  the  Pyramid, 
and  to  the  north  (of  the  temple),  of 
Osiris,  Lord  of  Kosatoo.  The  images  , 
of  the  god  of  Hor-em-Khoo  are  in  ac-  ; 


cordance  with  the  regulations."  In 
the  words  of  M.  Mariette,  "it  is  hardly 
necessary  to  dwell  upon  the  excep- 
tional importance  of  the  facts  which 
this  monument  of  the  Pyramids  re- 
veals to  us.  Whether  the  stone  be 
contemporaneous  with  Cheops  (a  fact 
which  may  be  doubtful),  or  whether  it 
belongs  to  a  later  epoch,  it  is  none  the 
less  certain  that  Cheops  restored  a 
temple  already  existing,  secured  to  it 
the  revenues  arising  from  the  sacred 
offerings,  and  renewed  the  statues  of 
gold,  silver,  bronze,  and  wood  which 
adorned  the  sanctuary.  This  shows 
us  to  what  a  degree  of  splendour 
Egyptian  civilisation,  even  at  that 
very  remote  age,  had  already  at- 
tained." And,  moreover,  it  proves,  as 
he  adds,  that  "  the  Sphinx  is  anterior 
to  Cheops,  since  it  figures  on  one  of 
the  monuments  which  he  restored." 

As  now  seen,  only  the  head, 
shoulders,  and  back  of  the  Sphinx  are 
visible,  the  rest  is  buried  in  sand ; 
but  early  in  the  century  excavations 
made  by  Caviglia  revealed  the  com- 
plete form  and  arrangement  of  this 
remarkable  monument,  and  proved 
the  correctness  of  Pliny's  description, 
and  of  the  dimensions  given  by  him. 
Commencing  from  the  edge  of  the 
rock,  where  it  overhangs  the  plain,  a 
sloping  descent,  135  ft.  long,  cut  in 
the  rock,  led  to  a  flight  of  thirteen 
steps,  below  which  was  a  platform. 
Here  were  found  the  remains  of  two 
buildings,  one  apparently,  from  the 
inscription,  erected  in  the  reign  of 
Septimius  Severus,  the  name  of  Geta 
being  erased  as  on  the  triumphal  arch 
at  Eome.  From  this  platform  another 
flight  of  thirty  steps  led  to  a  paved 
dromos  inclosed  within  the  paws  of 
the  Sphinx.  "  This  gradual  approach, 
during  which  the  figure  of  the  Sphinx 
was  kept  constantly  in  the  spectator's 
view,  rising  above  him  as  he  de- 
scended, was  well  adapted  to  heighten 
the  impression  made  by  its  colossal 
size,  its  posture  of  repose,  and  calm 
majestic  expression  of  countenance." — 
Kenrick.  The  clearing  away  of 
the  sand  from  this  approach  was  a 
most  difficult  and  tedious  operation, 


Egypt- 


THE  SPHINX. 


and  as  it  accumulates  again  in  a  very- 
short  time,  every  successive  attempt 
to  clear  the  space  again  requires  the 
same  labour  to  be  repeated.  This 
accumulation  of  sand  was  in  former 
times  prevented  by  crude  brick-walls, 
remains  of  which  are  still  visible ;  and 
it  is  probably  to  them  that  the  inscrip- 
tion set  up  there  in  tbe  time  of  "  An- 
toninus and  Verus  "  alludes,  in  notic- 
ing the  restoration  of  tbe  walls. 

An  altar,  three  tablets,  a  lion,  and 
some  fragments  were  discovered  in  the 
space  between  the  paws ;  but  no  en- 
trance could  be  found  in  that  part, 
and  it  is  probable  that  the  interior  is 
of  solid  rock.  The  altar  stands  be- 
tween the  two  paws ;  and  shows,  from 
its  position,  that  sacrifices  were  per- 
formed before  the  sphinx,  and  that 
processions  took  place  along  the  sacred 
area,  which  extended  between  the 
forelegs  to  the  breast,  where  a  sort  of 
sanctuary  stood,  composed  of  three 
tablets.  One  of  these,  of  granite,  at- 
tached to  the  breast,  formed  the  end 
of  the  sanctuary ;  and  two  others,  one 
on  the  rt.,  and  the  other  on  the  1.,  of 
limestone,  formed  the  two  sides.  The 
last  have  been  both  removed.  At  the 
entrance  of  the  sanctuary  two  low 
jambs  projected,  to  form  a  doorway, 
in  the  aperture  of  which  was  a  crouched 
lion,  looking  towards  the  sphinx  and 
the  central  tablet.  It  is  supposed  that 
the  fragments  of  other  lions  found 
near  this  spot  indicated  their  position 
on  either  side  of  the  doorway,  and 
others  seem  to  have  stood  on  similar 
jambs  near  the  altar.  On  the  granite 
tablet  King  Thothmes  IV.  is  repre- 
sented offering  on  one  side  incense, 
on  the  other  a  libation  to  the  figure  of 
a  sphinx,  the  representative,  no  doubt, 
of  the  colossal  one  above,  with  the 
beard  and  other  attributes  of  a  god. 

The  title  given  to  the  sphinx  is  Hor- 

\em-Khoo  (a)  ("  the  Sun  in 
his  resting-place "),  from 
which  no  doubt  he  was 
styled  "  the  Sun,  Arma- 
_  cMs"  in  the  Greek  inscrip- 
€  tion   of   Balbillus.  Like 

g»v  other  deities,  he  is  said  to 
feSraM  grant  "power"  and  "  pure 
^^^m    life  "  to  the  king ;  and  there 


is  no  doubt  that,  as  Pliny  observes, 
this  sphinx  had  the  character  of  a  local 
deity,  and  was  treated  with  divine 
honours  by  the  priests,  and  by  strangers 
who  visited  the  spot.  The  side  tablets 
have  similar  representations  of  Ba- 
rneses the  Great  offering  to  the  same 
deity.  On  a  fractured  part  of  the 
granite  tablet  is  the  oval  of  Chephren, 
the  founder  of  the  Second  Pyramid. 
The  deification  of  the  sphinx  is  sin- 
gular, because  that  fanciful  animal  is 
always  found  to  be  an  emblematical 
representation  of  the  king,  the  union 
of  intellect  and  physical  force ;  and  is 
of  common  occurrence  in  that  cha- 
racter on  the  monuments  of  early  and 
later  Pharaonic  periods. 

The  front  paws,  which  are  50  feet 
in  length,  are  cased  with  hewn  stone. 
Upon  them  are  cut  some  Greek  ex- 
votos,  or  dedicatory  inscriptions,  one 
of  which,  restored  by  Dr.  Young,  ran 
as  follows  : — 

"Zov  Sejuas  e<iray\ov  rev^av  6eoi  aiev  eoi/res 

Ei?  fueaov  evOvvavTes  apoupcucno  Tpa7re^>]?, 

Nrjcrov  7reTpa(.T/s  ^lapp-ov  aTriacrap-evoL- 
TetToi^a  TTvpafjuSdiv  roi-qv  Oecrav  eicropaacrOai , 
Ov  TTjv  OiSmoBao  fiporoKTOvov,  w;  e7U  ©rjjScus, 

T77  Se  6ea  Atjtoi  npoanokov  ayvoranqv, 
(Eu  p.aA.a)TV7povcrai/  TrewoGrifxevou  ecrOkov  ava/cra, 
Tatrjs  AiyvnTLOio  o~ej3acrpLiov  r\yy]Tt]pa., 
Ovpaviov  p.eyav  avroixeSovra  (Qeoicriv  op.aip.ov~), 
EifceAoi/  H^aio-TO),  p,eyakr)Topa  (Ovp-okeovra), 
(AAxip.oi'  ev  Trokepup  /cat  epa.crp.iov  ev  nokLrjTai^) 
Taiav  aOvpoocrOat  (nacrais  6aX.ia.LCTi  KekovTa)- 
Appiavos. 

The  same  scholar  has  thus  rendered 
it  into  English  verse ; — 

"  Thy  form  stupendous  here  the  gods  have 
placed, 

Sparing  each  spot  of  harvest-bearing  land  ; 
And  with  this  mighty  work  of  art  bave  graced 

A  rocky  isle,  encumbered  once  with  sand ; 

And  near  the  pyramids  have  bid  thee  stand : 
Not  that  fierce  sphinx  that  Thebes  erewhile  laid 
■waste, 

But  great  Latona's  servant,  mild  and  bland  ; 
Watching  that  prince  beloved  who  fills  the 
throne 

Of  Egypt's  plains,  and  calls  the  Nile  his  own. 
That  heavenly  monarch  (who  his  foes  defies), 
Like  Vulcan  powerful  (and  like  Pallas  wise)." 

Arrian. 

The  inscription  is  remarkable  from  its 
allusion  to  the  isolated  position  of  this 
monument  of  rock,  and  the  notion  of 
the  Egyptians  sparing  the  cultivable 
land,  of  which  many  instances  occur 
k  2 


196 


CAIRO  :  EXCURSIONS  ; 


Sect.  II. 


in  the  foundation  of  towns  on  the 
edge  of  the  desert. 

We  now  come  to  that  part  of  the 
sphinx  which  is  generally  visible  to 
the  traveller,  its  head  and  body.  The 
body  is  140  ft.  long,  and  is  formed  of 
the  uncut  natural  rock,  with  pieces 
of  badly  worked  sandstone  masonry 
added  here  and  there  in  order  to  make 
it  the  required  shape.  The  head  is 
cut  out  of  the  solid  rock,  and  mea- 
sures nearly  30  feet  from  the  top  of 
the  forehead  to  the  bottom  of  the 
chin,  and  about  14  ft.  across.  It  was 
formerly  covered  with  a  cap,  probably 
the  pshent,  terminating  in  an  asp  erect, 
as  seen  in  the  figures  of  the  sphinx  on 
the  tablets  above  mentioned..  The 
wig  still  hangs,  a  huge  mass  of  stone, 
on  either  side  the  head.  Originally 
it  had  a  beard,  fragments  of  which  were 
found  in  the  area  below.  It  is  hardly 
necessary  to  say  that  the  idea  of  the 
sphinx  in  the  abstract  as  a  female  be- 
longs to  Greek  mythology.  Traces  of 
the  red  colour,  mentioned  by  Pliny 
"rubrica  facies  monstri  colitur,'*  may 
still  be  seen  on  the  right  cheek,  and 
the  same  colour  was  found  on  the 
lions,  and  in  the  fragments  of  the 
small  sphinx  found  in  the  area.  We 
may  agree  with  "  Eothen "  that, 
"Comely  the  creature  is,  but  the 
comeliness  is  not  of  this  world:  the 
once  worshipped  beast  is  a  deformity 
and  a  monster  to  this  generation,  and 
yet  you  can  see  that  those  lips  so  thick 
and  heavy,  Were  fashioned  according 
to  some  ancient  mould  of  beauty." 
As  Dean  Stanley  says,  "  there  is  some- 
thing stupendous  in  the  sight  of  that 
enormous  head ; "  and  we  may  well 
wonder  with  him  "what  it  must  have 
been  when  on  its  head  there  was  the 
royal  helmet  of  Egypt;  on  its  chin 
the  royal  beard ;  when  the  stone  pave- 
ment by  which  men  approached  the 
Pyramids,  ran  up  between  its  paws ; 
when  immediately  under  its  heart  an 
altar  stood,  from  which  the  smoke  went 
up  into  the  gigantic  nostrils  of  that 
nose,  now  vanished  from  the  face, 
never  to  be  conceived  again ! "  The 
mutilated  state  of  the  face  renders  it 
impossible  to  trace  the  outline  of  the 
features  with  any  accuracy,  and  the 


traveller  must  draw  upon  his  fancy 
and  imagination,  to  decide  whether 
they  are  cast  in  a  Negro,  Nubian, 
or  Egyptian  mould,  whether  they  be 
sublimely  beautiful  or  sweetly  smiling, 
calmly  benevolent  or  awe  inspiring, 
typical  of  solemn  majesty  or  debased 
idolatry  ;  quot  homines,  tot  seiitentise. 

Old  Arab  writers  speak  of  it  as  a 
talisman  to  keep  the  sand  away  from 
the  cultivated  ground ;  and  tradition 
at  one  time  says  that  it  was  mutilated 
by  a  fanatic  sheykh  in  the  14th  centy., 
and  that  since  then  the  sand  had 
made  great  encroachments.  Certainly 
in  Abd-el-Lfiteef  s  time  it  appears 
not  to  have  been  disfigured,  as  he 
speaks  of  the  face  as  "  very  beauti- 
ful," and  of  the  mouth  as  "  graceful 
and  lovely,  and,  as  it  wTere,  smiling 
graciously ; "  and  adds  that  the  red 
colour  was  quite  bright  and  fresh.  By 
the  Arabs  of  the  present  day  it  is 
known  as  Aboo-el-hOl  (the  Father  of 
Terror). 

Whatever  the  object  and  origin  of 
the  sphinx  "  its  situation  and  signifi- 
cance are  worthy  of  its  grandeur ;  " 
and,  "if  it  was  the  giant  representa- 
tive of  Eoyalty,  then  it  fitly  guards 
the  greatest  of  Koyal  sepulchres  ;  and, 
with  its  half-human,  half-animal  form, 
is  the  best  welcome,  and  the  best  fare- 
well to  the  history  and  religion  of 
Egypt."— A.  P.  Stanley. 

A  short  distance  to  the  S.E.  of  the 
sphinx  is  the  building  (/)  already 
mentioned  as  having  yielded  the  statue 
of  Chephren  in  the  Cairo  Museum. 
According  to  M.  Mariette  it  served  as 
a  temple  of  the  divinity  Hor-em-Khoo 
( Armachis )  worshipped  under  the 
form  of  the  sphinx.  It  is  lined  with 
granite  and  alabaster.  The  statue 
with  some  other  smaller  ones  was 
found  at  the  bottom  of  a  water-well, 
down  which  at  some  unknown  epoch 
they  had  been  thrown. 

(k)  Tombs.  The  pyramid  platform  of 
Geezeh  was,  as  has  been  already  men- 
tioned, one  of  the  cemeteries  of  Mem- 
phis, and,  as  such,  abounds  in  tombs 
belonging  to  various  epochs ;  but  the 
greater  number,  and  those  to  which 
the  greatest  interest  attaches,  belong  to 


Egypt. 


TOMBS. 


197 


the  Old  Empire,  i.  e.  the  period  extend- 
ing from  the  1st  to  the  Xlth  dynasties.  | 
A  more  favourable  opportunity  of  enter-  j 
ing  into  a  detailed  account  of  the 
mode  of  construction  and  arrangement 
usual  in  the  building  of  the  Egyp-  j 
tian  tombs  will  occur  in  describing  I 
those  at  Sakkarah.    It  will  be  suffi- 
cient  here  to  indicate  briefly  that  they  j 
consist  generally  of  three  parts :  1,  an  : 
exterior  temple  or  chapel,  containing  [ 
one  or  more  chambers  always  accessible 
by  means  of  doors  opening  at  will ; 
2,  a  vertical  well  leadiug  from  one  of ! 
these  chambers,  or  from  some  concealed  ; 
corner  of  the  chapel  to ;  3,  a  sepulchral 
chamber,  in  which  was  buried  the 
mummy :  the  lower  part  of  the  well, 
and  the  whole  of  the  sepulchral  cham- 
ber being  cut  out  of  the  solid  rock. 
Sometimes  the  exterior  temple  was  a 
constructed  monument  on  the  plain; 
sometimes  it  was  hollowed  out  of  the 
side  of  the  Mil.    Specimens  of  both 
kinds  occur  at  the  Pyramids. 

Under  the  Old  Empire  the  usual 
form  of  a  constructed  exterior  temple 
was  pyramidal.  "  They  have,"  says 
M.  Mariette.  "  the  form  of  a  mastabah, 
a  sort  of  truncated  pyramid,  covering 
like  a  massive  lid  the  well,  at  the 
bottom  of  which  reposes  the  mummy." 
The  entrance  is  nearly  always  on  the 
E.  side.  The  chambers  contained  within 
these  external  temples  were  intended 
for  the  performance  of  certain  funereal 
ceremonies  in  honour  of  the  dead  by 
priests  attached  to  the  cemeteries,  and 
on  certain  anniversaries  the  relations 
of  the  deceased  came  and  assisted  at 
the  functions.  A  list  of  these  anni- 
versaries, and  of  the  funereal  offerings 
proper  to  each,  accompanied  by  a 
prayer,  is  generally  found  on  the  lintel 
of  the  outer  doorway.  The  walls  of 
the  interior  chambers  are  covered  with 
representations  of  the  scenes  and  oc- 
cupations amidst  which  the  life  of  the 
deceased  person  was  passed.  At  a 
later  period  of  Egyptian  history  these 
pictures  of  domestic  life  were  super- 
seded by  mysterious  religious  em- 
blems. 

The  well,  which  forms  the  second 
part  of  the  tomb,  is  a  square  or  rect- 
angular pit  varying  in  depth  from  a 


few  feet  to  30  or  40  yards,  lined  with 
masonry  in  the  upper  part,  where  it 
passes  through  the  sand,  and  then 
simply  hollowed  out  of  the  rock.  It 
was  rilled  with  stones,  earth,  and  sand 
moistened  so  as  to  form  a  kind  of 
cement.  At  the  bottom  of  the  well 
on  one  side  was  a  built-up  wall,  and 
through  this  lay  the  entry  to  the  se- 
pulchral chamber. 

In  the  centre  of  this  sepulchral 
chamber  hollowed  out  of  the  rock, 
was  the  sarcophagus  of  basalt,  granite, 
or  limestone,  in  which  lay  the  wooden 
coffin,  shaped  and  painted  so  as  to  re- 
semble the  mummied  body  contained 
within  it. 

That  part  of  a  tomb  which,  as  being 
the  most  easy  of  access,  and  the  most 
generally  interesting,  chiefly  attracts 
the  notice  of  the  traveller,  are  the 
chambers  of  the  exterior  chapel,  exhi- 
biting pictures  of  the  domestic  life  or 
the  religious  belief  of  the  old  Egyp- 
tians. No  very  good  specimens  of 
these,  however,  are  to  be  seen  on  the 
pyramid  platform.  Sakkarah,  Beni 
Hassan,  and  Thebes  offer  the  best 
examples  of  this  part  of  a  mausoleum. 

Two  or  three  good  examples  of  the 
form  of  external  covering  which  has 
been  called  a  mastabah  are  seen  to  the 
E.  of  the  Great  Pyramid. 

In  the  eastern  face  of  the  platform 
(a)  are  tombs  containing  sculpture, 
and  the  names  of  Shoofoo  Cheops) 
and  other  ancient  kings.  One  of  them 
(I),  a  little  below  the  line  of  the  rocks, 
and  nearly  in  a  line  with  the  S.E. 
angle  of  the  great  pyramid,  contains  a 
curious  and  satisfactory  specimen  of 
the  Egyptian  numbers,  from  units  to 
thousands,  prefixed  to  goats,  cattle, 
and  asses,  which  are  brought  before 
the  scribes  to  be  registered  as  part  of 
the  possessions  of  the  deceased. 

There  are  several  tombs  in  the  per- 
pendicular face  of  the  lower  rock  be- 
hind the  sphinx,  and  a  short  distance 
behind  this  rock  is  a  tomb  called 
"  Campbell's  Tomb,"  (u)  after  the  Con- 
sul General  in  Egypt  at  the  time  of  its 
discovery  by  Col.  H.  Vyse.  The  upper 
part  of  it  is  completely  gone,  but  it 
offers  a  good  example  of  the  well  or 
pit  which  forms  the  second  part  of  a 


198 


CAIRO  :  EXCURSIONS  ;  THE  CAUSEWAYS  ; 


Sect.  II. 


tomb.  It  is  cut  in  the  rock  to  a  depth 
of  53  ft.  6  in.  In  the  high  rock,  be- 
tween this  and  the  Great  Pyramid  are 
several  pits  where  sarcophagi  were 
found ;  and  in  one  of  them  was  dis- 
covered a  gold  ring  bearing  the  name 
of  Shoofoo.  In  a  tomb  to  the  S.E.  of 
the  great  pyramid  occurs  the  oval 
bearing  the  name  of  Seneferoo  (a),  pro- 
-  bably  the  king  who  preceded 
^T*"'  Shoofoo. 

\(  To  the  S.E.  of  the  second  py- 
ramid are  some  tombs  (ra,  n), 
with  the  ovals  of  Shafra 
(  Chephren )  and  Menkera 
(Mycerinus ) ;  and  there  are 
A  "Ho  some  other  smaller  ones  with 
V  I  sculptures  and  hierogly  - 
phies.  In  the  scarp  of  the 
rock  to  the  W.  of  the  Second 
Pyramid  are  a  dozen  tombs 
one  of  which  (the  6th  from 
the  S.)  the  ceiling  is  remarkable,  the 
stone  being  cut  in  imitation  of  palm- 
tree  beams,  reaching  from  wall  to  wall. 
Another  instance  of  this  occurs  at  a 
tomb  of  about  the  same  date,  at  Kaai- 
neh  in  Upper  Egypt.  This  shows  that 
the  houses  of  the  Egyptians  (when  the 
arch  was  not  preferred)  were  sometimes 
so  roofed,  as  at  the  present  day :  the 
only  difference  being,  that  the  beams 
were  close  together,  while  in  modern 
houses  they  are  at  some  distance  from 
each  other,  with  planks  or  layers  of 
palm-branches,  and  mats  across  them. 
And  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that 
the  latter  mode  of  placing  the  beams 
was  also  adopted  by  the  ancient  Egyp- 
tians. This  tomb  is  the  third  from  the 
line  of  the  S.W.  angle  of  the  pyramid, 
going  northwards  along  the  face  of  the 
rock. 

To  the  W.  of  the  Great  Pyramid 
are  a  number  of  tombs  (H) ;  and  in 
one  of  them,  near  the  extremity,  are 
some  interesting  sculptures.  Trades, 
boats,  a  repast,  agricultural  scenes,  the 
farm,  the  wine-press,  and  other  sub- 
jects are  there  represented ;  and  it  is 
"worthy  of  remark  that  the  butchers 
slaughtering  an  ox  sharpen  their  red 
knives  on  a  blue  rod,  which  would 
seem  to  indicate  the  use  of  steel  at 
this  early  period.  In  the  sculptures 
columns  with  the  full-blown  lotus 


=>1 


capital  are  represented,  and  the  man 
of  the  tomb  seated  in  an  armed  chair 
of  very  early  form  on  a  figured  mat, 
very  like  those  now  made  in  the  Delta. 
Beneath  his  chair  is  a  favourite  dog. 
The  long  passage  in  this  tomb  has  the 
roof  made  in  imitation  of  an  arch,  the 
tympanum  at  the  end  being  a  single 
block.     The  names  of  Shoofoo  and 
another  Pharaoh  (&)  (perhaps  Aseskef, 
successor  of  Menkera)  occur 
in  the  sculptures ;  and  in  the 
next  tomb  to  the  S.  are  the 
names  of  Suphis  and  other 
old  kings;  Aimai,  the  pos- 
sessor of  the  tomb,  having 
been  director  of  the  temple 
of  Suphis  (Shoofoo).  Three 
names  of  early  kings  occur  ^^H^m 
in  the  tomb  adjoining  that  of 
Trades  to  the  N. 

These  tombs,  like  those  to  the  E.  of 
the  Great  Pyramid,  afford  good  ex- 
amples of  the  constructed  external 
covering,  to  which  the  name  of  mas- 
tabah  has  been  given.  Some  of  them 
are  of  considerable  size,  though  no 
great  height,  and  they  are  all  built 
with  their  sides  inclining  inwards 
towards  the  top  at  an  angle  of  77°, 
thus  producing  the  appearance  of  a 
truncated  pyramid  as  mentioned  above. 
The  mouth  of  the  well,  or  pit,  may  be 
noticed  in  nearly  all. 

I.  The  Causeicays.  Herodotus,  as 
we  have  seen,  speaks  of  the  great  labour 
involved  in  bringing  the  finer  part  of 
the  stone  of  which  the  pyramids  were 
constructed  from  the  Arabian  hills  on 
the  other  side  of  the  river,  and  says 
that  it  took  10  years  to  make  the 
causeway,  along  which  those  for  the 
Great  Pyramid  were  transported.  This 
causeway  he  describes  as  5  stadia 
(3000  ft.)  long,  10  orgyes  (60  ft.  wide), 
and  8  orgyes  (48  ft.  high).  Kemains 
of  it  still  exist  (Z) ;  but  it  can  only  be 
traced  for  about  1400  ft.,  the  rest  being 
buried  in  the  alluvial  soil  gradually 
deposited  by  the  inundations.  Its  pre- 
sent breadth  too,  is  only  32  ft.,  the 
outer  face  having  fallen,  and  there 
being  no  signs  of  the  "  polished  stones 
adorned  with  the  figures  of  animals" 
(hieroglyphics);  spoken  of  by  Hero- 


Egypt 


THE  P  YE  AMID  OF  ABOOROASH. 


199 


dotus.  But  its  height  of  85  ft.  exceeds 
that  given  by  the  historian,  and  as  it 
naturally  reached  to  the  height  of  the 
rocky  platform  which  Herodotus  cor- 
rectly places  at  100  ft.  above  the  plain, 
it  is  evident  that  he  or  his  copyist 
committed  an  oversight  in  giving  48 
ft.  as  the  height.  It  was  repaired  by 
the  caliphs  and  Memlook  kings,  who 
made  use  of  the  same  causeway  to 
carry  back  to  the  "  Arabian  shore " 
those  blocks  that  had  before  cost  so 
much  time  and  labour  to  transport 
from  its  mountains ;  and  several  of 
the  finest  buildings  of  the  capital  were 
constructed  with  the  stones  of  the 
quarried  pyramid. 

There  does  not  appear  to  have  been 
any  causeway  exclusively  belonging  to 
the  Second  Pyramid,  unless  we  sup- 
pose it  to  have  been  taken  away  when 
no  longer  required,  and  the  stones  used 
for  other  purposes ;  and  were  it  not 
for  the  presence  of  the  causeway  of  the 
Third  Pyramid,  we  might  attribute 
the  northern  one  to  the  caliphs,  and 
thus  explain  the  statement  of  Diodorus, 
who  says,  that,  owing  to  the  sandy 
base  on  which  it  was  built,  it  had 
entirely  disappeared  in  his  time.  But 
he  is  speaking  of  the  mounds  which 
he  supposed  to  have  been  erected  on 
the  platform  itself,  as  vast  inclined 
planes  to  raise  the  stones  to  the  upper 
course  of  the  pyramids.  And,  more- 
over, the  causeway  which  leads  to  the 
Third  Pyramid  is  certainly  of  Egyp- 
tian, and  not  Arab  workmanship.  Re- 
mains  of  this  causeway  still  exist  (Y 
and  Z),  and  that  part  of  it  remaining 
on  the  plain  (Y)  has  an  opening  (i)  in 
the  centre  for  the  passage  of  persons 
travelling  by  the  edge  of  the  desert 
during  the  high  Nile. 

A  short  distance  to  the  N.  of  this 
causeway  are  a  well  with  some  palms, 
and  a  big  sycamore-fig  tree  (X).  For 
those  who  wish  to  remain  for  any  time 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  pyramids, 
this  spot  affords  a  very  good  camping- 
ground. 

Few  persons  probably  will  be  con- 
tent with  a  single  visit  to  the  Pyra- 
mids ;  and  all  would  wish  to  fill  in  for 
themselves  the  picture  thus  graphically 
suggested :  "  It  is  only  by  going  round 


the  whole  place  in  detail  that  the  con- 
trast between  its  present  and  its  ancient 
state  is  disclosed.  One  is  inclined  to 
imagine  that  the  Pyramids  are  immu- 
table, and  that  such  as  you  see  them 
now  such  they  were  always.  Of  distant 
views  this  is  true;  but  taking  them 
near  at  hand,  it  is  more  easy  from  the 
existing  ruins  to  conceive  Karnac  as  it 
was,  than  it  is  to  conceive  the  Pyra- 
midal platform  as  it  was.  The  smooth 
casing  of  part  of  the  top  of  the  Second 
Pyramid,  and  the  magnificent  granite 
blocks  which  form  the  lower  stages  of 
the  third  serve  to  show  what  they  must 
have  been  all,  from  top  to  bottom ;  the 
first  and  second,  brilliant  white  or 
yellow  limestone,  smooth  from  top  to 
bottom,  instead  of  those  rude  disjointed 
masses  which  their  stripped  sides  now 
present,  the  third,  all  glowing  with 
the  red  granite  from  the  First  Cataract. 
As  it  is,  they  have  the  barbarous  look 
of  Stonehenge;  but  then  they  must 
have  shone  with  the  polish  of  an  age 
already  rich  with  civilization,  and  that 
the  more  remarkable  when  it  is  re- 
membered that  these  granite  blocks 
which  furnished  the  outside  of  the 
third  and  inside  of  the  first,  must 
have  come  all  the  way  from  the  First 
Cataract.  It  also  seems  from  Herodotus 
and  others,  that  these  smooth  outsides 
were  covered  with  sculptures.  Then 
you  must  build  up  or  uncover  the 
massive  tombs,  now  broken  or  choked 
with  sand,  so  as  to  restore  the  as- 
pect of  vast  streets  of  tombs,  like 
those  on  the  Appian  Way,  out  of 
which  the  Great  Pyramid  would 
rise  like  a  cathedral  above  smaller 
churches.  Lastly,  you  must  enclose 
the  two  other  Pyramids  with  stone 
precincts  and  gigantic  gateways,  and 
above  all  you  must  restore  the  Sphinx 
as  he  was  in  the  days  of  his  glory." — 
A.  P.  Stanley. 

m.  The  Pyramid  of  Abooroash.  Few 
will  care  to  extend  the  excursion  to 
Abooroash,  about  5  m.  to  the  N.  of  the 
Geezeh  platform ;  though,  if  encamped 
at  the  latter  place,  a  walk  or  ride  to 
the  pyramid  of  Abooroash  might  be 
combined  with  a  look  for  an  hyaena  in 
the  "Red  Mountain"  in  its  vicinity, 


200 


CAIKO  I  EXCURSIONS  ;  PYRAMIDS  OF  ABOOSEER ;     Sect.  TT. 


where  these  animals  are  often  found 
by  the  Arabs. 

About  one-third  of  the  way  are  seen 
inland  to  the  right,  two  stone  bridges 
of  several  arches,  with  inscriptions 
shewing  that  they  were  built  by  the 
Sultans  Naser  Mohammed  and  El 
Ashraf  respectively,  and  the  dates  of 
their  erection  and  repair.  A  little 
further  on,  on  the  edge  of  the  desert, 
are  the  remains  of  an  old  village,  now 
a  heap  of  pottery  and  bricks. 

The  pyramid  stands  on  a  range  of 
hills  that  skirt  the  desert  behind 
Kerdasseh,  and  forms  the  southern 
side  of  a  large  valley,  a  branch  of  the 
Bahr-el-Fargh.  From  the  decomposed 
condition  of  the  stone,  it  has  the  ap- 
pearance of  greater  age  than  the  pyra- 
mids of  Geezeh.  Only  5  or  6  courses 
of  the  stone  remain,  and  it  contains 
nothing  but  an  underground  chamber 
to  which  a  broad  inclined  passage 
160  ft.  long,  descends  at  an  angle  of 
22°  35'  on  the  north  side.  According 
to  the  measurements  given  by  Colonel 
Vyse,  the  base  of  the  pyramid  was 
320  ft.  square,  and  the  chamber  40  ft. 
by  15  ft.,  with  smaller  apartments 
over  it,  as  in  the  great  pyramid  of 
Geezeh. 

Near  the  pyramid,  to  the  westward, 
is  another  stone  ruin ;  and  a  causeway 
30  ft.  broad  leads  up  to  the  height  on 
which  they  both  stand,  from  the  north- 
ward ;  the  length  of  which  is  said  by 
Colonel  Howard  Yyse  to  be  4950  ft. 
A  great  quantity  of  granite  is  scattered 
around  the  pyramid,  mostly  broken 
into  small  fragments,  with  which  (if 
ever  finished)  it  was  probably  once 
cased.  From  the  hill  is  a  fine  view 
over  the  valley  of  the  Nile ;  and  being 
much  higher  than  that  of  the  Pyramids 
of  Geezeh,  it  commands  them,  and  has 
the  advantage  of  showing  them  in 
an  interesting  position,  with  those  of 
Aboose'er,  Sakkarah,  and  Dashoor  in 
the  distance.  This  view  is  also  remark- 
able from  its  explaining  the  expression 
11  peninsula,  on  which  the  Pyramids 
stand,"  used  to  denote  the  isolated 
position  of  the  hill.  It  is  the  same 
that  Pliny  applies  to  the  isolated  rocky 
district  about  Syene. 

At  the  eastern  extremity  of  the  hills 


of  Abooroash  are  some  massive  crude 
brick  walls,  and  the  ruins  of  an  ancient 
village,  with  a  few  uninteresting  tombs 
in  the  rock ;  and  in  the  sandy  plain  to 
the  S.  of  them  is  the  tomb  of  the  sheykh 
who  has  given  his  name,  Abooroash,  to 
the  ruined  pyramid. 

n.  The  Pyramids  o/Abooseer.  These 
pyramids,  like  the  one  just  described, 
offer  no  inducement  to  the  traveller  to 
go  out  of  his  way  to  see  them;  but  if  he 
should  be  including  Geezeh  and  Sak- 
karah in  one  excursion  (see  Exc.  vii.,  a) 
they  will  not  lie  far  out  of  his  course 
in  riding  between  the  two  places. 
The  road,  which  lies  along  the  edge 
of  the  desert,  affords  a  constant  suc- 
cession of  beautiful  points  of  view 
across  the  rich  plain  to  the  Nile,  ever 
changing  in  hue  and  outline  at  dif- 
ferent periods  of  the  day. 

The  pyramid  first  reached  is  an 
isolated  one  about  f  of  a  mile  N.  of 
the  central  group.  It  is  123  ft.  4  in. 
square.  On  one  of  the  blocks  is  the 
name  of  one  of  the  early 
Pharaohs  (Raen-oo-ser  of  the 
Vth  dynasty  perhaps).  In  the 
plain  below  are  the  remains 
of  a  stone  building,  appa- 
rently a  temple,  connected 
with  the  pyramid  by  a  cause- 
way ;  and  about  halfway  be- 
tween this  and  the  pyramids  of  Aboo- 
se'er are  other  vestiges  of  masonry, 
now  a  heap  of  broken  fragments  of 
white  stone. 

The  pyramids  of  Abooseer  are  four 
in  number.  The  largest  measured 
originally,  according  to  Colonel  Vyse, 
359  ft.  9  in.  square,  and  227  ft.  10 
in.  high,  now  reduced  to  325  ft.  and 
164  ft.  The  northernmost  one  is  sur- 
rounded by  an  enclosure  137  paces 
square ;  the  pyramid  itself  being  about 
213  ft.  square,  or  216  according  to 
Colonel  Vvse,  having  been  originally 
257  ft. ;  and  its  height  of  162  ft.  9  in. 
is  now  reduced  to  118.  They  are  all 
in  a  dilapidated  state,  and  seem  to 
have  been  loosely  built ;  but  the  sepul- 
chral chambers  have  been  constructed 
with  great  care,  and  have  blocks  in 
the  roof  larger  than  any  in  the  pyra- 
mids of  Geezeh ;  there  being  some 


MAM 


Egypt- 


SAKKARAH. 


201 


from  35  ft.  to  50  ft.  long,  and  12  ft. 
thick.  Fifty  paces  to  the  E.  of  the 
northernmost  pyramid  is  a  temple,  and 
a  causeway  leading  from  it  to  the 
plain ;  and  some  distance  to  the  S.  of 
this  is  another  causeway  leading  to 
the  central  pyramid,  at  the  side  of 
which  lie  fragments  of  black  stone 
that  once  paved  it. 

Besides  the  pyramids  are  8  or  9 
other  stone  ruins,  one  of  which,  to  the 
S.W.  of  the  large  pyramid,  is  78  paces 
by  80,  with  an  entrance  on  the  N.  It 
has  perpendicular  sides,  and  some  of 
the  stones  measure  nearly  17  ft.  in 
length. 

The  village  of  Abooseer,  from  which 
these  pyramids  are  named,  is  1  m. 
further  S.,  and  about  7  m.  distant 
from  the  Geezeh  platform.  It  has 
the  mounds  of  an  ancient  town,  but 
though  it  may  have  succeeded,  to 
the  name,  it  can  hardly  occupy  the 
site  of  the  ancient  village  of  Busiris, 
which  must  have  stood  much  nearer 
the  Geezeh  pyramids  ;  for  we  read  in 
Pliny  and  other  ancient  writers,  that 
the  inhabitants  of  Busiris  used  to 
climb  the  pyramids  for  the  amuse- 
ment of  visitors,  much  in  the  same 
way  no  doubt  as  the  Arabs  of  the 
neighbouring  village  do  now.  The 
village  of  Busiris  may  have  stood 
on  the  site  of  one  of  those  below 
the  pyramids :  that  called  El  Hamra, 
"  the  red,"  or,  more  commonly,  El 
K6m-el-Aswed,  "the  black  mound," 
to  the  N.E.  is  evidently  ancient ;  and 
another  stood  just  above  the  two  kafrs, 
or  hamlets,  to  the  S.  of  K6m-el-Aswed. 
This  is  not  the  only  instance  of  the 
Arab  form  of  the  Egyptian  word : 
Abooseer  being  the  modern  name  of 
Busiris  in  the  Delta,  near  Sebennytus, 
and  of  Busiris,  the  supposed  Nilo- 
polis,  near  the  Heracleopolite  nome. 


Excursion  VII.  Sakkarah. 

a.  Preliminary  Observations—  b.  Be- 
dreshayn, Mitrahenny. — c.  History 
of  Memphis. — d.  Kemains  of  Mem- 
phis.— e.  Village  of  Sakkarah. — 
Site  of  Necropolis.—/.  Pyramids. — 


g.  Serapeum,  or  Apis  Mausoleum. 

h.  Tombs. — i.  Pyramids  of  Dashoor. 

a.  Preliminary  Observations.  This 
excursion  will  occupy  the  entire  day. 
The  best  way  of  making  it  is  to  drive 
to  the  station  at  Geezeh  in  time  for 
the  daily  train  to  Upper  Egypt,  about 
9  a.m.  Take  the  train  to  the  first  sta- 
tion, Bedreshayn,  reached  in  about  J 
an  hour.  Thence  ou  donkeys  to  Sak- 
karah, an  hour  to  an  hour  and  a  half's 
ride.  Donkeys  can  be  procured  at 
Bedreshayn,  but  they  are  wretched 
animals,  without  saddles  and  bridles  ; 
and  the  best  plan  is  to  send  on  donkeys 
from  Cairo  either  to  the  station  at 
Geezeh  early  in  the  morning,  to  go  in 
the  train  with  you,  or  across  country 
overnight,  to  be  ready  to  meet  you  at 
Bedreshayn  in  the  morning  on  the 
arrival  of  the  train.  The  few  remains 
at  Memphis  should  be  taken  on  the 
way  to  Sakkarah.  This  will  lengthen 
the  ride  a  little,  and  leave  about  4  hrs. 
to  be  spent  at  Sakkarah,  from  which 
place  a  start  should  be  made  about 
|  past  3  back  to  Bedreshayn,  to  catch 
the  daily  train  from  Upper  Egypt  to 
Cairo  due  about  5,  though  often  much 
later.  The  charge  for  the  carriage  to 
Geezeh  will  be  5  shillings ;  but  if  it 
is  required  to  wait,  or  to  come  again 
in  time  for  the  return—  and  it  is  very 
necessary  to  secure  there  being  a  car- 
riage ready  for  this  purpose — 16  shil- 
lings will  be  asked,  as  for  the  whole 
day.  Five  shillings  should  be  enough 
for  a  donkey,  if  taken  there  and  back 
in  the  day,  phis,  of  course,  the  railway 
fare  for  it  and  the  boy.  Seven  or 
eight  shillings  if  sent  on  the  day 
before.  It  is  possible  to  ride  to  Sak- 
karah and  back  in  one  day,  but  few 
probably  will  choose  this  somewhat 
fatiguing  manner  of  making  the  excur- 
sion. 

A  very  good  plan  for  those  who  are 
provided  with  tents  is  to  combine  Sak- 
karah and  the  Pyramids  in  one  trip 
of  two  days.  This  may  be  done  in 
any  of  the  following  ways:— Go  to 
Sakkarah  as  directed  above,  and  after 
having  seen  everything  there,  ride  by 
Abooseer  to  the  Pyramids  (3  hrs.). 
The  tents  will  have  been  sent  there 
k3 


202 


CAIRO  :  EXCURSIONS  5  MITRAHENNY  MOUNDS  ;        Sect.  IT. 


direct  from  Cairo,  and  pitched  near 
the  well  in  readiness :  the  following 
day  may  he  devoted  to  the  Pyramids, 
beginning  with  seeing  the  sun  rise 
from  the  top  of  the  Great  Pyramid; 
and  the  donkeys  can  then  be  used  for 
the  ride  home,  or  a  carriage  can  have 
been  ordered  previously  from  Cairo. 
If  it  is  thought  better  to  spend  more 
time  at  Sakkarah,  the  tents  can  be 
taken  there,  and  the  camp  pitched  for 
the  night  in  the  palm-grove  on  the 
edge  of  the  desert  outside  the  village : 
then  next  morning  early  ride  to  the 
Pyramids.  In  the  same  way,  if  the 
order  is  reversed  and  the  Pyramids 
taken  first,  the  tents  can  either  be 
pitched  there  for  the  night,  and  the 
ride  to  Sakkarah  be  taken  early  the 
next  morning,  or  the  tents  sent  on  to 
be  pitched  at  Sakkarah,  and  the  ride 
there  taken  after  finishing  the  pyra- 
mids. In  either  of  these  last  two  cases 
the  return  from  Sakkarah  must  be 
arranged  so  as  to  catch  the  train  to 
Cairo,  as  directed  above.  Of  these  four 
alternatives  the  first  is  perhaps  the 
one  to  be  preferred,  as  involving  the 
least  expense  and  trouble  for  the  car- 
riage of  tents,  and  avoiding  the  chance 
of  having  to  wait  hours  for  the  return 
train  at  Bedreshayn;  but  dragomen 
sometimes  object  to  camping  at  the 
Pyramids,  owing  to  the  somewhat  in- 
trusive character  of  the  neighbouring 
inhabitants. 

Travellers  going  up  the  Nile  may 
prefer  to  make  the  excursion  from  their 
boat,  stopping  for  that  purpose  at 
Bedreshayn  either  on  the  way  up  or 
down  the  river. 

The  later  in  the  spring  the  excursion 
is  made,  the  more  will  there  be  to  see 
of  the  remains  of  Memphis,  as  the 
water  of  the  inundation,  which  covers 
most  of  what  there  is  in  the  winter, 
will  have  subsided. 

Candles  and  matches,  and  some 
magnesium  wire,  for  lighting  up  the 
Apis  Mausoleum,  should  be  taken; 
and  provisions  will  be  required  for 
luncheon. 

b.  Bedreshayn.  Mitrahenny. — The 
road  to  Geezeh  has  been  already  de- 
scribed in  Exc.  vi.    From  Geezeh  to 


Bedreshayn  the  rlwy.  runs  through  an 
almost  continuous  forest  of  palm-trees. 
On  reaching  Bedreshayn,  the  first  stat. 
from  Geezeh,  the  traveller  mounts  his 
donkey,  and,  skirting  the  village, 
which  is  composed  of  the  usual  mud 
hovels,  and  contains  nothing  of  in- 
terest, rides  along  a  winding  embank- 
ment till  the  palm-groves  are  reached, 
in  and  around  which  lie  the  mounds 
of  Mitrahenny,  so  called  from  the  vil- 
lage, which  is  situated  a  little  farther 
!  on.  These  mounds  mark  a  part  of 
the  site  of  ancient  Memphis.  Before 
proceeding  to  point  out  the  objects 
which  may  arrest  the  attention  for  a 
few  moments,  it  may  be  well  to  give 
some  account  of  this  once  famous  city, 
nearly  every  trace  of  which  is  now  so 
completely  obliterated. 

c.  History  of  Memphis. — According 
to  Herodotus's  account  of  the  story 
told  him  by  the  priests,  Memphis  was 
founded  by  Menes,  the  first  recorded 
king  of  Egypt .  who,  by  turning  the  Nile 
from  its  old  course  under  the  Libyan 
hills  into  a  more  western  channel  cut 
by  him,  made  a  large  tract  of  dry  land, 
on  which  he  built  the  city.  At  the 
point  where  the  river  was  turned  off, 
he  constructed  dykes  to  prevent  its 
returning  into  its  old  channel  and 
overwhelming  Memphis.  Of  these 
dykes  no  trace  remains,  though  He- 
rodotus says  they  were  kept  up  with 
great  care  by  the  Persians  at  the  time 
of  his  visit :  but  the  actual  appearance 
of  the  river  strongly  corroborates  the 
account.  For  at  Kafr-el-Iyat,  14  m. 
above  Mitrahenny,  the  Nile  takes  a 
considerable  curve  to  the  eastward,  and 
would,  if  the  previous  direction  of  its 
course  continued,  run  immediately  be- 
low the  Libyan  mountains  to  Sakkarah ; 
and  the  slight  difference  between  this 
distance  and  the  approximate  mea- 
surement of  Herodotus,  who  places  the 
dykes  at  100  stadia  above  Memphis, 
offers  no  objection.  Indeed,  if  we  cal- 
culate from  the  outside  of  the  town, 
which  the  historian  doubtless  did,  we 
shall  find  that  the  bend  of  Kafr-el- 
Iyat  agrees  exactly  with  his  100  stadia, 
or  about  11 J  in.,  Mitrahenny  being 
some  way  within  the  city  of  Memphis. 


Egypt. 


HISTORY  OP  MEMPHIS. 


203 


It  is  not  necessary  to  suppose,  how- 
ever, that  the  whole  of  the  river  was 
diverted  from  its  original  channel  into 
an  entirely  different  one.  It  probably 
divided  into  two  arms,  as  is  often  the 
case  in  many  parts  of  its  course,  which 
joined  into  one  stream  again  some 
miles  lower  down,  and  Menes  merely 
blocked  up  the  western  channel,  and 
turned  all  the  water  into  the  eastern. 
A  similar  thing  wTas  done  a  few  years 
ago,  when  the  arm  of  the  river  that 
flowed  to  the  west  of  Gezeereh  was 
dammed  up,  and  the  whole  stream 
turned  into  the  branch  that  flows  by 
Boolak.  The  arm  of  the  river  was  re- 
placed by  a  canal  which  brought  water 
to  the  famous  lake  "  on  the  IS",  and  W. 
of  the  city  "  excavated  by  Menes ;  and 
this  canal  is  now  represented  by  the 
one  which  flows  through  the  plain 
between  the  desert  and  Mitrahenuy, 
and  continues  on  to  below  the  pyra- 
mids of  Geezeh.  It  is  a  continuation 
of  the  Bahr  Yoosef,  and  appears  here 
to  flow  through  a  natural  depression. 

Memphis  is  styled  in  Coptic  Men, 
Momf,  and  Meuf,  which  last  is  tra- 
ditionally preserved  by  the  modern 
Egyptians,  though  the  only  existing 
town  whose  name  resembles  it  is  Me- 
noof,  in  the  Delta.  The  Egyptians 
called  it  Panouf,  Memfi,  Membe,  and 
Menofre  (Ma-nofre),  "the  place  of 
good,"  which  Plutarch  translates  "  the 
haven  of  good  men,"  though  it  seems 
rather  to  refer  to  the  abode  of  the 
Deity,  the  representative  of  goodness, 
than  to  the  virtues  of  its  inhabitants. 
In  hieroglyphics  it  was  styled  "  Me- 
nofre, the  land  of  the  pyramid,"  and 
sometimes  Ei-Phtah,  "  the  abode  of 
Phtah,"  as  well  as  "the -city  of  the 
white  wall." 

Though  the  remains  of  Memphis  lie 
chiefly  about  Mitrahenny,  it  is  evident 
that  the  city  extended  considerably 
beyond  the  present  mounds,  which 
appear  to  have  belonged  to  the  enclo- 
sures about  the  temple  and  other  sacred 
edifices,  as  well  as  to  the  "palaces" 
that  were  situated,  as  Strabo  says,  on 
an  elevated  spot  reaching  down  to  the 
lower  part  of  the  town  ;  and  there  is  I 
reason  to  believe  that  it  extended  from 
near  the  river  at  Bedreshayn  to  Sak- 


karah,  which  only  allows  a  breadth  E. 
and  W.  of  3  miles.  Diodorus  calcu- 
lates its  circuit  at  150  stades,  upwards 
of  17  Eng.  m.,  requiring  a  diameter  of 
nearly  6  m. ;  and  its  greatest  diameter 
was  probably  N.  and  S.  But  the  whole 
of  this  space  was  not  covered  by  houses 
or  public  buildings ;  much  was  given 
up  to  gardens,  villas,  and  "  sacred 
groves;"  and  the  great  Acherusian 
lake,  "  surrounded,"  according  to  Dio- 
dorus, "  by  meadows  and  canals,"  occu- 
pied a  large  portion  of  it.  This  lake 
was  probably  in  the  lowlands  to  the 
N.E.  of  Sakkarah  with  a  canal  commu- 
nicating with  the  large  reservoir  con- 
structed for  the  service  of  the  temple 
of  Phtah,  in  the  open  space  to  the  N. 
of  the  colossus,  between  Mitrahenny 
and  the  long  eastern  mounds,  in  the 
mud  of  which  several  statues  have 
been  discovered.  On  the  river  side  of 
these  mounds  is  the  site  of  what  is 
called  the  Nilometer. 

It  may  be  doubted  if  Memphis  was 
surrounded  by  a  wall.  It  was  not  the 
custom  of  the  Egyptians  to  include 
the  whole  of  a  large  city  within  one 
circuit :  Thebes  even,  with  its  100 
gates,  had  no  wall ;  and  we  find  there, 
as  in  other  cities,  that  portions  alone 
were  walled  round,  comprehending 
the  temples  and  other  precious  monu- 
ments. In  places  of  great  extent,  as 
Thebes,  each  temple  had  its  own  cir- 
cuit, generally  a  thick  crude-brick 
wall,  with  strong  gateways,  sometimes 
within  an  outer  one  of  greater  extent ; 
and  the  quarters  of  the  troops,  or 
citadel,  were  surrounded  by  a  massive 
wall  of  the  same  materials,  with  an 
inclined  way  to  the  top  of  the  rampart. 
The  temples  of  Memphis  were,  no 
doubt,  encompassed  in  the  same  man- 
ner by  a  sacred  enclosure ;  and  the 
"  white  wall "  was  the  fortified  part  of 
the  city,  in  which  the  Egyptians  took 
refuge  when  defeated  by  the  Persians. 
This  white  fortress  was  very  ancient, 
and  from  it  Memphis  was  called  the 
"  city  of  the  white  wall." 

Memphis  had  probably  already 
suffered  somewhat  from  the  Persians 
when  Herodotus  saw  it,  but  the  ac- 
count he  has  left  of  some  of  the  prin- 
cipal buildings  shows  that  it  must  have 


204 


CAIRO  :  EXCURSIONS  ; 


Sect.  IT. 


been  the  largest  and  most  magnificent 
city  in  Egypt  at  the  time  of  his  visit. 

Among  those  which  he  mentions 
are  the  Temple  of  Phtah  or  Hephaes- 
tus, said  to  have  been  founded  by 
Menes,  and  enlarged  and  beautified  by 
succeeding  monarchs.  Mceris  (Ame- 
nemha  III)  erected  the  northern  vesti- 
bule; and  Sesostris  (Barneses  II.), 
besides  the  two  colossal  statues,  one 
of  which  is  still  to  be  seen,  made 
considerable  additions  with  enormous 
blocks  of  stone  which  "  he  employed 
his  pri- oners  of  war  to  drag  to  the 
temple."  Pheron  (Menephtah),  his 
son,  also  enriched  it  with  suitable 
presents,  which  he  sent  on  the  recovery 
of  his  tight,  as  he  did  to  all  the  prin- 
cipal temples  of  Egypt.  The  western 
vestibule,  or  propylseum,  was  the  work 
of  Ehampsinitus  (Barneses  III.),  who 
also  erected  2  statues,  25  cubits  in 
height,  one  on  the  N.,  the  other  on  the 
S. ;  to  the  former  of  which  the  Egyp- 
tians gave  the  name  of  summer,  and  to 
the  latter  winter.  The  eastern  was 
the  largest  and  most  magnificent  of  all 
these  propylsea,  and  excelled  as  well  in 
the  beauty  of  its  sculpture  as  in  its 
dimensions.  It  was  built  by  Asychis 
(Shishak).  Several  grand  additions 
were  afterwards  made  by  Psamme- 
tichus,  who,  besides  the  southern  vesti- 
bule, erected  a  large  hypa:thral  court 
covered  with  sculpture,  where  Apis 
was  kept,  when  exhibited  in  public. 
It  was  surrounded  by  a  peristyle  of 
Osiride  figures,  12  cubits  in  height, 
which  served  instead  of  columns ; — 
similar  no  doubt  to  those  in  the  Mem- 
nonium  at  Thebes.  Many  other  kings 
adorned  this  magnificent  temple  of 
Phtah  with  sculpture  and  various 
gifts,  among  which  may  be  mentioned 
the  statue  of  Sethos,  in  commemora- 
tion of  his  victory  over  the  Assyrians, 
holding  in  his  hand  a  mouse  with 
this  inscription,  "  Whoever  sees  me, 
let  him  be  pious."  Amasis,  too,  dedi- 
cated a  recumbent  colossus,  75  ft.  long, 
in  this  temple,  which  is  the  more 
singular  as  there  is  no  instance  of  an 
Egyptian  statue,  of  early  time,  in  that 
position :  and  the  same  king  built  a 
magnificent  temple  to  the  goddess 
Isis. 


The  temenos,  or  sacred  grove,  of 
Proteus  was  very  beautiful  and  richly 
ornamented.  Some  Phoenicians  of 
Tyre,  settlers  at  Memphis,  lived  round 
it,  and  in  consequence  the  whole 
neighbourhood  received  the  name  of 
the  Tyrian  camp.  Within  the  temenos 
was  the  temple,  called  "  of  Yenus  the 
stranger ;  "  whence  the  historian  con- 
jectured that  it  was  of  Helen,  who  was 
reported  to  have  lived  some  time  at 
the  court  of  the  Egyptian  king.  This 
is  of  course  an  idle  Greek  story,  which, 
like  so  many  others,  shows  how  ready 
the  Greeks  were  to  derive  everything 
from  their  own  country. 

Four  hundred  years  after  Herodotus, 
Diodorus  expatiates  on  the  size  and 
magnificence  of  Memphis,  which,  how- 
ever had  already  become  second  in 
importance  to  Alexandria.  And 
Strabo,  a  few  years  before  the  Christian 
era,  says  :  "  The  city  is  large  and 
populous,  next  to  Alexandria  in  size, 
and,  like  that,  filled  with  foreign  re- 
sidents. Before  it  are  some  lakes; 
but  the  palaces,  situated  once  in  an 
elevated  spot,  and  reaching  down  to 
the  lower  part  of  the  city,  are  now 
ruined  and  deserted."  The  temples, 
however,  seem  still  to  have  been  kept 
up  in  the  former  style  of  magnificence. 
They  suffered  no  doubt  in  the  reign  of 
Theodosius  from  the  zeal  which  he  dis- 
played  against  idolatry  and  its  shrines. 
But  Memphis  still  continued  to  enjoy 
some  consequence,  even  at  the  time  of 
the  Arab  invasion ;  and  though  its 
ancient  palace  was  a  ruin,  the  gover- 
nor of  Egypt,  John  Mekaukes,  still 
resided  in  the  city ;  and  it  was  here 
that  he  concluded  a  treaty  with  the 
invaders  after  they  had  succeeded  in 
taking  the  strong  Boman  fortress  at 
Babylon.  The  wealth,  as  well  as  the 
inhabitants  of  Memphis,  soon  passed 
to  the  new  Arab  city  of  Fostat,  and 
the  capital  of  Lower  Egypt  in  a  few 
years  ceased  to  exist.  The  blocks  of 
stone  of  its  ruined  monuments  were 
afterwards  taken  to  help  in  building 
the  new  city  of  Cairo:  and  yet  not- 
withstanding this  wholesale  spoliation 
we  find  Abd-el-Lateef  at  the  end  of  the 
12th  centy.,  asserting  that  "  the  ruins 
of  Memphis  occupy  a  space  half  a  day's 


Egypt. 


REMAINS  OF  MEMPHIS. 


205 


journey  every  way;"  and  that  "they 
still  offer  to  the  eyes  of  the  spectator  a 
collection  of  marvels  which  strike  the 
mind  with  wonder,  and  which  the 
most  eloquent  man  might  in  vain 
attempt  to  describe."  Aboo'l-Feyda, 
150  years  later,  speaks  of  the  ruins  as 
still  occupying  a  large  extent,  but 
gradually  disappearing.  But  from 
that  time  hardly  any  mention  is  made 
of  them ;  and  the  waters  of  the  inun- 
dation, long  ago  unrestrained  by  the 
protecting  dykes,  covered  the  plain 
with  a  gradually  increasing  layer  of 
mud  deposit,  beneath  which  every 
trace  of  such  ruins  as  were  left  com- 
pletely disappeared.  It  was  not  till 
the  beginning  of  the  present  century 
that  researches  were  made  which  re- 
sulted in  discovering  some  traces  of 
the  ancient  city. 

(d)  Remains  of  Memphis.  Some 
statues,  a  few  fragments  of  granite, 
and  some  substructions  are  all  that 
can  be  seen  of  the  ruins  of  a  city, 
which,  if  there  is  any  truth  in  the 
description  given  of  it,  "  in  its  glory 
must  have  exceeded  any  modern  city, 
as  much  as  the  Pyramids  exceed  any 
mausoleum  which  has  been  erected 
since  those  days." — Curzon.  It  is  pos- 
sible that  much  may  be  concealed 
beneath  the  mounds,  but  the  latest 
researches  have  been  singularly  unpro- 
ductive. There  are  a  few  objects, 
chiefly  statuettes  of  the  god  Phtah, 
at  the  museum  at  Cairo,  and  one  inter- 
esting discovery  was  that  of  a  private 
house. 

The  only  object  that  will  attract 
the  traveller's  attention  is  the  colossal 
statue,  lying  on  its  face  in  an  excavated 
hollow  to  the  left  of  the  path  before 
reaching  Mit;  ahenny.  This  is  pro- 
bably one  of  the  statues  mentioned  by 
Herodotus  and  Diodorus  as  erected  by 
"  Sesostris  "  in  front  of  the  Temple  of 
Phtah.  These  statues  were  30  cubits 
(45  to  51  \  feet;  high:  this  one  is  un- 
fortunately broken  at  the  feet,  and 
part  of  the  cap  is  wanting ;  but  its 
total  height  may  be  estimated  at  48  ft. 
8  in.  without  the  pedestal.  The  stone 
is  a  white  siliceous  limestone,  very 
hard,  and  capable  of  taking  a  high 


polish.    From  the  neck  of  the  king 
is  suspended  an  amulet  or  breast- 
plate, like  that  of  the  Urim  and 
Thummin  of  the  Hebrews,  in  which 
is  the  royal  prenomen,  supported  by 
j  Phtah  on  one  side,  and  Pasht  on  the 
I  other.    In  the  centre,  and  at  the  side 
of  his  girdle,  are  the  name  and  pre- 
nomen of  this  Eameses,  and  in  his 
l  and  he  holds  a  scroll,  bearing  at 
one  end  his  name  Amun-mai-Eameses. 
1  A  figure  of  his  daughter  is  re  presented 
j  at  his  side.    It  is  on  a  small  scale,  her 
'  shoulder  reaching  little  above  the  level 
!  of  his  knee.    The  upper  part  of  the 
I  statue  is  somewhat  worn  away,  but  the 
J  under  part  still  retains  its  polish.  The 
;  expression  of  the  face,  which  is  per- 
fectly preserved,  is  very  beautiful :  and 
by  going  down  into  the  hollow  a  good 
view  may  be  obtained  of  the  features, 
which  are  sharp  cut  and  most  deli- 
cately finished.    At  the  time  of  high 
Nile  the  hole  is  full  of  water  and  but 
little  of  the  statue  visible  ;*  and  indeed 
the  whole  of  the  face  is  seldom  to  be 
seen  before  March. 

There  are  some  other  remains  of 
statues,  and  another  coh  ssus,  lying  not 
far  from  this  one ;  and  at  the  guard's 
hou.-e  close  by  may  be  seen  a  few  things 
which  have  been  dug  up  at  various 
times;  among  them  are  some  statues 
in  the  bitting  attitudes  of  the  modern 
Egyptians,  with  crossed  legs,  or  knees 
up  to  the  chin.  The  space  to  the  S.  of 
the  colossus  is  the  site  of  the  temple 
of  Phtah,  of  which  the  foundations 
have  been  discovered  by  M.  Mariette. 
In  the  open  space  to  the  N.  are  some 
remains  only  visible  at  low  Nile.  This 
open  space,  which  is  still  a  depres- 
sion filled  with  more  or  less  water 
according  to  the  time  of  year,  was 
formerly  probably  a  reservoir-  in  front 
of  the  temple,  supplied  with  water  by 
a  canal  from  the  lake  before  men- 
tioned, situated  near  Sakkarah.  On 
the  borders  of  this  pond  M.  Mariette 
discovered  a  small  temple  of  Eameses 
II. 


*  TMs  beautiful  statue  -was  discovered  by 
Signor  Caviglia  and  Mr.  Sloane,  by  whom  it  was 
given  to  the  British  Museum,  on  condition  of  its 
being  taken  to  England;  but  no  atternpi  has 
ever  been  made  to  remove  it. 


206 


CAIEO  :  EXCURSIONS  ;  SAKKARAH  ; 


Sect,  II. 


e.  Sakkarah.  Site  of  Necropolis. — 
Crossing  the  western  line  of  mounds, 
with  the  village  of  Mitrahenny  on  the 
right,  we  enter  the  fertile  plain  that 
reaches  to  the  edge  of  the  desert.  The 
path  now  generally  followed  turns  to 
the  right,  till  it  reaches  a  high  em- 
bankment at  a  point  where  the  latter 
crosses  a  canal  by  means  of  an  old 
Arab  bridge.  This  embankment  leads 
up  to  the  S.  corner  of  the  rocky  pro- 
montory on  which  are  the  pyramids 
and  tombs.  Immediately  on  the  left, 
before  reaching  the  desert,  is  the  pro- 
bable site  of  the  lake  dug  by  Menes 
for  regulating  the  supply  of  water  to 
Memphis  and  the  surrounding  country. 
Except  at  low  Nile  there  is  always 
plenty  of  water  in  it,  and  it  sometimes 
abounds  in  ducks.  Formerly  the  road 
used  to  lie  straight  across  the  plain 
from  Mitrahenny  to  the  village  of 
Sakkarah,  passing  through  it  and 
along  the  edge  of  the  pond  on  to  the 
platform.  Outside  the  village  to  the 
N.,  before  reaching  the  pond,  is  the 
grove  in  which  those  who  encamp  at 
Sakkarah  have  been  advised  to  pitch 
their  tents. 

The  Necropolis,  to  which  the  neigh- 
bouring village  of  Sakkarah  gives  its 
name,  is  the  oldest,  as  well  as  the  most 
modem,  of  the  cemeteries  of  Memphis. 
It  is  also  the  largest,  being  nearly 
4§  m.  long,  and  having  a  breadth 
varying  from  J  m.  to  nearly  1  m. 
Like  the  Necropolis  of  Geezeh,  that  of 
Sakkarah  belongs  more  especially  to 
the  Old  Empire.  In  the  centre,  form- 
ing as  it  were  the  nucleus  of  this  vast 
ensemble,  rises  a  pyramid  curiously 
built  in  degrees.  If  tradition  may  be 
trusted,  and  if  the  place  of  which  this 
pyramid  is  the  centre  is  called  Ko- 
Komeh,  and  if  King  Ouenephes  built 
his  pyramid,  as  Manetho  says  he  did, 
in  a  place  called  Ko-Komeh,  then  this 
pyramid  of  Sakkarah  belongs  to  the 
1st  dynasty,  and  is  the  most  ancient 
monument  not  only  in  Egypt,  but  in 
the  world. 

To  the  N.  of  this  pyramid  are  the 
tombs  of  the  Old  Empire,  which  have 
yielded  up  so  many  of  the  interest- 
ing objects  in  the  museum  at  Cairo, 
and  are  themselves  magnificent  wit- 


nesses to  the  civilization  of  that  remote 
period;  those  of  Tih,  Phtah-hotep, 
Saboo,  and  some  others  are  the  most 
remarkable.  To  the  S.  of  the  pyramid 
are  tombs  of  the  XVIIIth,  XlXth,  and 
XXth  dynasties.  Among  them  was 
found  the  list  of  king-!  called  4  The 
Tablet  of  Sakkarah.'  To  the  E.,  in 
going  from  the  pyramid  to  the  culti- 
vated land,  there  occurs  first  a  belt  of 
tombs  of  the  Old  Empire,  then  one  of 
the  XXVIth  and  following  dynasties, 
and  then  a  third,  which  maybe  called 
the  Greek  cemetery.  Among  these  last 
tombs  were  found  nearly  all  the  Greek 
papyri  that  Lave  enriched  the  different 
European  museums. 

On  the  western  side  of  the  old  tombs 
to  the  N.  of  the  pyramid  are  the  re- 
mains of  the  Serapeum,  and  at  the 
beginning  of  the  XXVIth  dynasty  a 
way  was  cut  through  the  tombs  for 
an  avenue  of  sphinxes  leading  to  the 
Serapeum,  and  to  the  underground 
vaults  known  as  the  Apis  Mausoleum. 
From  the  ruins  of  the  Serapeum  came 
most  of  the  statuettes  of  the  different 
divinities  in  the  Cairo  museum. 

The  truncated  pyramid,  called 
by  the  Arabs  Ma-tabat-el-Pharaoon 
(Pharaoh's  throne),  is  at  the  S.  of  the 
large  pyramid;  and  the  ibis  mummy 
pits  to  the  N.  The  ibises  have  been 
preserved  in  long  earthen  pots,  but 
owing  to  the  damp,  which  at  a  cer- 
tain depth  filters  in  through  the  soil, 
they  are  mostly  reduced  to  powder. 

(/)  Pyramids.  There  are  eleven  py- 
ramids on  the  Sakkarah  plateau.  The 
southernmost  of  these  is  the  truncated 
one  already  mentioned  called  Masta- 
bat-el-Pharaoon.  It  is  in  a  very  ruined 
condition.  In  the  inside  is  a  chamber 
with  niches,  as  in  the  Third  Pyramid 
of  Geezeh. 

A  little  further  on,  as  the  visitor 
approaches  from  Mitrahenny,  is  the 
largest  of  the  Sakkarah  pyramids, 
curiously  built  in  stages  or  degrees. 
The  date  of  this  monument  has  not 
yet  been  accurately  determined,  but, 
as  has  been  said,  it  may  be  the  oldest 
pyramid  in  Egypt.  The  argument  on 
which  this  supposition  is  founded  is 
as  follows :  Manetho  says  that  Ouene- 


Egypt. 


PYRAMIDS  '  APIS  MAUSOLEUM. 


207 


ph.es,  the  4th  king  of  the  1st  dynasty 
according  to  his  list,  built  a  pyramid 
close  to  a  village  called  Ko-Komeh ;  on 
the  tablet  of  Serapeum  the  name  of 
Ko-Korneh  was  found  as  given  to  the 
surrounding  necropolis ;  on  an  en- 
trance door  of  the  pyramid,  now  at 
Berlin,  was  deciphered  not  the  name, 
but  the  title  and  banner  of  a  very  old 
king.  From  this  the  deduction  is 
drawn  that  as  Ouenephes  built  a  pyra- 
mid at  Ko-Korneh,  and  as  this  necro- 
polis was  called  Ko-Komeh,  this  title 
and  banner  were  his,  and  the  pyramid 
was  built  by  him. 

It  is  the  largest  in  size  next  to 
those  of  Geezeh.  The  degrees  are  five 
in  number,  diminishing  in  height  and 
breadth  towards  the  top.  The  present 
height  from  the  base  is  about  190  ft. 
Contrary  to  the  usual  rule  in  pyra- 
midal buildings,  the  base  is  not  a  per- 
fect square,  the  measurements  accord- 
ing to  Col.  H.  Vyse  being  351  ft.  2  in. 
on  the  N.  and  S.  faces,  and  393  ft. 
11  in.  on  the  E.  and  W.  It  is  sur- 
rounded by  what  may  be  called  a 
sacred  enclosure,  about  1750  ft.  by 
950  ft.  Inside  the  construction  is  pe- 
culiar. Immediately  under  the  centre 
is  an  excavation  in  the  rock,  77  ft.  in 
depth  and  24  ft.  square  :  the  top  of 
this  is  dome-shaped,  and  was  origi- 
nally lined  with  wooden  rafters  ;  the 
bottom  is  paved  with  blocks  of  granite, 
|  and  beneath  is  a  rude  chamber,  the 
opening  to  which  was  concealed  by  a 
granite  block  four  tons  in  weight.  No 
trace  of  anything  was  found  here 
when  the  pyramid  was  opened  by  Mi- 
nutoli  in  1821.  Out  of  the  excavation 
leads  a  very  labyrinth  of  passages  con- 
ducting to  different  apartments.  On 
the  doorway  of  the  one  opposite  to  the 
entrance  are  some  hieroglyphics,  and 
the  title  and  banner  referred  to  above. 
The  sides  of  these  chambers  had  been 
lined  with  blueish  green  slabs  similar 
to  those  now  known  as  Dutch  tiles  : 
and  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  remark 
that  vitrified  porcelain  was  a  very  old 
invention  in  Egypt,  and  continued  in 
vogue  there  till  a  late  period,  even 
after  the  Arab  conquest,  and  the  foun- 
dation of  Cairo.  Pieces  of  broken 
marble  and  alabaster  were  found  in 


I  some  of  the  passages  ;  and  in  a  gallery 
i  connected  with  another  entrance  which 
!  appeared  not  to  have  been  ransacked, 
[  were  found  30  mummies  of  an  in- 
ferior description  coarsely  enveloped 
in  wrappers.     None  of    the  other 
pyramids  present  anything  worthy  of 
notice. 

(jg)  The  Serapeum,  or  Apis  Mauso- 
leum. The  vast  subterranean  tomb 
which  next  claims  the  visitor's  atten- 
tion is  called  indiscriminately  the 
Serapeum.  or  the  Apis  Mausoleum,  but 
it  should  be  noted  that  the  latter  of 
these  titles  is  the  correct  tone.  The 
Serapeum,  properly  so  called,  was  the 
exterior  temple  surmounting  the  ex- 
cavated tomb.  It  no  longer  exists; 
but  to  judge  by  such  few  remains  of  it 
as  have  been  found  it  resembled  in 
appearance  the  ordinary  Egyptian 
temple.  An  avenue  of  sphinxes  led 
up  to  it.  and  two  pylons  stood  before 
it ;  round  it  was  the  usual  enclosure. 
But  it  was  distinguished  from  all  other 
temples  by  having  in  one  of  its  cham- 
bers an  opening,  from  which  descended 
an  inclined  passage  into  the  rock  be- 
low, giving  access  to  the  vaults  in 
which  reposed  the  mummied  repre- 
sentatives of  the  god  Apis.  Living, 
the  sacred  bull  was  worshipped  in  a 
magnificent  temple  at  Memphis,  and 
lodged  in  a  palace  adjoining— the  Api- 
euni :  dead,  he  was  buried  in  exca- 
vated vaults  at  Sakkarah,  and  wor- 
shipped in  a  temple  built  over  them — 
the  Serapeum. 

The  discovery  of  the  site  of  the 
Serapeum  and  the  Apis  Mausoleum 
was  made  by  M.  Mariette  in  1860-61. 
Having  observed  the  head  of  a  sphinx 
appearing  through  the  sand,  and  find- 
ing on  clearing  the  spot  that  the 
statue  was  entire,  the  passage  of 
Strabo  occurred  to  him  in  which  that 
writer  says:  "There  is  also  a  Sera- 
peum in  a  very  sandy  spot,  where 
drifts  of  sand  are  raised  by  the  wind 
to  such  a  degree  that  we  saw  some 
sphinxes  buried  up  to  their  heads, 
and  others  half-covered."  From  this 
passage,  taken  in  connexion  with  the 
finding  of  the  sphinx,  M.  Mariette  did 
I  not  hesitate  to  conclude  that  he  was 


208 


CAIRO  I  EXCURSIONS  ;  SAKKARAH  J 


Sect.  II. 


on  the  track  of  the  Serapeum,  and  he 
immediately  set  to  work  to  verify  his 
idea  with  an  energy  proportionate  to 
the  difficulty  of  the  task.  For  the 
cutting  a  passage  through  the  deep 
sand  was  an  arduous  as  well  as  a 
dangerous  undertaking,  the  shifting 
wall  constantly  threatening  to  fall  in, 
and  not  only  fill  up  the  hardly  won 
trench,  but  bury  the  workers.  In  two 
months  he  had  cleared  out  an  avenue 
600  feet  long,  and  laid  bare  141 
sphinxes,  besides  the  pedestals  of 
many  others.  At  first  the  depth  of 
sand  bad  only  been  10  or  12  ft.,  but 
before  the  end  was  reached  a  depth 
of  70  ft.  had  to  be  cut  through.  At 
the  end  of  this  avenue  was  found  a 
semicircle  of  statues  representing  the 
most  famous  philosophers  and  writers 
of  Greece,  some  with  the  name  in- 
scribed at  the  bottom  of  the  statue. 
Between  the  last  two  sphinxes  and 
this  semicircle  ran  a  cross  avenue, 
leading  on  the  left  to  a  temple  built 
by  Amyrtaeus,  and  on  the  right  to  the 
Serapeum.  This  right-hand  part  of 
the  cross  avenue  was  bordered  on  each 
side  by  a  low  broad  wall.  On  the 
right-hand  wall  were  curious  statues 
representing  children  astride  various 
real  and  symbolical  emblems.  On 
the  left-hand  wall  was  a  small  temple 
in  the  Greek  style,  and  two  Egyptian 
temples,  in  one  of  which  was  a  stone 
statue  of  the  bull  Apis.  At  the  end  of 
the  avenue  was  one  of  the  pro-pylons 
of  the  Serapeum,  with  two  crouching 
lions  on  pedestals  immediately  in  front 
of  it.  These  lions  are  now  at  the 
Louvre. 

Notwithstanding  the  various  diffi- 
culties to  be  encountered  from  the 
shifting  sand  and  other  causes,  M. 
Mariette  laid  bare  the  whole  circuit 
of  the  Serapeum,  and  at  length  in 
November,  1861,  crowned  his  success 
by  discovering  the  entrance  to  the 
huge  vaults  in  which  were  buried 
the  dead  representatives  of  Apis. 

The  approaches  to  the  Serapeum, 
and  such  remains  as  there  were  of 
the  Serapeum  itself,  have  long  since 
been  re-covered  by  the  sand.  The  hol- 
low in  front  of  the  house  where  M. 
Mariette  lived  during  the  progress  of 


the  excavation  marks  the  line  of  the 
walled  avenue,  and  sometimes  the  top 
of  one  or  two  of  the  curious  figures 
alluded  to  above  may  be  seen  appear- 
ing through  the  sand. 

The  Apis  Mausoleum  is  divided  into 
three  distinct  parts.  The  first  and 
most  ancient  served  as  the  burial 
place  of  the  sacred  bulls  from  Amu- 
noph  III.  of  the  XVIIIth  dynasty  to 
the  end  of  the  XXth  dynasty.  In  this 
part  each  tomb  is  a  separate  sepulchral 
chamber,  hewn  here  and  thereout  of  the 
rocky  platform  of  the  temple.  They  were 
of  no  particular  interest,  and  are  again 
hidden  by  the  sand.  The  second  part 
comprised  the  tombs  of  Apis  from  the 
time  of  Sheshonk  I.  of  the  XXIInd 
dynasty  to  that  of  Tirhakah,  last  king 
of  the  XXVth  dynasty.  In  this  part 
a  new  system  has  been  adopted,  and 
a  long  subterranean  gallery  excavated 
beneath  the  temple,  on  each  side  of 
which  are  mortuary  chambers  for  the 
dead  bulls.  This  also  is  inaccessible, 
the  roof  having  in  many  places  fallen 
in,  and  the  whole  being  in  an  insecure 
state. 

The  third  part  is  that  which  the 
visitor  now  sees.  It  was  the  place  of 
interment  from  the  reign  of  Psamme- 
tichus  I.  of  the  XXVI th  dynasty  (cir. 
650  b.c.)  till  the  time  of  the  later 
Ptolemies  (cir.  50  b.c.)  The  same  sys- 
tem is  here  followed  as  in  the  second 
part,  only  on  a  much  larger  and  more 
magnificent  scale,  the  galleries  having 
an  extent  of  nearly  400  yards,  and 
granite  scarcophagi  having  been  em- 
ployed for  the  interment.  Partly  to 
prevent  the  ingress  of  sand,  and  partly 
to  protect  the  galleries  from  the 
marauding  and  destructive  propen- 
sities of  too  many  of  the  visitors,  the 
entrance  is  now  closed  by  a  door,  the 
key  of  which  is  kept  by  the  Arab  who 
has  the  charge  of  the  tombs,  &c.  at 
Sakkarah,  and  who  lives  at  the  house 
close  by.  It  is  essential  that  each 
person  should  carry  a  candle  and 
look  well  before  him,  a  serious  acci- 
dent hnving  occurred  to  a  gentleman 
in  1870  through  a  neglect  of  these 
simple  precautions.  He  was  standing 
close  to  one  of  the  openings  in  which 
are  the  sarcophagi,  and  not  seeing  it, 


Egypt. 


APIS  MAUSOLEUM  ;  TOMBS. 


2C9 


fell  in  and  broke  his  arm.  Imme- 
diately on  entering  you  turn  to  the 
right,  and  proceed  down  a  gallery 
more  than  210  yards  long.  On  both 
sides,  but  never  opposite  to  one  an- 
other, are  deep  reeestes,  each  con- 
taining a  huge  sarcophagus  of  granite, 
measuring  on  an  average  13  ft.  in 
length  by  7  ft.  6  in.  in  breadth,  and 
11  ft.  in  height.  In  one  of  the  recesses 
are  steps  for  the  purpose  of  descend- 
ing and  examining  the  sarcophagus, 
which  is  sculptured:  the  curious  can 
also  climb  by  a  ladder  into  the  interior, 
and  satisfy  themselves  that  it  would 
hold  four  or  live  persons  sitting.  In 
nearly  every  instance  the  lid  of  the 
sarcophagus  has  been  partly  pushed 
away,  so  as  to  give  access  to  the  mum- 
mied contents  ,of  which  no  vestiges 
have  been  found.  The  number  of 
sarcophagi  in  situ,  throughout  the 
whole  extent  of  the  galleries,  is  24. 
Of  thete  only  three  bear  any  inscrip- 
tion, and  they  contain  the  names  of 
Amasis,  Cambyses,  and  Khebasch,  and 
belong  therefore  to  the  several  periods 
just  preceding,  contemporaneous  with, 
and  subsequent  to,  the  Persian  con- 
quest. A  fourth  with  some  ovals  with- 
out any  name  is  supposed  to  be  of  the 
date  of  the  later  Ptolemies. 

The  historical  importance  of  the 
discovery  of  the  Apis  Mausoleum  was 
very  great,  though  it  does  not  consist 
in  anything  which  can  now  be  seen. 
When  first  opened  the  walls  of  the 
vaults  were  covered  with  stelx,  or 
inscribed  tablets,  placed  there  by  in- 
dividuals who  on  certain  annual  fes- 
tivals, or  on  the  occasion  of  the  death 
and  burial  of  an  Apis,  came  to  per- 
form an  act  of  worship  at  his  temple 
and  tomb.  In  memory  of  this  pious 
act,  it  was  the  custom  to  fit  into  one 
of  the  walls  of  the  tomb  a  square- 
shaped  stone,  rounded  at  the  top,  in 
which  were  recorded  the  names  of  the 
visitor  and  his  family,  and  very  often 
in  addition  the  precise  date  of  the  cur- 
rent year  of  the  reigning  king.  A 
comparison  of  these  stelse  was  neces- 
sarily of  great  importance  in  fixing 
the  chronology  of  the  period  to  which 
they  belong.  About  500  of  these 
ez  votos  were  found  in  their  original 


position,  principally  near  the  entrance 
to  the  tombs  on  the  right  All  those 
of  any  importance  which  were  legible 
have  been  removed  and  are  in  the 
Louvre  at  Paris,  but  some  may  still  be 
seen  in  the  wall. 

Qi)  Tombs.  The  vast  extent  of  the 
Sakkarah  Necropolis  has  been  already 
noted,  and  the  position  of  the  tombs 
belonging  to  different  epochs  pointed 
out.  On  every  side  heaps  of  sand  and 
debris  beside  the  mouths  of  deep  pits 
evidence  the  extent  of  the  researches 
that  have  been  made,  and  the  results 
are  seen  in  some  of  the  most  interest- 
ing objects  exhibited  in  the  Cairo 
Museum.  The  tombs  themselves  are 
soon  covered  in  again  by  their  pre- 
server, the  sand.  The  most  interest- 
ing are  those  belonging  to  the  old 
empire  on  the  N.  side  of  the  large 
pyramid;  and  the  one  usually, visited 
after  leaving  the  Apis  Mausoleum  lies 
a  short  distance  to  the  N.E.  of  the 
entrance  to  those  vaults.  It  is  called 
the  Tomb  of  Tih.  Before  proceeding 
to  describe  it,  it  may  be  well  to  repeat 
at  greater  length  the  account  already 
given  of  the  plan  of  these  old  tombs, 
and  to  explain  the  spirit  which  dic- 
tated the  various  representations  found 
in  them. 

The  Old  Empire  tombs  consisted  of 
three  parts.  1.  An  exterior  building 
(a),  containing  one  or  more  chambers  : 
2.  A  vertical  pit  (b)  :  and  3.  the  vault 
(c),  generally  excavated  at  right  angles 
to  the  pit,  in  which  was  placed  the 
sarcophagus  containing  the  body  (d). 
The  outer  covering  was  usually  in  the 
form  of  what  has  been  called  a  mas- 
tabah,  better  illustrations  of  which 
may  be  seen  at  the  Pyramids  than 
here ;  but  nowhere  better  than  at 
Sakkarah  do  specimens  exist  of  the 
interior  arrangement.  The  entrance 
faces  nearly  always  W.,  and  varies  in 
its  proportions  from  a  simple  doorway 
to  a  highly  ornamented  facade,  accord- 
ing to  the  rank  and  importance  of  the 
owner  of  the  tomb.  On  the  lintel  is 
an  inscription,  setting  forth  the  name 
and  titles  of  the  deceased,' followed  by 
an  invocation  addressed  to  Anubis, 
the  guardian  of  tombs,  in  which  he  is 


210 


CAIRO  :  EXCURSIONS  ;  SAKKARAH  ; 


Sect.  IT. 


Han  of  an  Egyptian  Tomb. 


Egypt- 


TOMB  OF  TIH. 


211 


prayed,  1.  To  accord  to  the  person 
named  propitious  funeral  rites,  and  a 
good  burial-place  in  the  cemetery  after 
a  long  and  happy  life :  2.  To  be 
favourably  disposed  towards  the  de- 
ceased in  his  journey  through  the 
regions  beyond  the  tomb :  and  3.  To 
secure  to  him  through  all  eternity  the 
proper  paying  of  what  the  text  calls 
"  funereal  offerings."  This  invocation 
is  followed  by  a  list  of  these  funereal 
offerings,  and  of  the  anniversaries  on 
which  they  are  to  be  paid.  It  is  to  be 
noted  that  all  the  scenes  sculptured  on 
the  walls  of  the  chamber  contained  in 
this  exterior  building  have  reference  to 
these  three  subjects  of  invocation.  The 
chambers  vary  in  number  and  size; 
sometimes  there  is  only  one.  They 
served  the  purpose  of  mortuary  chapels, 
in  which  the  parents  of  the  deceased, 
and  the  priests  attached  to  the  service 
of  the  cemetery  celebrated,  on  the 
anniversary  festivals  mentioned  in  the 
inscription  over  the  door,  certain  cere- 
monies in  honour  of  the  dead,  and 
offered  the  appropriate  gifts.  The 
walls  were  covered  with  sculptures 
representing  the  scenes  in  which  the 
deceased  person  had  been  accustomed 
to  pass  his  life ;  ending  with  the  last 
act  at  which  he  may  be  said  to  have 
assisted  in  this  world,  the  transport 
of  his  mummied  body  to  the  place 
of  burial.  The  tables  of  offerings, 
which  no  doubt  also  formed  part  of 
the  furniture  of  the  chambers,  are 
depicted  on  the  walls  covered  with 
the  gifts  of  meat,  fruits,  bread,  and 
wine,  which  had  to  be  presented  in 
kind.  At  the  end  of  the  principal 
chamber  was  a  stela,  containing  what 
might  be  called  the  epitaph  of  the 
deceased.  Under  the  Old  Empire 
these  stelse,  are  quadrangular  stones, 
often  of  large  size,  and  sculptured  so 
as  to  represent  the  exterior  of  a  temple 
of  the  period.  In  the  oldest  tombs 
the  statue  of  the  defunct  is  not  found, 
as  at  a  later  period,  in  any  of  the 
chambers.  They  were  generally  placed 
in  a  sort  of  corridor  contrived  in  the 
thickness  of  one  of  the  outer  walls, 
and  excluded  from  all  external  com- 
munication. Sometimes,  however,  a 
small  opening  in  one  of  the  walls  of 


the  principal  room  indicates  the  pre- 
sence of  a  shaft  reaching  to  the  spot 
where  the  statues  are  concealed,  and 
through  which  the  scent  of  incense 
might  pass. 

The  entrance  to  the  pit  which  forms 
the  second  part  of  the  tomb  is  found 
either  in  one  of  the  chambers,  or  some 
hidden  corner  of  the  outer  monument. 
The  upper  part,  dug  through  the  over- 
lying stratum  of  sand,  is  cased  with 
stones,  the  remainder  being  excavated 
out  of  the  rock.  These  pits  vary  from 
10  to  30  yards  in  depth,  are  vertical  in 
'  direction,  and  of  square  or  rectangular 
form.  Those  that  have  not  previously 
been  opened  have  been  found  filled 
with  a  hard  cement  composed  of  stones, 
sand,  and  earth.  At  the  bottom  of 
the  pit  appears  on  one  side  a  con- 
structed stone  wall.  This  closes  the 
entrance  to  the  third  part  of  the  tomb, 
the  sepulchral  chamber. 

In  this  sepulchral  chamber,  hollowed 
out  of  the  rock,  lay  the  mummied 
body,  protected  from  all  probable 
chances  of  violation  by  the  solid  stone 
sarcophagus,  the  cavern  hewn  deep  into 
the  rock,  and  the  pit  filled  with  com- 
pact debris,  and  with  its  entrance  con- 
cealed from  view.  Here  it  is  no  longer 
a  question  of  this  world,  but  of  the  next, 
and  the  walls  are  consequently  often 
covered  with  passages  from  the  Book 
of  the  Dead,  and  representations  of 
religious  subjects. 

Such  was  the  disposition  of  an  Egyp- 
tian tomb  during  the  earliest  dynasties, 
and  though  many  changes  in  some  of 
the  details  were  made  at  later  epochs, 
the  division  into  three  parts  was  always 
substantially  the  same. 

The  Tomb  of  Tih  is  an  excellent 
specimen  of  an  Old  Empire  tomb. 
The  mastabdh,  or  external  covering  has 
disappeared,  but  the  chambers  within 
are  in  a  wonderfully  good  state  of 
preservation;  and  the  sculptures  on 
the  walls  far  surpass,  if  not  in  variety, 
at  any  rate  in  drawing  and  preser- 
vation, those  at  Beni  Hassan.  That 
they  have  preserved  their  colour  and 
delicacy  of  outline  is  owing,  no  doubt, 
to  their  having  been  so  long  buried  in 
the  sand,  and  one  is  almost  tempted  to 


212 


CAIRO  :  EXCURSIONS  ;  SAKKARAH  J 


Sect.  II. 


wish  that  that  apparent  enemy,  but 
real  friend  to  antiquities  in  Egypt  was 
allowed  to  have  his  way  again,  when 
one  sees  the  cruel  havoc  wrought  by  so 
many  of  those  for  whose  benefit  this 
splendid  old  monument  is  kept  cleared 
and  open.  What  with  the  would-be 
archaeologists,  who  with  their  wet 
squeeze-paper  have  destroyed  in  so 
many  places  the  brilliant  colours  that 
centuiies  had  spared— the  real  but 
ruthless  savans,  who  with  over  eager 
thought  for  their  own  honour  and 
glory, and  for  the  enriching  of  their 
natlVe  museums,  have  not  hesitated  to 
cut  out  and  carry  off  whole  pieces  of 
that  exquisite  sculpture— and  the  horde 
of  vulgar  sightseers,  whose  only  object 
in  going  to  see  anything  seems  to  be 
that  they  may  write  their  names  in 
the  most  disfiguring  manner  possible, 
this  tomb,  beautiful  as  it  still  is, 
presents  a  very  different  aspect  to 
what  it  did  when  first  cleared  of  its 
sandy  shroud.  The  carving  or  writing 
of  names  on  natural  rock,  or  un sculp- 
tured pieces  of  stone  is  a  harmless 
amusement  enough,  but  to  hack  with 
a  knife,  or  blacken  with  pencil,  charred 
wood,  or  paint  (and  all  these,  and 
other  methods  have  been  resorted  to) 
sculptured  and  painted  walls  and 
columns,  are  acts  of  gratuitous  and 
detestable  vandalism,  that  no  langu- 
age is  too  strong  to  condemn. 

In  descending  the  sandy  incline  into 
the  chambers,  it  must  be  remembered 
that  formerly  the  surrounding  plain 
was  on  a  level  with  their  floor,  and  not 
as  now  with  the  top  of  their  walls. 
On  the  two  large  pillars  which  formed 
part  of  the  entrance  fagade  are  the 
names  and  titles  of  the  owner  of  the 
tomb,  from  which  we  learn  that  he 
was  a  priest,  named  Tih,  who  lived 
at  Memphis  under  the  Vth  dynasty. 
Beyond  these  pillars  is  a  court  sur- 
rounded by  a  peristyle.  On  the 
wall  to  the  left  are  depicted  various 
scenes.  Statues  of  Tih,  destined 
to  adorn  his  tomb,  are  being  em- 
barked in  boats  for  transport  to  the 
edge  of  the  desert ;  oxen  are  being 
brought  for  sacrifice  at  the  anniversary 
of  the  funeral  rites ;  one  has  just  been 
seized,  and  men  are  tying  its  legs, 


and  preparing  to  throw  it  on  its  side. 
Oa  the  wall  to  the  right  is  seen  Tih 
himself,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and 
their  sons.  He  is  watching  his 
servants  at  work  in  one  of  his  form 
yards.  Some  are  bringing  on  their 
shoulders  sacks  full  of  grain  for  the 
poultry;  others  are  fattening  the 
birds  by  making  pellets  of  flour  and 
putting  them  down  their  throats. 
Beyond  is  a  picturesque  view  of  the 
farm  buildings ;  the  roofs  are  supported 
by  small  elegantly  carved  wooden 
columns ;  in  the  middle  is  a  pond  in 
which  ducks  are  swimming.  In  the 
distance  are  the  wide  fields,  where  the 
four-footed  animals  are  pastured. 
Among  the  birds  that  Tih  kept  are 
geese,  ducks  of  various  kinds,  Numi- 
dian  cranes,  pigeons,  &c,  while  the 
animals  included  cattle  of  every  size 
and  race,  antelopes,  gazelles,  wild 
goats,  and  others,  in  great  numbers. 
Next  come  the  boats  which  transport 
for  him  along  the  Nile  the  produce  of 
his  land.  They  are  full  of  jars  and 
bales  of  goods.  Iu  the  middle  of  the 
court  is  the  pit  leading  to  the  sepul- 
chral chamber  Curiously  enough  this 
pit  offers  an  exception  to  the  general 
rule,  being  inclined  instead  of  vertical. 
The  sarcophagus  at  the  bottom  is  of 
limestone,  without  inscription. 

Leading  from  this  court  is  a  narrow 
passage  on  the  walls  of  which  are  re- 
presented servants  of  the  house  bring- 
ing offerings  of  all  kinds  for  the 
anniversary  ceremonies ;  some  carry 
fruit,  vegetables,  vases  full  of  .sweet  oil, 
and  perfumes :  others  lead  oxen  to  the 
sacrifice,  as  depicted  in  the  outer  court. 
Further  on,  in  the  same  passage,  some 
men  are  seen  drawing  statues  enclosed 
in  little  temples  of  wood ;  half  a  dozen 
drag  with  cords,  while  one  pours  water 
on  the  earth  to  render  the  passage 
easier.  Next  to  these  again  are  boats 
with  large  sails  and  a  numerous  crew. 
On  the  right  of  the  passage  is  a  small 
chamber,  where  again  is  depicted  the 
bringing  of  offerings  of  all  sorts  and 
kinds.  On  the  end  wall  are  some 
rather  indistinct  scenes :  workmen 
appear  to  be  making  pots,  and  smelt- 
ing large  ingots  composed  of  some  red 
substance. 


Egypt. 


TOMB  OF  TIH. 


213 


At  the  end  of -the  passage  is  the 
principal  chamber,  covered  with  bas- 
reliefs  no  less  remarkable  for  their 
profusion  than  for  the  finish  with 
which  the  different  designs  are  exe- 
cuted. To  describe  all  would  be 
impossible;  it  will  be  sufficient  to 
indicate  some  of  the  most  worthy  of 
notice.  On  the  wall  to  the  right  on 
entering,  Tih  is  depicted  shooting  in 
the  marshes.  He  is  standing  upright 
in  a  light  boat,  holding  decoy-birds  in 
one  hand,  and  with  the  other  he  is 
hurling  a  curved  stick,  which  knocks 
down  and  stuns  the  flying  birds. 
Innumerable  wild  fowl  of  every  kind 
fill  the  air.  In  the  water  beneath  the 
boat  hippopotami  and  crocodiles  are 
floating.  Two  of  them  are  fighting, 
and  the  hippopotamus  is  evidently  the 
victor.  Some  of  the  servants  are  trying 
to  catch  them,  and  a  hippopotamus  is 
just  being  hooked  with  a  sort  of  har- 
poon. This  scene  may  recall  the  verse 
in  Job  xli.  1-2  ;  "  Canst  thou  draw  out 
leviathan  with  an  hook  ?  or  his  tongue 
with  a  cord  which  thou  lettest  down  ? 
Canst  thou  put  an  hook  into  his  nose  ? 
or  bore  his  jaw  through  with  a  thorn." 
The  idea  of  crocodiles  and  hippopotami, 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Memphis 
appears  extraordinary  at  the  present 
day,  but  in  the  time  of  Tih,  no  doubt 
they  were  common  enough  in  that 
part  of  the  river.  Abd-el-Lateef  who 
visited  Egypt  about  1216  a.d.  recounts 
that  hippopotami  abounded  in  the 
Damietta  branch  of  the  Nile,  and  that 
two  of  them  had  committed  such 
depredations  that  an  armed  force  was 
sent  to  destroy  them.  Even  so  late  as 
Mohammed  Ali's  time  a  hippopo- 
tamus was  taken  alive  at  Mansoorah, 
in  the  Delta,  and  killed  on  the  banks. 
Crocodiles  are  still  seen  as  far  North 
as  200  miles  above  Cairo.  Another 
scene  shows  us   Tih   watching  his 

i  servants  fishing.  Crouching  in  the 
bottum  of  their  boats,  some  are  holding 
lines,  while  others  are  dragging  across 
the  l.ottom  of  the  stream  an  enormous 
.  square  net,  within  whose  meshes  the 
fish  are  being  drawn.      The  usual 

'    agricultural  scenes  are  full  of  life  and 

j    spirit.     Cows  are  crossing  a   ford ; 

i    cattle  browse  in  the  meadows ;  herds- 


men are  conducting  home  a  flock  of 
goats.  All  the  phases  of  seed  time 
and  harvest  are  depicted.  Oxen  are 
ploughing ;  the  seed  is  sown ;  the 
corn  is  reaped;  men  with  three- 
pronged  forks  gather  it  into  heaps  ; 
and  oxen  going  round  and  round,  tread 
it  out.  In  another  place  it  is  tied  into 
sheaves,  and  donkeys  are  brought  up 
with  much  fuss  and  use  of  the  stick, 
on  whose  backs  the  sheaves  are  put 
and  carried  away  to  the  farmyard  and 
granaries.  Some  of  these  scenes  are 
drawn  with  inimitable  humour.  In 
another  part  carpenters  are  busy  mak- 
ing furniture  for  the  house,  and  ship- 
wrights labour  at  the  boats  belonging 
to  the  estate. 

It  is  to  be  noticed  that  Tih  is  pre- 
sent at  all  these  varied  scenes ;  seated 
or  standing,  he  is  there  in  the  attitude 
of  command,  while  singers,  dancers, 
acrobats  and  others  perform  for  his 
amusement.  In  fact  every  thing  in 
these  pictures  shows  the  realisation  of 
the  first  petition  in  the  prayer  over 
the  entrance.  Tih  evidently  leads  a 
prosperous  and  happy  life  in  the  midst 
of  these  agricultural  pursuits,  to  which 
the  Egyptians  at  that  epoch  were  de- 
voted. He  is  surrounded  by  his  own 
people,  and  attains,  as  the  inscription 
records,  "  a  fortunate  and  prolonged 
old  age."  "  The  Egyptians,"  says  Dio- 
dorus,  "  call  their  houses  hostelries, 
on  account  of  the  short  period  during 
which  they  inhabit  them,  but  they  call 
their  tombs  eternal  dwelling  places." 
Tih  built  this  tomb  during  his  life- 
time, and  fitted  it  to  be  his  eternal 
dwelling-place,  both  by  the  solidity  of 
its  construction,  and  by  depicting  on 
its  walls  the  scenes  in  which  his  life 
was  passed.  All  those  symbolical 
representations  of  the  life  of  the  soul 
beyond  the  tomb,  which  formed  the 
basis  of  the  Egyptian  faith,  are  absent 
in  the  upper  chambers  of  the  Old 
Empire  sepulchres.  Spiritual  religion 
is  confined  to  the  vault  in  which  the 
mummied  body  reposes,  and  even  then 
is  represented  almost  entirely  by  a 
few  short  quotations  from  the  Book  of 
the  Dead.  It  is  at  a  later  period, 
under  the  New  Empire,  that,  as  seen 
in  the  Tombs  of  the  Kings  at  Thebes, 


214 


CAIEO  :  EXCURSIONS  ;  PYRAMIDS  OP  DASHOOR.       Sect.  II. 


the  walls  of  the  tombs  become  covered 
with  whole  chapters  of  that  book,  and 
with  a  whole  army  of  grotesque  and 
fantastic  divinities. 

The  Tomb  of  Phtali-hotep,  which  lies 
to  the  S.  of  the  Apis  Mausoleum,  may 
sometimes  be  found  cleared  from  sand. 
It  consists  of  one  chamber  only,  the 
walls  of  which  are  covered  with  simi- 
lar scenes  to  those  already  described, 
but  offering  some  very  interesting 
and  curious  peculiarities.  The  sculp- 
tures referring  to  the  presenting  of 
gifts  are  especially  noticeable.  Phtah- 
hotep  is  seated,  and  before  him  passes 
a  regular  procession  of  servants  bring- 
ing offerings.  At  their  head  march 
priests  chanting  sacred  hymns,  while 
other  servants  heap  up  on  a  table  the 
destined  votive  oblations. 

As  has  been  said,  the  whole  sur- 
rounding desert  is  one  vast  sepulchre ; 
and  when  excavations  are  going  on,  and 
as  is  often  the  case,  one  of  the  large 
mausoleums  that  served  as  the  common 
burial  place  for  the  lower  classes  is 
being  turned  out,  the  mass  of  mum- 
mied remains,  sculls,  bones,  hands, 
feet,  swathing  cloths,  &c,  lying  about 
in  weird  confusion,  is  as  remarkable 
as  it  is  unpleasant.  Many  of  these 
burial  places  were  large  enough  to 
hold  hundreds  of  bodies;  they  were 
laid  side  by  side  on  a  series  of  shelves, 
without  any  covering  except  the 
thick  bands  in  which  they  were 
wrapped;  and  it  is  wonderful  to 
see  them  lying  there,  so  wonderfully 
preserved  through  many  hundreds  of 
years. 

On  the  way  back  to  Bedreskayn  the 
visitor  may  turn  aside  to  look  at  a 
tomb  of  the  time  of  Psammetichus  I. 
(cir.  650  b.c),  in  the  face  of  the  rocky 
platform,  near  the  cultivated  land. 
It  is  built  of  hewn  stone  and  vaulted, 
and  affords  one  of  the  earliest  instances 
of  stone  arches.  That  style  of  building 
was  known  to  the  Egyptians  long 
before  that  period,  crude  brick  arches 
having  been  found  at  Thebes  dating 
from  the  time  of  the  VHIth  dynasty. 

From  the  middle  of  March  to  the 
middle  of  April,  the  cultivated  land 
along  the  edge  of  the  desert,  in  the 


neighbourhood  of  Sakkarah,  swarms 
with  quail. 

(I)  Pyramids  of  Dasltdor.  —  These 
pyramids  cannot  be  brought  into  the 
day's  excursion  to  Sakkarah;  though 
they  might  perhaps  fail  into  the  two- 
days'  excursion  to  the  Pyramids  and 
Sakkarah,  sketched  out  above.  They 
present  nothing  of  interest,  how- 
ever, to  repay  the  generality  of  travel- 
lers. They  are  situated  about  3  miles 
from  Sakkarah,  and  mark,  perhaps, 
the  southern  limit  of  the  Necropolis  of 
Memphis.  Two  are  of  stone,  and  two 
brick.  The  northernmost  of  the  two 
stone  ones  measures,  according  to  Col. 
H.  Vyse,  700  ft.  square,  having  been 
originally  nearly  720  ft.,  only  forty 
less  than  the  Great  Pyramid;  but  its 
height  was  only  342  ft.  7  in.  of  which 
326  ft.  remain.  It  has  three  subter- 
ranean chambers,  one  beyond  another, 
in  which  the  stones  forming  the  sides 
project  one  before  the  other  as  they 
rise,  so  that  at  the  roof  they  nearly 
meet.  The  southernmost  stone  pyra- 
mid presents  the  peculiarity  of  being 
built  at  two  different  angles,  the  lower 
part  at  54°  14'  46",  the  upper  at  42° 
59'  26" :  it  consequently  presents  the 
appearance  of  a  pointed  pyramid, 
resting  on  a  truncated  one.  There  is 
a  subterranean  chamber  80  ft.  in  height, 
contracted  in  the  same  manner  as  in 
the  other  pyramid.  In  the  passage  are 
some  hieroglyphics  of  doubtful  mean- 
ing. 

The  two  brick  pyramids  are  very 
much  degraded.  The  northernmost, 
which  was,  according  to  Col.  H.  Vyse, 
350  ft.  square,  and  215  ft.  6  in.  high 
is  now  reduced  to  less  than  90  ft.  in 
height;  and  the  southernmost  from 
being  342  ft.  6  in.  square,  and  267  ft. 
4  in.  high  is  now  only  156  ft.  high. 
The  bricks,  which  are  crude,  are 
about  sixteen  inches  long,  eight  wide, 
and  four  and  a  half  to  five  and  a  half 
thick,  some  with  and  some  without 
straw.  Although  the  outer  part  of 
the  pyramid  has  crumbled  away,  the 
way  in  which  the  bricks  have  kept 
their  place  in  what  remains  shows 
how  well  it  was  originally  constructed. 
Herodotus  tells  us  that,  according  to 


ROUTE  7.— CAIRO  TO  THE  SUEZ  CANAL.  215 


Egypt. 

the  priests,  a  King  named  Asychis, 
the  same  who  built  the  most  beautiful 
of  the  four  gateways  of  Phtah  at 
Memphis,  succeeded  Mycerimis,  and 
that,  desirous  of  eclipsing  all  his  pre- 
decessors, he  left  a  pyramid  of  brick, 
as  a  monument  of  his  reign,  with  the 
following  boastful  inscription  en- 
graved on  the  stone :  "  Despise  me  not 
in  comparison  with  the  stone  pyramids ; 
for  I  surpass  them  all,  as  much  as  Zeus 
surpasses  the  other  gods.  A  pole  was 
plunged  into  a  lake,  and  the  mud 
which  clave  thereto  was  gathered; 
and  bricks  were  made  of  the  mud,  and 
so  I  was  formed."  Which  of  the  brick 
pyramids  still  standing  bore  this  in- 
scription is  uncertain,  but  it  is  probably 
one  of  these  two,  or  of  the  two  in  the 
Fyoom,  at  Illahoon  and  Howarah. 
There  are  no  inscriptions  by  which 
the  age  of  either  of  these  brick  pyra- 
mids can  be  fixed.  Asychis  is  con- 
jectured to  have  been .  Sheshonk  I. 
(Shishak),  of  the  XXVIth  dynasty. 
The  exterior  of  these  brick  pyra- 
mids has  been  cased  with  blocks  of 
stone,  some  of  which  still  remain.  In 
front  of  the  northernmost  one  are  the 
remains  of  a  temple ;  on  some  of  the 
fragments  are  hieroglyphics. 

Large  groves  of  sont,  or  acanthus, 
extend  along  the  edges  of  the  culti- 
vated land  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Sakkarah  and  Dashdor,  and  have  suc- 
ceeded to  those  mentioned  by  Strabo ; 
though  the  town  of  Acanthus,  if  Dio- 
dorus  is  right  in  his  distance  of  120 
stadia  from  Memphis,  stood  much 
further  to  the  S. 


ROUTE  7. 

CAIEO  TO  THE  SUEZ  CANAL,  BY  ISMATLIA, 
LAKE  TIMS  AH,  THE  BITTEE  LAKES. 
SUEZ,  AND  POET  SAID. 

a.  Hints  for  the  Excursion.—?).  Cairo 
to  Suez.—  c.  Town  of  Suez.  —  d. 
Egyptian  coast  of  Eed  Sea. — e.  An- 
cient canals  of  communication  be- 
tween the  Mediterranean  and  Eed 
Seas. — /.  Various  modern  projects 
for  connecting  the  two  Seas. — g.  Fi- 
nancial and  political  history  of  the 
present  Maritime  Suez  Canal.—  ft. 
Suez  to  Port  Said  by  the  Canal. 

a.  Hints  for  the  Excursion. — This 
excursion  will  occupy  from  4  days  to 
a  week.  Those  who  are  going  to  Mount 
Sinai  or  Syria  will  be  able  to  take  it 
on  their  way,  and  so  save  time.  The 
best  plan  to  pursue  is  to  go  direct  from 
Cairo  to  Suez  by  rail.  This  will  oc- 
cupy the  best  part  of  1  day,  leaving 
perhaps  time  after  arriving  at  Suez  to 
look  about  the  town,  and  pay  a  visit 
to  the  Fresh  Water  Canal.  The  next 
day  may  be  devoted  to  inspecting  the 
new  docks  and  breakwater,  the  en- 
trance to  the  Maritime  Canal,  &c. ;  and 
those  whose  curiosity  on  these  points 
is  soon  satisfied,  and  who  are  energetic, 
may  manage  a  visit  to  the  wells  of 
Moses  in  the  same  day ;  otherwise 
these  must  be  left  to  the  morrow. 
Leave  Suez  on  the  3rd  or  4th  day,  as 
the  case  may  be,  and  return  to  Ismailia 
by  train,  or,  if  possible,  in  a  steamer 
through  the  Maritime  Canal,  which  is 
well  worth  traversing  in  this  part,  for 
the  purpose  of  seeing  the  cutting  of 
Shaloof,  and  the  Bitter  Lakes.  The 
remainder  of  the  day  after  arriving  at 
Ismailia   may  be  fully  occupied  in 


216 


EOUTE  7. — CAIRO  TO  THE  SUEZ  CANAL. 


Sect.  IT. 


visiting  different  points  of  interest,  fled  from  Antiochus,  king  of  Syria, 
which  will  be  specified  further  on.  took  refuge  at  Alexandria  in  the  time 
On  the  following  morning  leave  by  j  of  Ptolemy  Philometer.  Seeing  that 
the  early  post-boat  for  Port  Said.  The  1  Judaea  was  oppressed  by  the  Mace- 
stay  at  Port  Said,  and  the  time  of  {  donian  kings,  and  being  desirous  to 
leaving,  will  depend  upon  the  direction  acquire  celebrity,  he  resolved  to  ask 
in  which  the  traveller's  road  lies;  leave  of  Ptolemy  and  Cleopatra  ti 
whether  he  is  g^ing  on  by  sea  to  Syria  build  a  temple  in  Egypt,  like  that  of 
or  to  Alexandria,  or  whether  he  is  re-  j  Jerusalem,  and  to  ordain  Levites  and 
turning  by  land  to  Alexandria  or  priests  out  of  their  own  stock.  To 
Cairo,  or  going  by  the  short  desert  to  this  he  was  also  stimulated  by  a  pro- 
Syria.  If  he  is  going  anywhere  by  1  phecy  of  Isaiah,  who  predicted  that 
sea,  he  will  have  timed  his  move-  ;  there  should  be  a  temple  in  Egypt 
ments  so  as  to  suit  the  departures  of  built  by  a  Jew.  He  therefore  wrote 
the  steamers  :  if  he  is  returning  to  J  to  Ptolemy,  expressing  this  wish,  and 
Lower  Egypt  by  land,  he  can  take  the  saying  he  had  found  a  very  fit  place 
daily  post-boat  to  Ismailia  :  and  if  he  in  a  castle  that  received  its  name  from 
is  going  by  the  desert,  he  will  have  the  country,  Diana.  He  represented 
arranged  for  his  camels  either  to  wait  it  as  abounding  with  sacred  animals, 
for  him  at  Ismailia,  or  meet  him  at  full  of  materials  fallen  down,  and 
Kantara.  Those  who  are  going  to  belonging  to  no  master.  He  also  in- 
Sinai  had  better  go  in  the  first  in-  timated  to  the  king  that  the  Jews 
stance  to  Port  Said,  and  thence  to  j  would  thereby  be  induced  to  collect  in 
Suez,  taking  Ismailia  either  going  to  Egypt,  and  assist  him  against  Anti- 
or  returning  from  Port  Said.  No  dra-  ochus.  Ptolemy,  after  expressing  his 
goman  is  required,  nor  need  any  pre-  ;  surprise  that  the  God  of  the  Jews 
paration  be  made  for  this  excursion,  1  should  be  pleased  to  have  a  temple 
as  there  are  very  fair  hotels  at  Ismailia,  built  in  a  place  so  unclean,  and  so  full 
Port  Said,  and  Suez, — the  two  first  of  sacred  animals,  granted  him  per- 
French,  and  the  last  English, — and  mission ;  and  the  temple  was  accord- 
their  commissionaires  will  be  found  ing  erected,  though  smaller  and  poorer 
at  the  stations.  j  than  that  of  Jerusalem.  Josephus 

'  afterwards  states  that  the  place  was 

b.  Cairo  to  Suez  by  Railway,  150  m.  i  180  stades  distant  from  Memphis;  that 
— The  train  for  Suez  leaves  the  central  |  the  nome  was  called  of  Heliopolis ;  the 
terminus  stat.  near  the  Shoobra  road  temple  was  like  a  tower  (in  height  ?), 
every  morning  about  9  a.m.  For  the  of  large  stones,  and  60  cubits  high ;  the 
exact  time  refer  to  the  local  time-table,  entire  temple  was  encompassed  by  a 

|  wall  of  bm-nt  brick,  with  gates  of  stone. 

Kalioob  Stat.,  10  m.  The  train  here  In  lieu  of  the  candlestick  he  made  a 
leaves  the  main  line  to  Alexandria  lamp  of  gold,  suspended  by  a  golden 
(lite.  6),  and  turns  off  eastward,  pass-  chain.  Such  is  the  substance  of  the 
ing  through  a  fertile  country  to  not  very  clear  description  given  by 

Shibeen  el  Kanater  Stat.,  llf  m.  Josephus.  It  is  sufficient  to  settle  the 
About  a  mile  from  this  village  are  position  of  the  place ;  and  we  may  sup- 
some  ruins  called  Tel  el  YahuodeJi,  pose  that  Onias  chose  this  neighbour- 
"  the  Mound  of  the  Jew."  They  are  hood  for  other  reasons,  which  he  could 
supposed  to  mark  the  site  of  the  city  not  venture  to  explain  to  an  Egyptian 
founded  by  the  high-priest  Onias,  and  king  surrounded  by  Egyptians;  per- 
called  after  him  Onion  or  Onia  (Metro-  haps  because  it  had  associations  con- 
polis  Onias.)  nected  with  the  abode  of  the  ancestors 

Josephus  gives  a  curious  account  of  of  the  Jews  in  Egypt,  whence  they 
the  foundation  of  Onion,  and  the  started  with  a  high  hand,  and  freed 
building  of  the  temple  there.  The  themselves  from  the  bondage  of  Pha- 
son  of  Onias  the  high-priest,  who  bore  raoh. 

the  same  name  as  his  father,  having      Other  Jewish  cities  seem  afterwards 


Egypt. 


BOUTE  7.  CAIRO  TO  SUEZ  BY  RAILWAY. 


217 


to  have  been  built  in  this  district ;  and  ' 
these  whose  mounds  still  remain,  and 
are  known  at  the  present  day  by  the 
same  title  as  the  one  under  considera- 
tion, are  probably  of  the  "  five  cities  in  ! 
the  land  of  Egypt,"  which,  according  : 
to  Isaiah,  were  "  to  .-peak  the  language 
of  Canaan."    They  continued  to  be 
inhabited  by  Jews  till  a  lute  period.  1 
It  was  from  them  that  Mithridates  of 
Pergamus  received  so  much  assistance,  1 
when  on  his  way  to  assist  J.  Caesar ; 
and  the  500  who  were  embarked  by 
iElius  Gallus  against  Arabia  appear 
to  have  been  from  the  same  district. 
And  though  Vespasian,  after  the  tak- 
ing of  Jerusalem,  had  suppressed  their 
religious  meetings  in  the  Heliopolite 
nome,  they  continued  to  be  established 
in  many  parts  of  Egypt,  independently 
of  the  large  quarter  they  possessed  in 
Alexandria,   from  which  they  were 
expelled  by  the  persecutions  of  the 
orthodox  Cyril. 

Beyond  ihe  crumbling  crude-brick 
mounds,  which  can  be  seen  from  the 
railway  rising  to  a  considerable  height, 
and  rendered  especially  conspicuous 
by  the  pinnacle-like  shape  they  have 
in  so  many  instances  assumed,  nothing 
of  anv  interest  had  been  found  at  Tel 
el  "Yahoodeh  till  J  870,  when  the  fel- 
laheen of  the  neighbourhood,  while 
engaged  in  carrying  away  the  brick- 
dust,  which  from  the  quantity  of  nitre 
it  contains  forms  a  valuable  top-dress- 
ing to  the  soil,  came  across  the  re- 
mains of  what  had  evidently  been  a 
magnificent  palace.  Unfortunately  no 
information  was  given  to  the  proper 
authorities  of  this  discovery,  and 
everything  was  destroyed  and  broken 
up,  or  allowed  to  pass  into  the  hands 
of  petty  dealers  in  antiquities.  The 
remains  were  apparently  those  of  a 
large  hall  paved  with  white  alabaster 
slabs ;  the  walls  were  covered  with  a 
variety  of  encaustic  bricks  and  tiles  ; 
many  of  the  biicks  were  of  most 
i  beautiful  workmanship,  the  hiero- 
glyphics in  some  being  laid-in  in  glass. 
The  tiles  are  round,  varying  in  size, 
colour,  and  pattern.  The  capitals  of 
the  columns  were  inlaid  with  brilliant 
coloured  mosaics,  and  a  pattern  in 
mosaics  ran  round  the  cornice.  Alto- 


gether  it  must  have  been  a  splendid 
apartment.  Some  of  the  bricks  are 
inlaid  with  the  oval  of  Kameses  TI.  ■ 
and  if  the  building  is  to  be  referred,  as 
other  circumstances  seem  to  show  it 
may  be,  to  his  reign,  the  extra- 
ordinary freshness  of  the  colours  is 
a  matter  for  surprise  considering 
the  material  in  which  they  have  lain 
imbedded.  Within  the  area  of  the 
hall  were  2  red  granite  pedestals. 
A  few  yards  to  the  VV.  is  a  large 
bath  hollowed  out  of  a  solid  piece  of 
limestone,  with  steps  cut  out  of  the 
interior,  and  cl  se  to  it  a  plunging- 
bath,  with  signs  of  more  alabaster 
pavement.  Still  further  to  the  W.  is 
a  large  fragment  of  limestone,  covered 
with  well-executed  sculptures.  Ba- 
rneses II.  is  seated,  and  2  figures,  a 
male  and  a  female,  are  offering  him 
a  sort  of  circular  fan,  representing  ap- 
parently a  bush  or  tree  with  the  tau 
or  emblem  of  life  in  it ;  the  female  is 
grasping  a  papyrus  stem ;  Barneses' 
outstretched  right  hand  holds  a  lotus. 
The  original  hieroglyphs  in  some  parts 
appear  to  have  been  covered  with 
plaster,  in  which  fresh  inscriptions 
have  been  cut.  Scattered  about  the 
crude-brick  mounds,  which  are  of  large 
extent,  are  various  other  stone  remains. 
Beport  speaks  of  a  Hebrew  inscrip- 
tion, but  it  has  not  yet  been  discovered. 
The  view  from  the  top  of  the  mounds 
is  very  pretty.  To  the  S.  are  seen  the 
Pyramids  and  Cairo,  with  the  citadel 
standing  prominently  out  at  the  pro- 
jecting angle  of  the  Mokattam  hills  ; 
in  the  same  direction  is  the  obelisk  of 
Heliopolis.  A  short  distance  to  the 
E.  stretches  the  desert;  while  to  the 
N.  and  W.  lies  some  of  the  most  fertile 
and  richly  wooded  land  in  Egypt.  In 
the  months  of  January  and  February, 
when  the  plain  is  brightly  green  with 
the  growing  crops,  and  the  foliage  of 
the  trees,  which  are  unusually  abun- 
dant in  this  part  and  add  so  much  to 
the  beauty  of  the  landscape,  is  in  full 
luxuriance,  a  prettier  bit  of  scenery, 
or  one  more  unlike  the  typical  Egyp- 
tian paysnge,  can  hardly  be  imagined. 

The  best  way  of  seeing  Tel  el  Ya- 
hoodeh  is  to  take  the  train  from  Cairo 
in  the  morning  to  Shibeen  el  Ka- 
L 


J 


218 


KOUTE  7.  CAIRO  TO  THE  SUEZ  CANAL. 


Sect.  II. 


nater,  and  return  by  the  afternoon 
train,  which  passes  about  4  p.m. 

Continuing  our  journey  through  a 
very  fertile  and  wooded  country,  quite 
different  in  aspect  from  the  monoto- 
nous plain  through  which  the  rly. 
passes  between  Alexandria  and  Cairo, 
we  reach 

Belbeis  Stat,  17|  m.  This  village 
is  the  successor  of  Bubastis  Agria,  in 
Coptic,  Phelbes.  Near  it  passed  the 
ancient  canal  that  led  to  the  Bitter 
Lakes  and  thence  to  the  Bed  Sea, 
whose  bed  may  still  be  traced  for  a 
considerable  distance  in  that  direction. 
The  new  Fresh-Water  Canal  from  Cairo, 
which  is  to  join  the  old  one  from  Za- 
gazig  to  Ismailia  and  Suez,  and  so 
provide  water  communication  between 
Cairo  and  the  Bed  Sea,  passes  by 
Belbeis,  and  follows  in  fact  the  course 
of  the  old  one  above  mentioned.  Pass- 
ing by 

Bordein  Stat.,  6  m.,  the  line  just 
before  reaching  Zagazig  runs  close 
to  the  ruins  of  the  ancient  town  of 
Bubastis,  now  called  Tel  Basta. 

Bubastis,  in  the  hieroglyphs  written 
Bahest,  Bast,  Ha-bahest,  the  Pibeseth 
of  the  Bible,  and  called  in  Coptic 
Poubaste,  derived  its  name,  as  is  ap- 
parent under  all  of  the  above  forms, 
including  the  modern  name,  from  the 
goddess  Pasht,  to  whom  the  principal 
temple  was  dedicated.  It  was  situated 
on  the  W.  bank  of  the  Pelusiac  or  Bu- 
bastite  branch  of  the  Nile,  and  was 
one  of  the  most  ancient  cities  of  Egypt. 
It  was  of  considerable  importance  as 
far  back  as  the  XVIIIth  dynasty; 
but  it  rose  to  its  greatest  height 
under  the  XXIInd  dynasty,  whose 
first  king,  Sheshonk  I.  (Shishak), 
having  conquered  Thebes,  united  in 
his  person  the  crown  of  Upper  and 
Lower  Egypt,  and  fixed  the  seat  of 
power  at  his  native  town  Bubastis. 
Under  Amasis  of  the  XXVIth  the  east- 
ern branches  of  the  Nile  were  neglected 
for  the  purpose  of  bringing  the  foreign 
trade  to  Sais  on  the  Canopic  branch, 
and  Bubastrs,  with  Tanis  and  Mendes, 
gradually  declined ;  but  it  retained 


enough  magnificence  to  excite  the  ad- 
miration of  Herodotus  when  he  visited 
it  a  few  years  later.    He  describes  it 
as  standing   higher  than  any  other 
place  in  Egypt,  and  ascribes  this  to 
the  fact  that  at  one   time  capital 
punishments  were  abolished  in  Egypt, 
and  the  criminal,  "  according  to  the 
nature  of  his  offence,  set  to  raise  the 
ground  in  a  greater  or  less  degree  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  the  city  to  which 
he  belonged" — a  statement  which,  if 
true,  would  make  it  appear  that  the 
people  of  the  Bubastite  nome  did  not 
enjoy  a  verv  good  reputation,  since 
their  capital  was  raised  more  than 
that  of  any  other  town.    The  beauty 
of  the  temple  of  "the  goddess  Bu- 
bastis" (Pasht)  induced  him  to  give 
an  unusually  minute  description  of  it. 
"  Other  temples,"  he  says,  "  may  be 
grander,  and  may  have  cost  more  in  the 
building,  but  there  is  none  so  pleasant 
to  the  eye  as  this  of  Bubastis."  He 
then  proceeds  to  describe  it.    "  The 
temple  forms  a  peninsula  surrounded 
by  water  on  all  sides  except  that  by 
which  you  enter.    Two  canals  from 
the  Nile  conduct  the  water  to  the 
entrance  by  separate  channels  without 
uniting,  and  then,  diverging  in  oppo- 
site directions,  fio  w  round  it  to  the  rt. 
and  1.    They  are  each  100  ft.  broad, 
and  shaded  with  trees.    The  gateway 
is  60  ft.  in  height,  and  is  ornamented 
with  beautiful  figures  6  cubits  (9  ft.) 
high.    The  temple  is  in  the  middle  of 
the  town  ;  and  as  you  walk  round  you 
look  down  upon  it  on  every  side ;  for 
the  town  having  been  considerably 
raised,  while  the  temple  continues  on 
the  same  level  where  it  was  originally 
founded,  entirely  commands  it.    It  is 
surrounded  by  a  wall  of  circuit,  sculp- 
tured with  figures,  containing  a  grove 
of  very  large  trees  planted  round  the 
body  of  the  temple  itself,  in  which  is 
the  statue  of  the  goddess.   The  length 
and  breadth  of  the  whole  temple  mea- 
sures a  furlong.    At  the  entrance  is  a 
way  paved  with  stones  about  3  furlongs 
long,  and  about  4  plethra  broad,  planted 
on  either  side  with  very  lofty  trees, 
which,  after  crossing  the  market-place 
in  an  easterly  direction,  leads  to  the 
temple  of  Hermes." 


Egypt 


ROUTE  7.  — BUBASTIS — ZAGAZIG. 


219 


"  This  account  of  the  position  of  the 
temple  of  Buhastis  is  very  accurate. 
The  height  of  the  mound,  the  site  of 
the  temple  in  a  low  space  beneath  the 
houses,  from  which  you  look  down 
upon  it,  are  the  very  peculiarities 
which  any  one  would  remark  on  visit- 
ing the  remains  of  Tel  Basta.  One 
street,  which  Herodotus  mentions  as 
leading  to  the  temple  of  Mercury,  is 
quite  apparent,  and  his  length  of  3 
stadia  (furlongs)  falls  short  of  its  real 
length,  which  is  2250  feet.  On  the 
way  is  the  square  he  speaks  of,  900 
feet  from  the  temple  of  Pasht  (Bubastis), 
and  apparently  200  feet  broad,  though 
now  much  reduced  in  size  by  the  fallen 
materials  of  the  houses  that  sur- 
rounded it.  Some  fallen  blocks  mark 
the  position  of  the  temple  of  Mercury 
(Hermes),  but  the  remains  of  that  of 
Pasht  are  rather  more  extensive,  and 
show  that  it  measured  about  500  feet 
in  length.  We  may  readily  credit  the 
assertion  of  Herodotus  respecting  its 
beauty,  since  the  whole  was  of  the 
finest  red  granite,  and  was  surrounded 
by  a  sacred  enclosure  about  600  feet 
square,  beyond  which  was  a  larger 
circuit,  measuring  940  feet  by  1200, 
containing  the  minor  one  and  the  canal 
he  mentions,  and  once  planted,  like 
the  other,  with  a  grove  of  trees.  .  .  . 
Amidst  the  houses  on  the  N.W.  side 
are  the  thick  walls  of  a  fort,  which 
protected  the  temple  below;  and  to 
the  E.  of  the  town  is  a  large  open 
space,  enelosed  by  a  wall,  now  con- 
verted into  mounds." — Rawlinson's 
f  Herodotus.'  The  historic  names  found 
among  the  sculptures  are  those  of 
Rameses  II.,  Osorkon  I.,  and  Amyr- 
taeus.  The  name  of  the 
goddess  Pasht,  the  lion  or 
cat-headed  deity  whom  the 
Greeks  identified  with  Ar- 
temis, is  spelt  thus 

In  these  and  other  ruins  of  the 
Delta  certain  peculiarities  may  be 
observed,  in  which  they  differ  from 
those  of  Upper  Egypt.  In  the  latter 
the  walls  of  the  temples  are  sandstone, 
and  the  columns  built  of  several 
pieces,  and  granite  is  confined  to  obe- 
lisks, statues,  doorways,  and  to  the 
adyta  of  some  remarkable  monuments ; 


in  the  Delta  the  temples  themselves 
are  in  great  part  built  of  granite,  and 
the  porticoes  and  vestibules  have  co- 
lumns of  a  single  block  of  the  same 
materials. 

Zagazig  ( Zakazeek )  Jund.  Stat., 
7  m.  (Branch  lines  to  Benha,  on 
Alexandria  and  Cairo  main  line,  24  m. ; 
and  to  Mansoorah,  40  m.)  A  stop- 
page is  made  here  of  half  an  hour  or 
more ;  and  a  very  good  luncheon  can 
be  obtained  at  the  restaurant  in  the 
station.  There  is  nothing  at  Zagazig 
to  detain  the  ordinary  traveller,  nor, 
indeed,  are  there  any  great  facilities 
for  a  stay  there ;  but  any  one  who  is 
disposed  to  examine  the  neighbour- 
ing ruins  of  Bubastis,  or  shoot  snipe 
and  wildfowl  in  the  early  part  of  the 
year  in  some  marshes  not  far  off,  can 
generally  make  arrangements  for  board 
and  lodging  with  the  station-master. 
Zagazig  itself  presents  no  object  of 
interest.  It  has  risen  considerably  in 
importance  within  the  last  few  years, 
and  has  become  the  centre  of  the  trade 
of  the  surrounding  district,  and  of  the 
railway  system  in  the  east  of  the  Delta. 
A  good  many  Europeans  live  in  the 
town,  and  it  boasts  a  certain  number 
of  respectable-looking  houses.  An  old 
bridge  and  sluices  mark  the  end  of 
the  Moez  canal,  which  leaves  the 
Damietta  branch  of  the  Nile  a  little 
below  Benha.  On  the  other  side  of 
the  bridge  begins  the  canal  which 
leads  to  San,  the  ancient  Tanis,  and 
follows  in  its  course  the  bed  of  the 
old  Tanitic  branch. 

After  leaving  Zagazig,  the  railway 
follows  more  or  less  closely  the  di- 
rection of  the  Fresh -Water  Canal, 
which  is  the  modern  representative, 
during  part  of  its  course,  of  the  canal 
cut  by  the  ancients  to  serve  as  a  means 
of  communication  between  the  Nile 
and  the  Red  Sea,  and  known  by  dif- 
ferent names  at  different  epochs.  The 
history  of  this  canal  will  be  found  pre- 
ceding the  description  of  the  Suez 
Canal.  Passing  through  a  rich  and 
fertile  country  we  reach 

Aboo-Hamed  Stat.,  10  m.  From  this 
point  the  railway  may  be  said  to  form 
l  2 


220 


EOUTE  7.  CAIRO  TO  THE  SUEZ  CANAL. 


Sect.  II. 


the  line  between  the  cultivated  land  | 
and  the  desert.  On  the  one  side  are 
nothing  but  sandy  hillocks,  stretching 
away  to  the  horizon,  while  on  the 
other,  .a  short  distance  from,  if  not 
close  to,  the  line,  is  luxuriant  vegeta- 
tion, produced  and  nurtured  by  the 
life-giving  canal.  Aboo-Hamecl  is  a 
pretty  village,  and  one  of  the  stations 
on  the  caravan  route  between  Egypt 
and  Syria  via  Salaheeyah. 

Tel  el  Kebeer  Stat,  7  m.,  a  charm- 
ingly situated  village,  in  the  centre  of 
the  fertile  district  called  El  Wady.  or 
Wady  et  Toomilat.  This  district,  which 
gives  its  name  to  this  part  of  the  canal, 
was  purchased  by  the  Suez  Canal 
Company  of  Said  Pasha  for  74,O0OL 
and  during  the  short  time  in  which 
it  was  their  property,  great  agri- 
cultural improvements  were  begun. 
In  1863,  however,  it  was  resold  to 
the  Egyptian  Government,  in  accord- 
ance with  the  terms  of  the  Emperor 
Napoleon's  award,  for  400,000Z.  The 
line  does  not  again  approach  the  cul- j 
tivated  land  till  passing  the  village  of 
Gassaseen,  or  Bas  el  Wady,  which 
forms  the  extreme  point  of  the  Wady 
district,  and  almost  the  easternmost 
limit  of  the  Delta.  Here,  too,  was  the 
end  of  the  Fresh- Water  Canal  above 
mentioned,  until  the  continuation  of  it 
in  18ti0  by  the  Suez  Canal  Company 
to  Ismailia,  and  subsequently  to  Suez. 

Mahsamdh  Stat,   14  m.     In  the 
neighbourhood  is  a    lake,  formerly 
filled  with  water   during   the  high 
Nile,  and  now  utilised  by  the  Fresh- 
Water  Canal,  which  at  this  point  leaves 
the  railway  and  passes,  at  some  dis- 
tance to  the  right,  a  place  called  Tel  < 
el  Masroota.    The  French  have  given  ! 
this  place  the  name  of  Barneses,  con-  \ 
siderin^r  that  it  marks  the  site  of  the  j 
town   of  that   name,  mentioned   in  j 
the  Biblical  narrative  as  one  of  the  1 
store-cities   built   by  the  Israelites 
for  the  Pharaoh  that  first  oppressed 
them  (Ex.  i.  11),  and  also  as  the 
starting-point   of  their  journey  into 
the  wilderness.   We  are  \\ere  in  fact 
in  the  very  centre  of  the  Land  of 
Goshen,  of  which  Bubastis,  and  per- 


haps Tanis,  marked  the  limits  on  the 
west.  The  fact  of  its  being  apparently 
called  indifferently  the  Land  of  Goshen 
(Gen.  xlvii.  6)  and  the  Land  of  Bam- 
eses  (Gen.  xlvii.  11)  seems  to  favour 
the  supposition  that  Kameses,  or  Ba- 
amses,  was  the  centre  and  capital  of 
the  district  which  went  by  either  of 
these  two  names.  There  are  no  remains 
at  Eameses  worth  a  visit.  The  only 
thing  of.  note  hitherto  found  among 
the  heaps  of  pottery  and  broken  frag- 
ments is  a  granite  monolith  having 
the  name  of  Eameses  II.  Now  that, 
by  means  of  the  canal,  Nile  water  is 
once  more  brought  through  this  dis- 
trict, the  only  thing  wanting  to  rescue 
it  from  its  desert  state,  and  make  it  as 
fertile  as  of  old,  is  inhabitants.  The 
gardens  near  theAbbasseeyahat  Cairo, 
and  those  at  Ismailia,  are  a  sufficient 
proof  of  what  can  be  done  by  irrigating 
the  desert  with  Nile  water. 

Neficlie  Stat,  11  m.  (Short  branch 
to  Ismailia,  m.)  The  special  trains 
carrying  the  overland  passengers  be- 
tween Suez  and  Alexandria  go  on 
direct,  but  the  daily  ordinary  trains 
run  into  Ismailia,  and  then  back  again 
to  the  junction  at  Nefiche.  The  Fresh- 
Water  Canal  also  divides  at  Nefiche, 
one  part  continuing  to  Ismailia,  and 
thence  through  two  locks,  gaining  the 
level  of  the  Maritime  Canal,  and  the 
other  1  iranching  off  to  Suez.  From  Ne- 
fiche is  obtained  the  first  view  of  Lake 
Timsah,  a  description  of  which  will 
more  properly  enter  into  the  account 
of  the  Suez  Canal. 

Ismailia  (pronounced  Isir.aileeyah). 
Hotel  cles  Voyageurs ;  fair  food  and 
accommodation.  The  house  is  very 
well  situated,  at  a  short  distance  from 
the  railway  station,  and  commanding 
a  fine  view  over  Lake  Timsah.  As 
Ismailia  owes  its  raison  d'etre  entirely 
to  the  Suez  Canal,  its  description  will 
be  more  appropriately  reserved  for  the 
account  of  that  work.  The  following 
extracts  from  two  letters  describing 
journeys  to  Ismailia  in  1863  and  1869 
respectively,  may  be  inserted  here  as 
interesting  to  the  traveller  of  the  pre- 
sent day. 


Egypt. 


ROUTE  7.  ISMAILIA. 


221 


"Feb.  20,  1863.  —  Leaving  Alex- 
andria early  in  the  morning,  I  arrived 
at  Benha  about  three  in  the  afternoon. 
There  I  had  to  wait  two  hours  for  the 
train  to  Zagazig.  I  spent  them  seated 
in  the  dust,  beneath  a  solitary  tree, 
close  to  the  line  —  the  only  waiting- 
room.  On  the  road  to  Zagazig  a  more 
serious  contretemps  occurred.  The 
engine-driver,  wanting  to  make  up  for 
lost  time,  put  on  full  speed,  but  after 
a  few  minutes  at  a  headlong  rate,  dur- 
ing which  we  were  jerked  and  swayed 
about  most  unpleasantly,  the  speed 
began  to  slacken,  and  all  at  once  the 
train  came  to  a  dead  stop.  A  carriage 
had  gut  off  the  rails.  The  delay  caused 
by  this  accident  made  us  too  late  for 
the  dahabeeah  which  leaves  Zagazig 
every  evening  for  Ismailia.  Heaven 
save  you  from  having  to  ^pend  a  night 
at  Zagazig  !  A  wretched  hotel,  uneat- 
able food,  a  bed  which  the  humblest 
pot-house  would  be  ashamed  to  offer 
to  its  customers,  and  to  complete  the 
misery,  swarms  of  inusquitoes  buzzing 
in  your  ears  and  riddling  you  with 
bites— such  is  the  fare  reserved  for 
the  unlucky  traveller  whom  circum- 
stances may  have  compelled  to  stop  in 
this  place.  A  sleepless  night,  and  a 
day  passed  in  waiting  for  the  depar- 
ture of  the  Company's  boat,  had  al- 
ready made  me  feel  out  of  sorts ;  and 
a  voyage  of  seventeen  hours  in  the 
barge  set  apart  by  the  transport  ser- 
vice for  the  use  of  travellers,  was  not 
calculated  to  put  me  right  again.  The 
boat  is  towed  by  two  camels,  whose 
drivers  never  think  of  paying  the  least 
attention  to  anything  but  their  beast, 
and  as  the  steerer  is  often  asleep,  the 
tow-rope  is  continually  catching  in 
bushes,  stakes,  sakeeyahs,  and  all  sorts 
of  obstacles,  so  that  there  are  continu- 
ally sudden  shocks  and  bumps  against 
the  bank  ;  indeed  dahabeeahs  have 
been  known  to  suffer  shipwreck  while 
engaged  at  this  little  game,  to  the 
great  astonishment  of  the  occupants 
thus  suddenly  condemned  to  an  in- 
voluntary cold  bath. 

"  At  last  we  arrived  at  the  end  of 
the  canal.  Ten  or  a  dozen  boats  and 
barges  are  moored  to  the  bank.  Some 
buildings  of  planks  and  matting  indi- 


!  cate  the  transport  agency.  I  asked 
!  for  the  hotel,  and  was  told  that  the 
first  stone  had  only  been  laid  two  days 
ago,  and  that  the  best  thing  I  could 
do  was  to  take  a  horse  or  a  carriage 
and  go  to  El  Guisr,  where  there  was  a 
tolerable  hotel,  while  at  Ismailia  I 
|  should  find  nothing  but  an  indifferent 
'  restaurant.  While  the  carriage  was 
being  prepared,  I  touk  the  opportunity 
of  seeing  the  future  town.  I  say  fu- 
ture, because  at  the  present  moment 
one  can  hardly  say  what  is  Ismailia. 
One  drags  oneself  along  in  the  sand, 
which  undulates  at  will  all  over  what 
was  pointed  out  to  me  as  destined  to 
be  the  site  of  the  town.  Five  or  six 
scant-looking  houses,  built  of  stone  or 
brick,  are  to  be  seen  scattered  about 
on  this  desert.  Blocks  of  stone,  bricks, 
|  planks,  doors,  and  windows,  heaped 
j  up  together,  mark  the  site  of  build- 
j  ings  not  yet  begun.  One  spot  only 
shows  some  signs  of  a  plan.  It  is  a 
square,  about  a  hundred  yards  each 
way,  round  which  are  six  or  seven 
wooden  tenements,  whose  timber  sides 
are  being  filled  in  with  crude  bricks. 
Two  of  these  houses  have  got  their 
walls  finished,  but  I  saw  no  signs  of 
doors,  windows,  floors,  nor  ceilings. 

"  Kemembering  that  Ismailia  was 
|  to  be  a  harbour,  I  wanted  to  see  the 
I  quay.    The  agent  of  the  Company, 
who  had  been  kind  enough  to  go  with 
me.  took  me  to  a  low  sandhill,  from 
which  I  could  see  the  hollow  of  Lake 
Timsah,  with  a  little  water  just  in  the 
middle  of  its  vast  expanse.  Stretch- 
,  ing  out  his  arm,  and  pointing  to  a  line 
I  of  stakes  which  bisected  a  small  native 
i  village,  consisting  of  huts  made  of 
matting  and  tamarisk  boughs,  '  that 
i  is  the  line  of  the  quay,'  said  my 
i  cicerone  quietly.    I  looked  at  him,  but 
;  he  seemed  to  be  in  earnest ;  and  added, 
I  in  the  same  unconcerned  tone,  '  the 
i  workmen  and  others  will  begin  to 
!  settle  here  in  a  month.'    A  few  min- 
utes afterwards  I  sat  down  to  eat  in 
a  miserable  mat  hovel,  through  the 
j  numerous  rents  in  which  all  the  dogs 
of  the  neighbourhood  very  soon  made 
their  way,  as  though  my  meal  had 
been  the  signal  for  a  general  rendez- 
i  vous.    A  lively  conversation  that  I 


ROUTE  7.  CAIRO  TO  THE  SUEZ  CANAL. 


Sect.  II. 


heard  being  carried  on  in  the  compart- 
ment next  to  mine,  showed  that  the 
employe's  already  sent  here  to  super- 
intend the  works  bear  the  situation 
philosophically.  For  my  own  part, 
I  find  some  difficulty  in  believing  that 
this  chaos  can  in  a  few  years  be  turued 
into  a  town." 

11  Aug.  1,  1869. — People  were  quite 
right  in  their  reassuring  statements 
with  regard  to  the  journey  between 
Alexandria  and  Ismailia.  Although 
the  heat  was  very  great,  I  have  not 
suffered  from  it  in  the  least,  and  am 
not  a  bit  tired.  The  train  which  left 
Alexandria  at  eight  this  morning, 
dropped  us  at  Benha,  and  continued 
its  road  to  Cairo.  The  station  at 
Benha  is  only  a  temporary  one,  but  it 
has  several  tolerably  comfortable  wait- 
ing rooms,  and  is  altogether  well  pro- 
vided with  accommodation  [*?].  How- 
ever we  only  had  to  stay  there  a  few 
minutes,  as  the  train  for  Suez  was 
ready,  and  left  almost  immediately. 
At  half -past  one  we  stopped  at  Zagazig, 
in  front  of  a  handsome  station,  with  a 
refreshment  -  room  in  the  European 
style.  The  town,  which  could  be  seen 
from  the  station,  appeared  to  contain 
some  large,  good-looking  houses,  and 
several  important  cotton-mills. 

"  From  Zagazig  to  Ismailia  the  train 
takes  but  two  hours.  At  first  it  passes 
through  a  very  fertile  country,  extend- 
ing to  the  end  of  the  valley  called  El 
Wady.  From  this  point  the  eye  sees 
little  but  desert,  though  the  Fresh- 
Water  Canal  dug  by  the  Company 
runs  near  the  line,  and  gives  some 
show  of  life  to  the  scenery.  I  was 
calculating  the  wealth  that  might  be 
realized  if  the  surrounding  desert  were 
properly  irrigated  when  the  whistle  of 
the  engine  announced  our  arrival  at  a 
station.  It  was  Ismailia.  After  cross- 
ing a  small  canal  which  supplies  the 
pumps  that  send  fresh  water  along 
the  line  of  the  canal  to  Port  Said,  we 
skirted  a  largish  village,  more  clean 
and  tidy-looking  than  small  native 
towns  in  general;  and  then  passing 
an  Eumpean-looking  goods  store,  ar- 
rived at  the  station,  a  very  neat  build- 
ing with  a  verandah.    A  broad  mac-  j 


adaraised  road  h  ads  from  the  entrance 
to  Lake  Timsah.  The  town  has  all 
the  appearance  of  a  veritable  oasis. 
All  the  houses  seem  surrounded  by 
bright  verdure,  and  the  whole  has  a 
most  enchanting  look  of  elegance  and 
neatness.  Immediately  on  reaching 
the  hotel  I  went  out  to  have  a  look  at 
this  wonder  of  the  desert.  Passing 
along  a  well-paved  street,  one  side  of 
which  was  occupied  by  shops  and 
offices,  I  reached  the  Mohammed  Ali 
Quay,  an  avenue  a  mile  and  a  quarter 
long,  and  more  than  forty  yards  wide, 
bordered  on  one  side  by  a  row  of  trees, 
beyond  which  is  the  Fresh- Water  Canal, 
and  on  the  other  by  a  number  of  edi- 
fices both  curious  and  varied  in  ap- 
pearance. Going  down  this  quay,  and 
crossing  the  end  of  the  Boulevard  de 
lTmperatrice,  leading  to  the  station, 
the  first  of  these  edifices  is  the  chalet 
of  M.  de  Lesseps,  the  upper  story  of 
which  in  wood,  painted  in  broad  white 
and  brown  stripes,  and  with  a  tiled 
roof,  stands  out  as  it  were  from  the 
midst  of  a  garden  filled  with  trees  and 
flowers.  The  ground-floor,  built  of 
stone,  is  joined  by  a  verandah  to  a 
suite  of  rooms  reserved  for  dis- 
tinguished visitors.  Beyond  is  a 
stable  containing  some '  valuable 
horses,  the  only  luxury  which  is  per- 
mitted himself  by  the  owner  of  a 
house  as  proverbial  for  the  simplicity 
of  its  arrangements  as  for  the  hospi- 
tality dispensed  in  it.  Next  to  this 
comes  a  group  of  low  buildings  in  the 
Oriental  s'tyle,  almost  hidden  by  a  belt 
of  verdure,  containing  trees  from  every 
part  of  the  world.  Immediately  fol- 
lowing this  is  the  house  of  the  Gover- 
nor-general of  the  Isthmus.  After 
passing  the  house  occupied  by  the 
contractors,  and  a  part  of  the  town, 
I  reached  the  large  open  space  on 
which  workmen  are  busy  building  a 
palace  for  the  Yiceroy.  At  the  end 
of  the  quay  are  M.  Lasseron's  works 
for  pumping  the  fresh  water  along  the 
line  of  the  Canal  to  Port  Said.  The 
machines  are  first-rate  and  beautifully 
kept;  and  the  garden  belonging  to 
the  esfahlishment  is  intersected  in 
every  direction  with  running  water, 
and  filled  with  the  finest  fruit-trees, 


Egypt. 


ROUTE  7. — SERAPETJM  CHALOUF. 


223 


among  which  may  be  mentioned  the 
vine,  most  successfully  cultivated  by 
M.  Pierre,  the  director.  The  industrial 
part  of  the  town,  through  which  I  re- 
turned to  the  hotel,  has  a  very  ani- 
mated appearance.  The  shops  are 
aeat  and  well-stocked.  The  popula- 
tion contains  specimens  of  many  dif- 
ferent countries,  but  they  all  seem  to 
live  on  good  terms  with  one  another. 
Leaving  the  street  which  traverses 
mis  quarter  my  guide  took  me  along 
one  that  crossed  it  diagonally,  and 
brought  me  into  the  middle  of  a 
charmingly  laid  out  square,  gay  with 
baskets  of  flowers,  and  alleys  of  trees 
yet  young  but  growing  vigorously. 
In  the  middle  is  a  large  fountain 
covered  and  surrounded  by  a  kiosk, 
whose  slight  and  graceful  columns 
were  covered  with  creepers  ....  I 
had  only  just  time  to  go  to  the  land- 
ing-stage at  Lake  Timsah.  The  first 
thing  that  struck  me  there  was  a  sea- 
bathing establishment,  with  cabins,  a 
restaurant,  and  a  sort  of  wooden  stage 
200  yards  from  the  shore.  A  splendid 
sandy  bottom,  and  water  clear  as  cry- 
stal and  quite  free  from  sharks,  might 
well  induce  persons  to  come  to  Ismailia 
for  sea-bathing.  No  place  in  Egypt 
can  compare  with  it  for  this  purpose ; 
and  I  should  not  be  astonished  if  the 
rich  Cairenes  and  Alexandrians  turned 
Ismailia  eventually  into  a  gay  water- 
ing-place.7'—  Histoire  de  Vlsthme  de 
Suez,  by  O.  Ritt. 

The  train  returns  along  the  branch 
line  to  Nefiehe,  and  then  continues  on 
the  way  to  Suez.  The  country  is  all 
desert,  a  few  signs  of  vegetation  oc- 
curring now  and  then  in  the  immediate 
neighbourhood  of  the  Fresh  -  Water 
Canal,  which  is  constantly  to  be  seen 
elotie  to  the  railway.  The  next  station 
reached  is  called 

Serapeum  Stat.,  8J  m.  The  village 
on  the  Canal  to  which  the  French  have 
given  this  name,  from  the  circum- 
stance of  some  ruins  supposed  to  be- 
long to  an  old  temple  of  Seiapis  hav- 
ing been  fouud  in  the  neighbourhood, 
is  about  two  miles  from  the  station. 
A  small  branch  canal  leads  to  it  from 
the  Fresh- Water  Canal. 


We  now  come  in  sight  of  the  Bitter 
Lakes,  or  rather  of  the  northernmost 
and  larger  of  these  inland  seas.  Their 
description  will  be  found  in  the  ac- 
count of  the  Suez  Canal.  It  is  curious 
to  reflect  that  this  vast  expanse  of 
water,  on  which  the  traveller,  as  he 
whirls  by,  will  probably  see  several 
large  steamers,  was,  so  lately  as  1869, 
a  salt-marsh  bordered  by  desert  sand. 

Fa'id  Stat.,  10  m.  Not  far  from  the 
shore  of  the  Great  Bitter  Lake. 

Geneffe'  Stat,  12  m.  This  station 
is  so  named  from  the  hills  which  have 
been  for  some  time  seen  on  the  right, 
called  Gebel  Geneffe'.  Still  skirting 
these  hills  we  reach 

Chalouf  (Shaloof)  Stat,  11$  m. 
The  line  here  approaches  to  within  a 
very  short  distance  of  the  Suez  Canal, 
the  high  banks  of  which  may  be  seen 
from  the  carriage  window,  only  h  few 
hundred  yards  off.  The  Fresh-Water 
Canal,  which  runs  between  it  and  the 
railway,  here  enters  the  bed  of  the  old 
canal  of  communication  first  cut  by 
Darius  between  the  Bitter  Lakes,  then 
called  the  Gulf  of  Heroopolis,  and  the 
Red  Sea.  The  reader  who  studies 
the  account  given  (Rte.  14,  g)  of  the 
Exodus  of  the  Israelites  and  their 
passage  of  the  Red  Sea,  will  find  that 
it  has  been  plausibly  conjectured  that 
the  scene  of  that  event  mny  be  localized 
somewhere  in  the  immediate  neigh- 
bourhood of  this  place ;  the  Red  Sea 
at  that  remote  period  having  extended 
as  far  as  the  Bitter  Lakes.  Continu- 
ing along  the  high  desert  land,  out  of 
reach  of  the  high  tides  which  still 
sweep  up '  for  some  distance  above 
Suez,  the  line  makes  a  detour  to  the 
right,  and  turns  into  the  valley  to  join 
the  track  of  the  old  line  between  Cairo 
and  Suez,  now  done  away  with.  The 
line  is  continued  down  to  the  new 
docks  and  landing  quays  close  to  the 
roadstead,  about  1J  m.  farther  on, 
but  the  passenger  for  Suez  will  get 
out  at  the  Avretched  hovel  which 
serves  as  a  station  for  the  town. 

e.  Town  of  Suez. 

Suez  Term.  Stat,  11J  m.  The 
i  be»t  hotel  at  Suez  is  The  Suez  Motel, 


224 


ROUTE  7. — CAIRO  TO  THE  SUEZ  CANAL. 


Sect.  II. 


on  the  old  landing  quay  close  to  tlie 
station.  It  is  clean  and  comfortable, 
and  fairly  moderate  in  its  charges. 
There  are  one  or  two  other  hotels  of 
an  inferior  kind. 

An  English  Service  is  conducted 
every  Sunday  in  a  room  of  the  Suez 
Hotel. 

The  British  Consulate.  Mr.  G.  West, 
Consul,  is  situated  in  the  street  lead- 
ing from  the  hotel  to  the  station. 
Letters  may  be  addressed  to  his  care, 
or  to  the  hotel.  There  is  daily  postal 
communication  between  Suez  and  the 
principal  towns  in  Lower  Egypt ;  and 
a  regular  departure  of  mails  for  Europe, 
India,  Australia,  &c. 

The  old  railway  station  is  near 
the  town  landing  quay,  but  there 
is  a  new  and  very  handsome  building 
at  the  new  landing  quay,  opposite  the 
roadstead,  for  the  arrival  and  departure 
of  through  travellers.  There  are  one 
or  two  trains  daily  to  Cairo,  Alex- 
andria, &c;  and  a  special  through 
train  conveys  the  overland  passengers 
to  Alexandria,  immediately  on  the 
arrival  of  the  steamer. 

Telegraphic  messages  can  be  sent, 
either  by  the  Egyptian  or  the  English 
companies,  to  any  part  of  the  world. 

The  principal  steam  packet  com- 
panies are  the  Peninsular  and  Oriental : 
departures  for  Bombay  weekly,  for 
Madras  and  Calcutta  fortnightly,  and 
for  China,  Australia,  &c.  monthly. 
The  Messageries  Mari times :  depar- 
tures for  China,  Cochin  China,  &c,  and 
for  Europe,  fortnightly;  for  Beunion 
and  the  Mauritius,  and  for  Pondi- 
cherry,  Madras,  and  Calcutta,  monthly. 
The  Bombay  and  Bengal:  departure 
for  Bombay"  fortnightly.  The  Aziz- 
eeyah :  departure  for  Massowah  and 
the  coast  of  the  Bed  Sea  three  times 
a  month.  Many  other  companies,  such 
as  the  Austrian  Lloyd,  the  Bussian 
Steam  Navigation,  &c,  which  run 
steamers  to  India,  &c,  direct,  through 
the  Suez  Canal,  have  agencies  at  Suez, 
from  which  all  information  can  be 
obtained.  The  Messageries  boats, 
plying  between  France  and  the  East, 
ran  regularly  through  the  Suez  Canal. 
The  P.  and  O.  as  yet  send  a  steamer 
through  only  occasionally. 


There  are  a  few  European  shops  at 
Suez  and  a  native  bazaar,  but  with 
the  exception  of  a  few  curiosities  from 
the  Hedjaz,  brought  by  the  Mecca 
pilgrims,  there  is  nothing  to  tempt  a 
purchaser. 

The  town  of  Suez  is  situated  near 
the  N.  extremity  of  the  western  brand 
of  the  Bed  Sea,  called  the  Gulf  cf 
Suez.  The  actual  town  is  of  com 
paratively  modern  date :  but  its  posi- 
tion in  ancient  times  was  always  one 
of  considerable  commercial  import- 
ance, and  the  cities  of  Arsinoe'  and 
Clysma  stood  somewhere  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood. Clysma  appears  to  have 
been  a  fort  as  well  as  a  town,  and  was, 
perhaps,  the  spot  where  the  troops  des- 
tined to  guard  the  sluices  of  the  canal 
were  stationed;  and  it  is  remarkable 
that  the  elevated  height  outside  the 
N.  gate  of  the  modern  town  of  Suez  is 
still  known  by  the  name  of  Kolzim. 
It  was  called  Castrum  by  Hi'erocles 
and  Epiphanius:  and  KAuo-^a  (Clysma) 
or  KXeia/aa  is  first  mentioned  by 
Lucian.  It  appears  to  be  the  same 
as  the  Clysma  Prsesidiurn  of  Ptolemy, 
though  lie  places  it  much  farther 
down  the  coast.  His  positions,  how- 
ever, are  not  always  certain;  and  a 
garrison  would  be  stationed  here  rather 
than  on  any  other  part  of  the  coast. 
To  Clysma  succeeded  Kolzim,  which 
is  probably  an  Arab  corruption  of  the 
old  Greek  name.  The  name  of  Kolzim, 
or  Kolzoom,  is  still  given  to  some 
heights  to  the  N.  of  Suez;  and  the 
position  of  the  place  is  fixed  by 
the  mention  in  history  of  the  re- 
opening of  the  canal  by  Omar  to 
Kolzim  on  the  Bed  Sea.  Aboolfeda 
is  still  more  precise  in  his  position  of 
Kolzim,  and  leaves  no  room  to  doubt 
that  it  stood  exactly  at  the  spot  now 
occupied  by  Suez.  His  words  are  "  At 
the  extremity  of  the  gulf  intervening 
between  Tor  and  Egypt  was  situated 
the  town  of  Kolzim,  and  those  who  go 
from  Egypt  to  Tor  are  wont  to  follow 
the  coast,  from  Kolzim  to  Tor."  The 
name  of  "  Sea  of  Kolzim  "  has  also 
been  given  to  this  part  of  the  Bed 
Sea  ;  and  it  has  been  conjectured  that 
as  Kolzim  means  in  Arabic  "  destruc- 
tion," there  is  some  reference  to  the 


Egypt- 


BOUTS  7.  TOWN  OF  SUEZ. 


225 


history  of  the  Israelites,  and  the  over- 
throw of  Pharaoh's  host;  but,  as  we 
have  seen,  the  name  is  probably  a  cor- 
ruption of  Clysma.  The  chief  his- 
torical interest  of  Suez  is  derived  from 
its  having  been  supposed  to  be  the 
spot  near  which  the  Israelites  crossed 
the  Eed  Sea  under  the  guidance  of 
Moses,  and  the  Egyptian  army  was 
drowned,  but  modern  criticism  tends 
to  place  the  scene  of  this  event  farther 
N,,  near  Shaloof. 

After  the  destruction,  in  the  8th 
century,  of  the  canal  of  communi- 
cation with  the  Nile,  Suez  became 
little  better  than  a  small  fishing  vil- 
lage, galvanised  now  and  then  into 
commercial  life  by  the  passage  of 
caravans,  going  to  and  fro  between 
Asia  and  Egypt.  Subsequently,  at  the 
beginning  of  the  16th  century,  under 
Selim  I.  and  Solyman  II.,  it  became 
a  naval  depot  for  the  Turkish  fleet 
in  the  Bed  Sea  ;  but  the  utter  decline 
of  navigation  in  that  sea,  consequent 
on  the  discovery  of  the  Cape  route  to 
the  East  in  1496,  and  the  want  of 
fresh  water,  from  which  it  had  always 
suffered  since  the  destruction  of  the 
canal,  reduced  it  again  to  a  miserable 
collection  of  Arab  huts.  The  visit  of 
Buonaparte  in  1798  to  Suez,  and  the 
project  already  conceived  by  him  of 
uniting  the  two  seas  by  a  direct  canal, 
ended  in  nothing  ;  but  in  1837,  owing 
to  the  exertions  of  Lieut.  Waghorn, 
the  route  through  Egypt  was  adopted 
for  the  transit  of  the  Indian  mail,  and, 
a  few  years  after,  the  P.  and  0.  Com- 
pany began  running  a  line  of  steamers 
regularly  between  India  and  Suez. 
This  was  followed  in  1857  by  the 
completion  of  a  railway  from  Cairo, 
and  Suez  soon  began  to  increase  again 
in  size  and  importance,  and  the  popu- 
lation in  1860  numbered  about  5000. 
It  still  suffered,  however,  from  the 
want  of  fresh  water,  the  European 
population  being  supplied  with  Nile 
water  for  drinking,  brought  in  cisterns 
by  the  daily  trains  from  Cairo,  while 
the  remainder  of  the  supply  was  carried 
on  the  backs  of  camels  from  El  Ghur- 
kutch  and  Ain  Moosa.  The  com- 
pletion by  the  Suez  Canal  Company, 
at  the  end  of  1863,  of  the  Fresh- Water 


Canal  from  Tel  el  Wady  to  the  centre 
of  the  Isthmus,  and  thence  to  Suez, 
brought  an  abundance  of  Nile  water 
to  the  town;  and  the  various  works  in 
connection  with  the  Suez  Canal,  the 
new  quays,  the  docks,  &c,  soon  made 
Suez  a  large  and  busy  place  of  15,000 
inhabitants.  With  the  completion  of 
the  Canal,  the  activity  of  the  town 
somewhat  decreased,  but  its  position 
on  the  direct  sea  route  between  Europe 
and  India  must  always  make  it  a 
place  of  importance. 

The  old  town  itself  offers  few  points 
of  interest.  Two  or  three  mosks  and  an 
open  place  or  two,  more  or  less  dirty  and 
picturesque,  will  present  themselves 
in  the  course  of  a  ramble.  To  the  N. 
of  the  town  are— the  storehouses  of  the 
P.  and  O.  Company — the  lock,  which 
terminates  the  Fresh- Water  Canal  and 
joins  it  with  the  gulf— the  Water- 
works, which  supply  water  from  the 
canal  to  the  whole  of  the  town— the 
English  Hospital  — and,  on  the  heights 
above  the  P.  and  O.  storehouses,  the 
chalet  of  the  Khedive,  from  which 
there  is  a  magnificent  view :  in  the 
foreground  is  the  town,  the  harbour, 
the  roadstead,  and  the  mouth  of  the 
Suez  Canal ;  to  the  right  the  range  of 
Gebel  Attakah,  a  most  striking  and 
beautiful  object,  with  its  black- violet 
heights  hemming  in  the  Eed  Sea ; 
away  to  the  left  the  rosy  peaks  of 
Mt.  Sinai ;  and  between  the  two,  the 
deep  deep  blue  of  the  gulf.  About 
two  miles  to  the  S.  of  the  town  are 
the  new  quays  and  harbours :  they 
may  be  reached  either  in  a  boat  or  by 
the  branch  railway  line.  We  will 
suppose  the  traveller  to  go  by  water 
and  return  by  land. 

Leaving  the  quay  in  front  of  the 
hotel,  the  boat  passes  down  the  nar- 
row channel  which  formerly  served 
as  the  means  of  communication 
between  the  roadstead  and  the  town. 
On  the  left  is  a  wooden  pier, 
leading  to  the  old  Quarantine,  where 
people  sometimes  land  for  the  Wells 
of  Moses.  Soon  after,  on  the  right, 
begins  the  stone  embankment  lining 
the  new  quays  and  harbour,  while 
the  centre  of  the  channel  now  marks 
l  3 


226  ROUTE  7.  CAIRO  TO 

the  line  of  the  Suez  Canal,  which  \ 
may  be  seen  stretching  away  to  the 
left.  On  the  right  is  the  entrance 
to  the  Suez  Canal  Company's  port, 
marked  by  a  white  light,  and  then  a 
quay  called  the  Waghorn  Quay,  on 
which  has  been  erected,  by  the  Suez 
Canal  Company,  a  statue  of  that  per- 
severing and  energetic  individual,  to 
whose  efforts  are  due  the  re-establish- 
ment, in  the  first  instance,  of  the 
Egyptian  route  between  Europe  and 
the  East.  Bounding  the  point  of  the 
quay  on  which  there  is  a  green 
revolving  light,  corresponding  with  a 
similar  red  one,  a  short  distance 
farther  down  on  the  left,  which  marks 
the  position  of  some  breakers,  we  come 
to  the  head  of  the  roadstead,  capable  of 
containing  500  vessels  of  all  sizes,  and 
the  entrance  to  Ibraheem  Harbour, 
divided  by  a  long  jetty  into  two  parts, 
one  for  ships  of  war  and  the  other  for 
merchant  ships.  At  the  head  of  the 
E.  part  is  a  dry  dock— 460  ft.  long, ' 
100  ft.  broad,  and  nearly  36  ft.  deep. 
On  the  jetty,  close  to  the  quays  to 
which  the  large  steamers  moor,  is  the 
railway  station,  so  that  passengers 
embark  and  disembark  direct.  The 
whole  of  the  ground  on  which  the 
quays  and  other  constructions  stand, 
has  been  recovered  from  the  sea,  and 
the  successful  execution  of  the  work 
is  due  to  the  enterprise  and  energy 
of  the  contractors,  Messrs.  Dussaud 
Freres,  the  same  who  built  the  jetties 
at  Port  Said.  It  is  proposed,  at  some 
future  time,  to  recover  the  whole  of 
the  swamp  lying  between  the  town 
and  the  new  ports,  through  which  the 
railway  now  passes  on  a  slightly  raised 
embankment. 

A  pleasant  excursion  may  be  made 
to  the  Wells  or  Fountains  of  Moses, 
Ayoon  Moosa,  or,  as  it  is  more  com- 
monly called  in  the  singular,  Ain 
Moosa.  It  will  occupy,  according  to 
the  route  taken  and  the  time  spent  at 
the  place,  from  half  a  day  to  a  day. 
The  shortest  way  is  to  take  a  sailing 
boat,  or  one  of  the  small  steamers  that 
ply  between  the  town  and  the  harbour, 
as  far  as  the  jetty  which  has  been 
buiit  out  into  the  sea  to  communicate 


THE  SUEZ  CANAL.  Sect.  II. 

with  the  new  Quarantine,  lately  esta- 
blished on  the  shore  of  the  gulf  for  the 
reception  of  the  pilgrims  on  their 
return  from  Mecca.  From  this  point 
to  Ain  Moosa  the  distance  is  not 
much  over  a  mile,  and  the  whole  time 
occupied  in  going  about  two  hours ;  if 
donkeys  are  required  between  the 
jetty  and  the  wells,  they  must  be  sent 
from  Suez.  The  other  plan  is  to  cross 
over  in  a  boat  to  the  old  Quarantine 
jetty,  about  half  a  mile  from  the  town, 
either  taking  donkeys  in  the  boat  or 
sending  them  on  previously,  and  then 
to  ride  over  the  Suez  Canal,  which  is 
here  crossed  by  a  ferry  for  the  passage 
of  caravans  between  Arabia  and 
Egypt,  and  along  the  desert  to  the 
Wells.  This  will  take  from  three  to 
four  hours.  The  sums  to  be  paid  for 
boats  and  donkeys  had  better  be 
strictly  agreed  upon  beforehand. 
There  are  two  so-called  hotels  at  Ain 
Moosa,  where  beds  and  refreshments 
can  be  procured,  but  the  visitor  who 
intends  spending  the  day  there  had 
better,  perhaps,  take  some  food  with 
him.  The  "  Wells "  are  a  sort  of 
oasis,  formed  by  a  collection  of 
springs,  surrounded  with  tamarisk- 
bushes  and  palm-trees.  Since  it  has 
become,  as  Dean  Stanley  calls  it,  "  the 
Kichmond  of  Suez." — a  regular  pic- 
nicking place  for  the  inhabitants  of 
that  town,— some  Arabs  and  Euro- 
peans have  regularly  settled  in  it, 
and  there  are  now  a  few  houses, 
and  gardens  with  fruit-trees  and  ve- 
getables. The  water  from  the  springs 
has  a  brackish  taste.  Most  of  them 
are  simply  holes  dug  in  the  soil, 
which  is  here  composed  of  earth,  sand, 
and  clay ;  but  one  is  built  up  of  mas- 
sive masonry  of  great  age.  Though 
not  mentioned  in  the  Bible,  its  posi- 
tion has  always  caused  it  to  be  asso- 
ciated with  the  passage  of  the  Bed 
Sea  by  the  Israelites,  and  tradition 
has  fixed  upon  it  as  the  spot  where 
Moses  and  Miriam  and  the  children 
of  Israel  sang  their  song  of  triumph. 
We  shall  see,  however,  when  con- 
sidering the  que&tion  of  the  road 
taken  by  the  Israelites,  and  the  site 
of  the  passage  (see  Bte.  14,  g),  that  Ain 
Moosa  is  more  probably  to  be  ideu- 


ROUTE  7.  EGYPTIAN  COAST  OP  THE  EED  SEA. 


Egypt. 

tified  with  Marah  (Exod.  xv.  23) ;  and  ' 
the  Arab  tradition  that  Moses  brought 
up  the  water  here  by  striking  the 
ground  with  his  stick,  may  be  taken 
for  what  it  is  worth  in  corroboration 
of  this  view. 

d.  Egyptian  coast  of  the  Bed  Sea. — 
The  old  Optic  name  of  the  Ked  Sea 
was  it  I O  JUL  rtOf<&.pI>  "the  Sea  of 
Sari,"  corresponding  to  the  Im,  or  Tim 
Soof,  5]1D  of  Hebrew,  and  Balir 
Soof  of  Arabic.  For  though  soof  is 
translated  iS flags"  (Exod.  ii.  5),  which 
do  not  grow  in  the  Nile,  it  is  here  the 
same  as  the  Arabic  soof,  a  small  sea- 
weed common  in  this  as  in  other  seas ; 
and  so  called  from  its  resemblance  to 
"  wool "  (soof).  It  is  probably  the 
Bytiphlcea  pinastroides  (Phys.  Brit.  r. 
85).  The  Greek  appellation,  rj  iyvdpa 
OdAao-aa,  the  Red  Sea,  was  originally 
applied  to  the  Persian,  and  afterwards 
to  this  gulf,  as  well  as  to  that  part  of 
the  Indian  Ocean  which  lies  between 
them;  but  the  name  "red"  was  not 
from  any  seaweed,  or  coral,  or  colour 
about  the  sea,  or  the  mountains  of  the 
western  coast.  It  was  probably  the 
Greek  literal  translation  of  Edom, 
"red,"  an  idea  that  is  all  the  more 
likely,  if  we  suppose  the  South  Arabian 
nation  of  Himyerites  to  have  derived 
their  name  from  the  Arabic  word 
Ahmar  "red."  The  sea  would  then 
have  been  called  "  red,"  as  being  the 
Sea  of  the  Red  men. 

The  Red  Sea  extends  from  the  head 
of  the  Gulf  of  Suez  to  the  Straits  of 
Bab-el-Mandeb,  about  1400  miles,  and 
its  greatest  width  is  about  200  miles. 
At  Ras  Mohammed  it  is  split  by  the 
peninsula  of  Sinai  into  two  parts ;  one, 
the  Gulf  of  Suez,  about  150  miles  long, 
and  from  10  to  18  wide,  and  the  other, 
the  Gulf  of  Akabah,  about  100  miles 
long,  and  from  5  to  10  wide.  Both 
sides  of  the  Gulf  of  Suez  are  Egyptian 
territory,  and  also  the  W.  side  of  the 
Gulf  of  Akabah,  the  boundary  line  of 
Egypt  being  an  imaginary  line  drawn 
from  El  Areesh  on  the  Syrian  coast  to 
Akabah,  at  the  head  of  the  gulf  of  that 
name. 

The  only  port  between  Suez  and 


the  division  of  the  sea  is  Tor  on  the 
E.  shore,  two  days'  journey  from  Sinai. 
The  Egyptian  territory  extends  for 
about  1200  miles  down  the  W.  side  of 
the  Red  Sea  as  far  as  Massowah.  The 
Azizieh  Company  run  steamers,  touch- 
ing at  one  or  two  of  the  intermediate 
ports.  Opposite  the  end  of  the  Sinai 
peninsula  is  Gebel-ez-Zeit,  "  the  moun- 
tain of  oil,"  close  to  the  sea.  It  abounds 
in  petroleum,  whence  its  name  ;  and  at 
Eg  Gimsheh,  a  headland,  terminating 
the  bay  to  the  S.S.W.  of  it,  are  some 
sulphur-mines,  grottoes,  and  inscrip- 
tions in  the  Sinaitic  character.  About 
27  m.  inland  are  the  old  porphyry 
quarries  of  Gebel-ed-Dokhan,  "  moun- 
tain of  smoke." 

The  ruins  of  Myos  Hormos  are  on 
the  coast  in  latitude  27°  24'.  The 
town  is  small,  very  regularly  built, 
surrounded  by  a  ditch,  and  defended, 
by  round  towers  at  the  corners,  the 
faces,  and  the  gateways.  The  port, 
which  lies  to  the  northward,  is  nearly 
filled  with  sand.  Below  the  hills,  to 
the  eastward,  is  the  Fons  Tadmos, 
mentioned  by  Pliny.  Myos  Hormos 
was  the  principal  port  on  the  Red  Sea 
in  the  time  of  Strabo.  According  to 
Agatharcides  it  was  afterwards  called 
the  Port  of  Venus,  under  which  name 
it  is  also  mentioned  by  Strabo.  Besides 
the  ancient  roads  that  lead  from  Myos 
Hormos  to  the  westward  (see  Rte.  19), 
is  another  running  N.  and  S.,  a  short 
distance  from  the  coast,  leading  to 
Aboo  Durrag  and  Suez  on  one  side, 
and  to  Sowakim  on  the  S.,  to  which 
the  Arabs  have  given  the  name  of 
Dthenayb  el  Ayr,  or  "the  ass's  tail." 

At  Old  Kosseir  are  the  small  town 
and  port  of  Philotera,  of  which  little 
remains  but  mounds  and  the  vestiges 
of  houses,  some  of  ancient,  others  of 
Arab,  date.  The  name  of  Philotera 
was  given  it  by  an  admiral  of  Ptolemy 
Philadelphus,  in  honour  of  the  king's 
sister,  having  been  previously  called 
iEnnuni.  The  modern  town  of  Kosseir 
stands  tin  a  small  bay  or  cove,  4  J  m.  to 
the  southward.  The  inhabitants  are 
called  Embaweeyah,  being  originally 
from  Emba  (Yambo)  in  Arabia,  of  the 


228 


ROUTE  7.  CAIRO  TO 


THE  SUEZ  CANAL. 


Sect.  II. 


tribes  of  J ehayn  and  Harb.  For  the 
route  between  Kosseir  and  Keneh  on 
the  Nile  see  Kte.  19. 

After  passing  Kosseir  are  the  ''se- 
veral ports  "  mentioned  by  Pliny,  with 
landmarks  to  direct  small  vessels 
through  the  dangerous  coral-reefs, 
whose  abrupt  discontinuance  forms 
their  mouth.  These  corresponding 
openings  are  singular,  and  are  pro- 
bably owing  to  the  coral  insects  not 
working  where  the  fresh  water  of  the 
winter  torrents  runs  into  the  sea, 
which  is  the  case  where  these  ports 
are  found.  There  are  no  remains  of 
towns  at  any  of  them,  except  at 
Nechesia,  and  the  Leucos  Tortus ; 
the  former  now  called  Wddy  en  JS'uk- 
Jcaree,  the  latter  known  by  the  name  of 
Esh  Shdona,  or,  "the  magazine."  Ne- 
chesia has  the  ruins  of  a  temple,  and  a 
citadel  of  hewn  stone  ;  but  the  Leucos 
Portus  is  in  a  very  dilapidated  state  ; 
and  the  materials  of  which  the  houses 
were  built,  like  those  of  Berenice,  are 
merely  fragments  of  madrepore  and 
shapeless  pieces  of  stone.  About  half- 
way between  them  is  another  small 
port,  4  m.  to  the  W.  of  which  are  the 
lead-mines  of  Gebel  er  Rossdss ;  and  a 
short  distance  to  the  northward,  in 
Wady  Aboo-Kaikeh,  is  a  small  quarry 
of  basanite,  worked  by  the  ancients. 
About  20  m.  inland  from  the  site  of 
Nechesia  are  the  old  Neccia  quarries 
and  emerald  mines  at  Gebel  Zobarah. 

Behind  the  headland  of  Ras  Benas, 
called  Ras  el  Unf.  or  Cape  Nose,  by 
tue  Arab  sailors,  opposite  Yembo  on  the 
Arabian  coast,  trends  up  a  deep  gulf 
at  the  head  of  which  stood  the  old 
town  of  Berenice.  This  gulf,  accord- 
ing to  Strabo,  was  called  Sinus  Im- 
mundus.  The  long  peninsula  or 
chersonesus,  called  Lepte  Extrema, 
projecting  from  this  gulf,  is  mentioned 
by  Diodorus,  who  says  its  neck  was  so 
narrow  that  boats  were  sometimes  car- 
ried across  it,  from  the  gulf  to  the 
open  sea.  From  the  end  of  the  cape 
may  be  perceived  the  peak  of  St. 
John,  or  the  Emerald  Isle,  Gezeeret 
Zibfrgeh,  or  Seme'rgid,  which  seems 
to  be  the  Ofyiwd-ns,  or  serpentine  island, 
of  Diodorus.    The  inner  bay,  which 


constituted  the  ancient  port  of  Bere- 
nice, is  now  nearly  filled  with  sand  ; 
and  at  low  tide  its  mouth  is  closed 
by  a  bank,  which  is  then  left  entirely 
exposed.  The  tide  rises  and  falls  in  it 
about  one  foot. 

The  town  of  Berenice  was  founded 
by  Ptolemy  Philadelphus,  and  so 
called  after  his  mother.  Tt  was  of 
considerable  size,  compared  to  its 
rival  the  Myos  Hormos ;  but  its  streets 
were  not  laid  out  with  the  same  regu- 
larity, and  it  was  not  defended  by  the 
same  kind  of  fortified  wall.  The 
Myos  Hormos  indeed  was  very  small, 
and  scarcely  larger  than  one  of  the 
ordinary  hydreumas.  The  houses  of 
Berenice  are  built  of  very  inferior 
materials,  being  merely  rude  pieces  of 
madrepore,  collected  on  the  sea-coast, 
and,  as  might  be  supposed,  their  walls 
are  in  a  very  dilapidated  condition. 
There  is  a  temple  at  the  end  of  a 
street,  towards  the  centre  of  the  town, 
built  of  hewn  stone,  and  consisting  of 
three  inner  and  the  same  number  of 
outer  chambers,  with  a  staircase  lead- 
ing to  the  summit,  the  whole  orna- 
mented with  sculptures  and  hierogly- 
phics in  relief.  It  was  dedicated  to 
Serapis ;  and  in  the  hieroglyphics  are 
the  names  of  Tiberius  and  Trajan.  A 
few  figures  of  the  contemplar  deities 
may  also  be  traced,  on  excavating  the 
lower  part,  or  wherever  the  stone  has 
withstood  the  action  of  the  atmosphere ; 
which  has  proved  more  prejudicial  to 
its  limestone  walls  than  the  saline  and 
nitrous  soil  that  has  for  ages  covered 
the  greater  part  of  what  now  remains. 

For  the  old  road  between  Berenice 
and  the  Nile  see  Rte.  19. 

Soicdkim,  is  a  town  of  some  size, 
doing  a  considerable  trade  with  the 
opposite  coast.  The  approach  to  it 
from  the  sea  is  by  a  very  narrow 
channel  20  m.  long,  fringed  with  coral 
reefs.  A  caravan  road  leads  from  it  to 
Berber  on  the  Nile. 

Massowah  stands  on  an  island  \  m. 
in  length  and  J  m.  in  breadth,  sepa- 
rated from  the  mainland  by  a  narrow 
but  deep  channel.  The  entrance  to 
the  harbour  is  very  narrow,  but  the 
harbour  itself  is  of  large  size,  and  very 


Egypt. 


ROUTE  7.  ANCIENT  CANALS. 


229 


safe  and  deep.  A  caravan  road  leads 
from  Massowali  to  Khartoom  at  the 
junction  of  the  Blue  and  White  Nile. 

e.  Ancient  Canals  of  communication 
between  the  Mediterranean  and  Bed 
Seas. — Before  entering  upon  a  history 
and  description  of  the  present  mari- 
time canal  between  the  Mediter- 
ranean and  the  Bed  Seas,  commonly 
known  as  the  Suez  Canal,  it  may  be 
interesting  to  give  some  slight  sketch 
of  the  ancient  canals  of  communi- 
cation which  have  at  different  epochs 
existed  between  the  two  seas:  pre- 
mising that  they  all  differ  in  an 
important  respect  from  the  present 
one,  in  that,  while  it  goes  direct  from 
sea  to  sea,  and  is  consequently  entirely 
a  salt-water  canal,  they  were,  with 
the  exception  of  the  part  between  the 
Bitter  Lakes  and  the  Bed  Sea,  fresh- 
water canals,  deriving  their  supply 
entirely  from  the  Nile,  and  are  re- 
presented at  the  present  day  by  the 
Wady  Canal,  and  its  continuation  to 
Ismnilia  and  Suez,  commonly  called 
the  Fresh-Water  Canal. 

According  to  certain  authors — Ari- 
stotle, Strabo,  and  Fliny — the  tra- 
ditional Sesostris,  probably  Barneses  II. 
first  conceived  and  carried  out  the  idea 
of  making  a  water  communication  be- 
tween the  two  seas,  by  means  of  the 
Felusiac  branch  of  the  Nile  from  Avaris 
to  Bubastis,  and  then  by  rendering 
navigable  the  irrigation  canal  which 
already  existed  between  the  latter 
town  and  Heroopolis ;  and  some 
modern  writers  have.seen  in  the  frag- 
ment bearing  the  oval  of  Barneses  II., 
which  has  been  found  near  the  pre- 
sumed course  of  the  old  canal,  a  con- 
firmation of  this  assertion.  But  if 
such  a  design  was  ever  formed  at  that 
remote  period,  there  is  no  authentic 
record  of  its  having  been  carried  out 
till  some  centuries  later,  under  the 
rule  of  Pharaoh  Necho  II.  (cir.  610 
B.C.),  who,  according  to  Herodotus, 
was  "  the  first  to  attempt  the  con- 
struction of  the  canal  to  the  Red  Sea." 
Neeho's  canal  tapped  the  Nile  at 
Bubastis,  near  Zagazig,  and  followed 
almost  the  lino  of  the  modern  Wady 
Canal  to  Heroop.jlis,  the  site  of  which 


town  may,  with  probable  accuracy,  be 
placed  somewhere  in  the  immediate 
neighbourhood  of  the  heights  of  Tous- 
soom  and  Serapeum,  between  the 
Bitter  Lakes  and  Lake  Timsah  ; 
the  Bed  Sea,  it  must  be  remembered, 
reaching  at  that  epoch  much  further 
inland  than  now,  and  being  called  in 
this  upper  portion  (now  separated 
from  the  main  sea,  and  known  as  the 
Bitter  Lakes)  the  Heroopolite  Gulf. 
The  length  of  the  canal  as  given  by 
Pliny,  of  62  Boman  miles  =  about  57 
English  ones,  would  agree,  allowing 
for  the  sinuosities  of  tue  valley  tra- 
versed, with  the  distance  between  the 
site  of  old  Bubastis,  near  Zagazig,  and 
the  present  head  of  the  Bitter  Lakes, 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Serapeum. 
The  length  given  by  Herodotus  of 
much  more  than  1000  stadia  (114 
miles),  must  be  considered  as  in- 
cluding the  whole  distance  between 
the  two  seas,  both  by  the  Nile  and 
the  canal.  The  story  of  Herodotus 
that  120,000  men  perished  in  cutting 
the  canal,  is  probably  an  exagge- 
ration ;  and  the  reason  which  he 
assigns  for  Neeho's  desisting  from 
his  undertaking — the  warning  of  an 
oracle  "  that  he  was  labouring  for 
the  barbarian" — does  not  seem  very 
credible.  The  more  likely  reason  was 
the  idea  then  prevalent  that  the  Bed 
Sea  was  considerably  above  the  level 
of  the  Delta,  and  that  if  the  Nile  was 
made  to  communicate  with  that  sea, 
not  only  would  a  great  part  of  the 
country  be  inundated  by  the  latter, 
but  the  salt  water  would  penetrate 
some  way  up  the  river,  and  render  it 
undrinkable.  This  reason,  however, 
would  require  the  absence  of  all  know- 
ledge of  locks,  and  even  sluices,  by  the 
ancient  Egyptians. 

The  work  of  Necho  was  continued  by 
Darius,  the  son  of  Hystaspes  ( 520  B.C.) ; 
and  the  natural  channel  of  communi- 
cation between  the  Heroopolite  Gulf 
and  the  Bed  Sea,  which  already  proba- 
bly in  the  time  of  Necho  had  begun  to 
silt  up,  having  become  in  the  100  years 
that  had  elapsed  since  then  completely 
blocked,  was  cleared  out  and  rendered 
navigable.  Traces  of  this  canal,  which 
was  about  ten  miles  long,  can  be 


230 


EOUTE  7.  CAIRO  TO  THE  SUEZ  CANAL. 


Sect.  II. 


distinctly  seen  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Shaloof,  near  the  S.  end 
of  the  Bitter  Lakes,  and  the  present 
Fresh- Water  Canal  follows  its  coarse 
for  some  distance  between  that  point 
and  Suez.  Several  Persian  monu- 
ments were  found  by  Lepsius  in  this 
part  of  the  Isthmus,  commemorating 
this  work  of  Darius ;  and  on  one  of 
them  the  name  of  Darius  is  written 
in  the  Persian  cuneiform  character, 
but  in  a  cartouche  of  Egyptian  form. 
It  will  be  seen,  then,  that  up  to  this 
time  the  transit  between  the  two  seas 
was  effected  thus : — ships  sailed  up 
the  Pelusiac  branch  of  the  Nile  to 
Bubastis,  and  thence  along  the  canal 
to  Heroopolis,  where  their  cargo  was 
transhipped  to  Eed  Sea  vessels. 

This  inconvenient  transshipment  of 
cargo  was  remedied  by  the  next  Egyp- 
tian sovereign,  who  made  the  water 
communication  between  the  two  seas 
his  care,  Ptolemy  Philadelphus  (285 
B.C.)  In  addition  to  cleaning  out  and 
thoroughly  restoring  the  two  canals,  he 
joined  the  fresh- water  canal  with  the 
Heroopolite  Gulf  by  means  of  a  lock 
and  sluices,  which,  while  it  permitted 
the  passage  of  vessels,  prevented  the 
salt  -water  from  mingling  with  and 
spoiling  the  fresh.  At  the  point  at 
which  the  canal  between  the  Heroo- 
polite Gulf  and  the  Eed  Sea  joined 
the  latter  he  founded  the  town  of 
Arsinoe,  a  little  to  the  N.  of  the  modem 
Suez. 

Whether  the  next  sovereign  who 
took  means  to  restore  the  line  of  com- 
munication between  the  two  seas, 
which,  as  we  know,  was  impassable  in 
the  time  of  Cleopatra  (31  B.C.),  was 
Trajan  or  Adrian  (98-138  a.d.)  is  un- 
certain. The  Nile  had  almost  entirely 
deserted  the  Bubastite  or  Pelusiac 
branch,  and  therefore  it  would  be 
necessary  to  tap  it  at  a  much  higher 
point;  and  the  traditional  name  of 
Amnis  Trajanus  given  to  the  old 
canal  which  leaves  the  Nile  near  old 
Cairo,  and  formerly  joined  the  old  line 
of  canal  to  the  Bitter  Lakes,  seems  to 
point  to  that  as  having  been  the  new 
canal  cut  by  Trajan  to  join  the  old 
one,  which  he  also  cleaned  out  and 
rendered  again  navigable.    But  it  is 


very  doubtful  whether  any  work  of 
this  kind  was  undertaken  in  the  time 
of  the  Bomans,  and  it  is  more  probable 
that  the  new  canal  above  mentioned 
was  the  work  of  Amer  (Amrou),  when 
ordered  by  the  Caliph  Omar  to  send 
supplies  of  corn  to  Mecca  and  Medina, 
and  the  whole  of  the  Hedjaz  then 
(639  a.d.)  suffering  severely  from 
famine.  It  joined  the  old  canal  near 
the  latter's  former  point  of  departure 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  old  Bubastis. 

In  return  for  the  anxiety  thus  dis- 
played for  the  Holy  Cities,  and  Arabia 
generally,  Omar  received  the  flattering 
title  of  "Prince  of  the  Faithful" 
(Ameer  el  Momeneen),  which  was 
thenceforward  adopted  by  his  suc- 
cessors in  the  caliphate.  One  hun- 
dred and  thirty-four  years  after,  El 
Monsoor  Aboo  Gafer,  the  second  caliph 
of  the  Abbaside  dynasty,  and  the 
founder  of  Bagdad,  is  said  to  have 
closed  this  canal,  to  prevent  supplies 
being  sent  to  one  of  the  descendants  of 
Ali,  who  had  revolted  at  Medeeneh. 
Since  that  time  it  has  remained  un- 
opened; though  some  assert  that  the 
Sultan  Hakeni  once  more  rendered  it 
available  for  the  passage  of  boats,  in 
the  year  a.d.  1000,  after  which  it 
became  neglected  and  choked  with 
sand. 

But  though  the  passage  of  boats 
was  impeded,  and  it  was  no  longer  of 
use  for  communication  with  the  Red 
Sea,  some  portion  still  contained  water 
during  the  inundation,  until  closed  by 
Mohammed  Ali;  at  which  time  it  is 
said  to  have  flowed  as  far  as  Sheykh 
Hanaydik,  near  Toossoom  and  the 
Bitter  Lakes. 

The  old  canal  which  left  the  Nile  at 
Cairo  had  long  ceased  to  How  much 
further  than  the  outskirts  of  the  city, 
and  the  still  more  ancient  one  from 
the  neighbourhood  of  Bubastis,  now 
known  as  the  Wady  Canal,  extended 
only  a  few  miles  in  the  direction  of 
the  Isthmus,  as  far  as  Gassassine, 
when  the  necessity  for  supplying  the 
labourers  with  fresh  water  along  the 
|  line  of  the  Suez  Canal,  induced  the 
]  Company  in  1861  to  prolong  it  from 
I  Gassassine  to  the  centre  of  the  Isthmus, 
and  afterwards  in  1863  to  carry  it  on 


Egypt. 


ROUTE  7.  MODERN"  CANAL  PROJECTS. 


231 


to  Suez.  In  one  or  two  places  the  bed 
of  the  old  canal  was  cleared  out  and 
made  to  serve  for  the  new  one.  Its 
level  is  about  20  feet  above  that  of  the 
Suez  Canal,  which  it  joins  at  Isinailia 
by  means  of  two  locks ;  and  the  same 
difference  of  level  between  it  and  the 
Eed  Sea  is  remedied  by  means  of  four 
locks  between  Nefiche  and  Suez.  The 
average  depth  of  water  at  high  Nile  is 
6  feet,  and  at  low  Nile  3  feet.  A  canal 
will  soon  be .  completed  from  Boolak 
near  Cairo,  passing  by  Heliopolis  and 
Belbeis,  and  joining  the  Wady  Can;il 
a  few  miles  E.  of  Zagazig.  This  will 
restore  the  line  of  water  communica- 
tion between  the  Nile  and  the  Red  Sea 
as  it  existed,  perhaps  in  the  time  of 
Trajan,  certainly  in  the  time  of  Omar  ; 
but  its  importance  as  a  means  of  transit 
will  be  purely  local  and  internal. 

/.  Various  modern  projects  for  con- 
necting the  two  seas. — We  have  seen 
that  all  the  more  enlightened  sove- 
reigns who  ruled  Egypt  at  different 
periods  paid  special  attention  to  the 
means  of  transit  through  that  country 
between  the  East  and  the  West ;  and  so 
much  so,  that  Ptolemy  Philadelphus, 
one  of  the  chief  restorers  of  the  canal 
communication  between  the  Mediter- 
ranean and  Eed  Sea,  founded  another 
line  of  route  through  Egypt  from  Myos 
Hormos  and  Berenice  on  the  Bed  Sea, 
to  Coptos,  on  the  Nile,  near  Thebes. 
And  this  route  continued  to  be  of  great 
importance  up  to  the  time  of  the  dis- 
covery of  the  Cape  passage  by  Vasco 
da  Gama  in  1497,  from  which  time  all 
the  overland  routes  between  East  and 
West,  both  through  Asia  and  Africa, 
were  gradually  abandoned. 

The  first  in  more  comparatively 
modern  times  to  take  up  the  subject  of 
a  water  communication  between  the 
two  seas  was  Napoleon  Buonaparte. 
After  having  in  1798  examined  him- 
self the  traces  of  the  old  canal  of 
Necho  and  his  successors,  he  ordered 
M.  Lepere  to  survey  the  Isthmus,  and 
prepare  a  project  for  uniting  the  two 
seas  by  a  direct  canal.  The  result  of 
the  French  engineer's  labours  was  to 
discover  a  difference  of  30  ft,  between 


the  Bed  Sea  at  high  water  and  the 
Mediterranean  at  low;  and  as  this 
inequality  of  level  seemed  to  preclude 
the  idea  of  a  direct  maritime  canal, 
the  following  compromise  was  recom- 
mended:— 1.  a  fresh-water  commu- 
nication between  Alexandria  and  the 
Bitter  Lakes  in  the  following  manner, 
(a)  Canal  from  Alexandria  to  Baman- 
eeyah  on  the  Bosetta  branch.  (&) 
'  Bosetta  branch  to  Cairo,  (c)  Canal 
from  Cairo  by  El  Wady  in  the  old 
I  line  to  the  Bitter  Lakes,  which  were 
to  be  filled  with  fresh  water,  and 
'  closed  at  the  S.  end  by  a  lock,  (d) 
Sea  canal  to  Suez.  2.  Direct  com- 
munication between  the  two  seas  by 
(a)  The  sea  canal  from  Suez  to  the 
Bitter  Lakes,  and  (&)  A  fresh- water 
canal  from  the  Bitter  Lakes  to  Pelu- 
sium.  This  report  was  not  finished 
till  after  the  evacuation  of  Egypt  by 
the  French,  and  circumstances  pre- 
vented any  attempt  at  its  execution. 
Although,  owing  to  the  exertions  of 
Lieutenant  Waghorn,  the  route  through 
Egypt  was  chosen  in  1837  for  the 
transmission  of  the  mails  between 
England  and  India,  and  the  P.  and  0. 
Company  established  a  service  of 
steamers  between  England  and  Alex- 
andria, and  Suez  and  India,  nothing 
more  was  done  with  regard  to  a  canal 
till  1846,  when  a  mixed  commission, 
ineluding  Stephenson,  was  appointed 
to  inquire  into  the  subject.  They 
exploded  the  old  error  so  extraor- 
dinarily confirmed  by  Lepere,  respect- 
ing the  difference  of  level  between  the 
two  seas,  and  proved  that  it  was  in- 
appreciable, but  separated  without 
coming  to  any  conclusion,  leaving  it 
to  one  of  their  number,  M.  Talabot,  to 
present  a  project  of  his  own.  His  idea 
was  to  follow  the  old  canal  from  Suez 
to  near  Zagazig,  avoiding  the  Bitter 
Lakes,  then  take  a  direct  line  up  to 
the  head  of  the  Delta  to  the  Barrage 
then  building;  carry  the  c.nal  across 
the  river  at  this  point  by  means  of  a 
gigantic  aqueduct,  and  then  continue 
it  in  a  direct  line  to  Alexandria.  The 
difficulties  involved  in  this  plan  proved 
it  to  be  impracticable;  and  the  same 
verdict  awaited  the  project  of  Messrs. 
Barrault,  who  proposed  to  go  from 


232 


ROUTE  7.  CAIRO  TO 


THE  SUEZ  CANAL.  Sect.  II. 


Suez  through  Lake  Menzaleh  to  Da-  j 
mietta,    then   across   the  Damietta 
branch  of  the  Nile  to  Eosetta,  and 
so  across    the    Kosetta    branch  to 
Alexandria. 

The  next  project  was  drawn  up  in 
1855  by  M.  Linant-Bey  and  M.  Mou- 
gel-Bey,  under  the  superintendence  of 
M.  de  Lesseps,  who  had  alivady  re- 
ceived a  first  firman  of  concession  from 
the  then  viceroy  Said  Pasha.  It 
recommended  a  direct  canal  between 
Suez  and  Pelusium,  passing  through 
the  Bitter  Lakes,  Lakes  Timsah,  Bal- 
lah,  and  Menzaleh,  and  communi- 
cating with  the  sea  at  each  end  by 
means  of  a  lock.  A  fresh-water  canal 
from  Boolak  to  the  centre  of  the 
Isthmus,  and  thence  to  Suez,  with  a 
conduit  for  conveying  water  to  Pelu- 
sium, was  also  proposed.  This  project 
was  in  1856  submitted  to  an  inter- 
national commission,  comprising  re- 
presentatives from  Austria,  England, 
France,  Italy,  the  Netherlands,  Prus- 
sia, and  Spain,  and  the  following 
modifications  introduced.  The  line  of 
the  canal  to  the  N.  was  slightly  altered 
and  brought  to  a  point  17|  m.  W.  of 
Pelusium;  this  change  being  deter- 
mined on  from  the  fact  of  there  being 
deep  water  (25  to  30  ft.)  at  a  distance 
of  2  m.  from  the  coast  at  this  point ; 
whereas  at  Pelusium  the  same  depth 
was  only  found  at  a  distance  of  5  m. 
The  locks  were  done  away  with,  and 
the  length  of  the  jetties  at  Suez  and 
Port  Said  modified,  and  various  other 
minor  details  settled.  This  was  t.ie 
project  accepted,  and  so  successfully 
carried  out  by  the  Suez  Canal  Com- 
pany. 

g.  Financial  and  political  history 
of  the  present  Maritime  Suez  Canal.— 
In  1854  M.  de  Lesseps,  whose  father 
was  the  first  representative  of  France 
in  Egypt  after  the  occupation  of  1708- 
1801,  and  who  had  himself  been  Consul 
at  Cairo  from  1831-1838,  obtained  the 
first  preliminary  concession  from  Said 
Pasha,  authorizing  him  to  form  a  com- 
pany for  the  purpose  of  excavating  a 
canal  between  the  two  seas,  and  laying 
down  the  conditions  on  which  the 


concession  was  granted.  This  was 
followed  by  the  drawing  up  and  re- 
vision of  the  project  mentioned  above, 
and  the  renewal  in  1856  of  the  first 
concession  with  certain  modifications 
and  additions.  Meanwhile  the  British 
Government,  under  the  influence  of 
Lord  Palmerston,  then  Foreign  Secre- 
tary, endeavoured,  for  a  variety  of 
political  reasons,  to  throw  obstacles  in 
the  way  of  the  enterprise,  and  so  far 
succeeded  as  to  prevent  the  Sultan 
from  granting  his  sanction  to  the  con- 
cession made  by  the  Viceroy.  M.  de 
Lesseps,  however,  sanguine  as  to  the 
result — he  had,  as  he  himself  said, 
"  pour  principe  de  commencer  par 
avoir  de  la  contiance" — and  encouraged 
by  the  favourable  reception  his  project 
had  met  with  in  Europe,  determined 
to  open,  in  1S58,  the  subscription  that 
was  to  furnish  funds  for  the  under- 
taking. The  capital,  according  to  the 
statutes  of  the  Company  approved  in 
the  firman  of  concession,  was  to  con- 
sist of  8,000,000Z.,  in  shares  of  20Z. 
each.  Lather  more  than  half  of  this 
was  subscribed  tor,  and  eventually  in 
1860  Said  Pasha  consented  to  take 
up  the  remaining  unallotted  shares, 
amounting  to  more  than  3,500,0002. 
Disregarding  the  opposition  of  the 
English  Government,  and  the  with- 
holding through  its  influence  of  the 
consent  of  the  Porte,  M.  de  Lesseps 
began  his  work  in  1859 ;  and  on  the 
25th  of  April  in  that  year  the  works 
may  be  said  to  have  been  formally 
commenced  by  the  digging,  in  the 
presence  of  M.  de  Lesseps  and  four 
directors  of  the  Company,  of  a  small 
trench  along  the  projected  line  of  the 
Canal,  on  the  narrow  strip  of  sand 
between  Lake  Menzaleh  and  the  Medi- 
terranean. This  was  followed  by  the 
establishment  of  working  encamp- 
ments in  different  parts  of  the  Isthmus. 
But,  though  the  first  step  had  been 
won,  difficulties  of  various  kinds  pre- 
vented the  work  from  making  very 
rapid  progress,  and  at  the  end  of  1862 
the  actual  results  were  only  a  narrow 
rigole  cut  from  the  Mediterranean  to 
Lake  Timsah,  and  the  extension  of  the 
Fresh- Water  Canal  from  Pas  el  Wady 
to  the  same  point.   The  principal  work 


Egypt 


ROUTE  7.  THE  SUEZ  CANAL. 


233 


done  in  1R63  was  the  continuation  of 
the  Fresh-Water  Canal  to  Suez.  At 
this  point  a  difficulty  arose,  which 
threatened  to  stop  the  works  altogether. 

Among  the  articles  of  concession  of 
1856  was  one  providing  that  four-fifths 
of  the  workmen  on  the  Canal  should 
be  Egyptians ;  and  Said  Pasha  con- 
sented to  furnish  these  workmen  by 
conscription  from  different  parts  of 
Egypt,  the  Company  agreeing  to  pay 
them  at  a  rate  equal  to  about  two- 
thirds  less  than  was  given  for  similar 
work  in  Europe,  and  one-third  more 
than  they  received  in  their  own 
country,  and  to  provide  them  with 
food,  habitations,  &c.  In  principle 
this  was  the  corvee  or  forced  labour; 
the  fellaheen  being  taken  away  from 
their  homes  and  sent  to  work  at  the 
Can  d,  though  there  is  no  doubt  that 
when  there  they  were  as  well  treated 
and  better  paid  than  at  home.  How- 
ever the  injustice  and  impolicy  of 
this  clause  had  always  been  in- 
sisted on  to  the  Sultan  by  the 
English  Government ;  and  the  present 
Khedive,  on  his  accession  to  power  in 
1863,  perceived  at  once  that  the  con- 
tinual drain  upon  the  working  popu- 
lation, necessary  to  supply  the  Canal 
with  20,000  fresh  labourers  monthly, 
was  a  loss  to  the  country  which  no- 
thing could  compensate  for.  Pie 
therefore  in  the  early  part  of  1864 
refused  to  continue  to  send  the  monthly 
contingent,  and  the  works  in  con- 
sequence came  almost  to  a  standstill. 
Other  points  of  difference  at  the  same 
time  arose  between  the  Sultan,  the 
Egyptian  Government,  and  the  Com- 
pany, with  regard  to  the  large  grant 
of  lands  made  to  the  Company  in  the 
original  concession,  and  the  proprietor- 
ship of  the  Fresh-Water  Canal  from 
Kas  el  Wady  to  Suez.  By  the  con- 
sent of  all  parties,  the  subjects  in  dis- 
pute were  submitted  to  the  arbitrage 
of  the  French  Emperor,  Napoleon  III, 
who  decided  that  the  two  concessions 
of  1854  and  1856  being  of  the  nature 
of  a  contract,  and  binding  on  both 
parties,  the  Egyptian  Government 
should  pay  an  indemnity  of  1.520,000Z. 
for  the  withdrawal  of  the  fellah  labour, 
1,200,000Z.  for  the  resumption  of  the 


f  lands  originally  "granted,  200  metres 
!  only  being  retained  on  each  side  of 
the  canal  for  the  erection  of  workshops, 
deposit  of  soil  excavated,  &c,  and 
640,0002.  for  the  Fresh- Water  Canal, 
and  the  right  of  levying  tolls  on  it ; 
the  Egyptian  Government  under- 
taking to  keep  it  in  repair  and  navi- 
gable, and  to  allow  the  Company  free 
use  of  it  for  any  purpose.  The  sum 
total  of  these  payments  amounted  to 
3,360,0002.,  and  was  to  be  paid  in  16 
instalments  from  1864  to  1879. 

The  Company  now  proceeded  to  re- 
place by  machinery  the  manual  labour 
whose  services  they  had  lost ;  and 
thanks  to  the  energy  and  ingenuity  of 
the  principal  contractors,  Messrs.  Borel 
and  Lavalley,  that  which  seemed  at  first 
sight  to  threaten  destruction  to  the 
whole  enterprise,  led  more  than  any- 
thing to  its  being  ultimately  successful 
— for  it  may  be  said  that  without  the 
machinery  thus  called  into  action,  the 
Canal  would  never  have  been  com- 
pleted when  it  was;  and  when  we 
look  at  the  ingenuity  displayed  in  the 
invention  of  this  machinery,  and  the 
enormous  scale  on  which  it  was  ap- 
plied, it  must  certainly  be  considered 
as  one  of  the  chief  glories  of  the  work. 
It  may  be  noted  that  its  first  cost 
was  2,400,0002.,  and  its  monthly  con- 
sumption of  fuel  40,0002.  A  further 
sum  of  400,0002.  was  realized  in  1866 
by  the  sale  of  the  tract  of  land  called 
El  Wady,  which  hud  been  purchased 
by  the  Company  of  Said  Pasha  for 
the  sum  of  74,00  02.  And,  by  a  new 
convention,  the  term  for  the  payment 
of  the  remainder  of  the  indemnity 
awarded  by  the  Emperor  Napoleon 
was  shortened  by  ten  years,  and  the 
whole  sum  was  to  be  paid  by  1869. 

The  work  now  proceeded  without 
interruption  of  any  kind ;  but  at  the 
end  of  1867  it  became  evident  that 
more  money  would  be  needed,  and  a 
subscription  was  opened  for  the  pur- 
pose of  obtaining  4,000,0002.  by  means 
of  202.  shares,  issued  at  122.,  bearing 
interest  at  the  rate  of  12.  per  cent., 
and  repayable  at  par  in  fifty  years. 
Of  this  loan  little  more  than  a  fourth 
was  obtained  in  six  months,  and  in 
order  to  get  the  rest  Without  delay  the 


234 


ROUTE  7.  CAIRO  TO 


THE  SUEZ  CANAL. 


Sect.  II. 


Company  obtained  permission  to  issue 
bonds,  reimbursable  by  lottery  draw- 
ings, on  condition  that  their  nominal 
value  should  be  not  less  than  20Z.,  that 
they  should  bear  interest  at  not  less 
than  3  per  cent,  on  the  nominal  capital, 
and  that  the  sum  annually  devoted  to 
prizes  should  not  exceed  1  per  cent,  of 
the  capital.  The  prospect  of  40,000Z. 
a  year  in  prizes,  varying  from  80Z.  to 
6000Z.,  to  be  drawn  for  quarterly,  in 
addition  to  the  already  favourable 
terms  of  the  subscription,  soon  brought 
in  the  remainder  of  the  loan.  But 
money  was  again  needed  in  1869,  and 
fresh  bonds,  called  delegations,  were 
issued  for  1,200,000Z.  At  the  same 
time  the  Company,  for  the  sum  of 
800,000Z.,  yielded  up  to  the  Egyptian 
Government  its  right  of  free  passage 
and  exemption  from  custom-house 
duties  along  the  Fresh- Water  Canal, 
agreed  to  take  half  only  of  whatever 
the  land  still  belonging  to  it  might 
fetch,  and  renounced  entirely  all  spe- 
cial rights  and  privileges  of  any  kind. 
For  a  further  sum  of  400,00CZ.  it  sold 
to  the  Egyptian  Government  all  its 
establishments  on  the  Isthmus,  includ- 
ing the  hospitals  and  their  materiel, 
the  quarry  and  harbour  of  Mex  near 
Alexandria,  and  its  workshop  and 
establishments  at  Boolak  and  Damietta. 
This  1,200,OOOZ.  however  was  never 
paid  in  hard  cash,  it  being  agreed  that 
the  Company  should  accept  instead  a 
renunciation  on  the  part  of  the 
Egyptian  Government  of  the  interest 
on .  shares  held  by  it  for  25  years. 
At  this  time,  it  may  be  added,  the 
Company  were  receiving  a  revenue  of 
about  5000Z.  a  month  as  their  share, 
for  the  transit  receipts  between  Port 
Said  and  Suez,  via  the  Maritime  Canal 
to  Lake  Timsah,  and  thence  to  Suez  by 
the  Fresh- Water  Canal. 

The  complicated  nature  of  the  money 
arrangements  between  the  Egyptian 
Government  and  the  Company,  make 
it  difficult  to  know  exactly  how  far 
the  former  had  actually  fulfilled  its 
engagements  at  the  time  of  the  open- 
ing ;  but  supposing  it  to  have  clone  so 
completely,  the  capital  received  by  the 
Suez  Canal  Company,  up  to  the  open- 
ing of  the  Canal  in  Nov.  1869,  would 


amount  in  all  to  about  seventeen  mil- 
lion sterling,  as  thus  : — 


Original  Capital   £8,000,000 

Indemnity  lor  withdrawal  of  fella-)  „  oen  nnn 

heen,   )  ^bl}>000 

Sale  of  the  el- VVady  Estate  .    .    .  400,000 

Lottery  Loan  1868    4,000,000 

Additional  Loan  1869    .    .    .    .  1,200,000 


Total  £16,960,000 


The  addition  of  sums  arising  from 
various  sources  of  profit  would  bring 
the  total  amount  to  considerably  more 
than  the  sum  stated  above  of  seventeen 
millions.  Of  this  amount,  as  may  be 
seen,  13,200,OOOZ.  is  interest-bearing : 
but  as  by  the  agreement  of  1869  men- 
tioned above,  the  Egyptian  Govern- 
ment gave  up  the  interest  in  its  shares 
for  25  years,  the  value  of  the  176,602 
20Z.  shares  held  by  it(=  3,532,040Z.) 
must  be  deducted,  and  the  interest- 
bearing  capital  would  consequently 
stand  thus : — 


223,598  shares  at  20Z  £4,471,960 

Lottery  or  Debenture  Loan  1868  .  4,000,000 
Additional  Loan  1869     ....  1,200,000 


Total  £9,671,960 


On  the  17th  Nov.  1869  the  Canal 
was  opened  for  traffic  ;  not  completely 
finished,  it  is  true,  but  sufficiently 
so  to  enable  48  ships,  some  drawing 
18  feet  of  water,  to  pass  through  to 
Lake  Timsah,  and  continue  their 
voyage  to  Suez  the  following  day.  All 
nations  may  be  said  to  have  assisted 
at  the  ceremony ;  and  England  forgot 
her  old  political  jealousy  of  the  under- 
taking, and  her  scepticism  as  to  its 
success,  in  the  prospect  of  the  benefit 
she  was  likely  to  reap  from  this 
shortened  route  to  the  East.  The 
vessels  which  took  part  in  the  opening 
procession  of  course  paid  no  rates  for 
passage.  But  immediately  afterwards 
a  regular  traffic  set  in,  the  first  ship 
to  pay  the  dues  being  an  English  one. 
By  the  concession  of  1856  the  tariff, 
which,  it  is  expressly  stated,  is  to  be 
the  same  for  ships  of  all  nations,  was 
fixed  at  10  francs  (8  shillings)  per  ton, 
and  10  francs  per  passenger ;  in 
addition  to  which  there  are  extra  dues 
for  pilotage,  amount  of  water  drawn, 
&c.    The  following  table  will  show  the 


Egypt. 


ROUTE.  7.  THE  SUEZ  CANAL. 


235 


number  of  vessels  that  have  passed 
through  the  Canal,  and  the  receipts 
since  the  opening  : — 

Ships.  Receipts. 


November) 
December  ) 

1x70  486 
1871  765 

January  ) 

February  V  1872  311 
March  J 


£ 

2,258 


2C6,373 
359.720  i 


The  additional  receipts  arising  from 
transit  of  small  boats,  merchandise, 
and  other  sources,  amounted  in  1S70 
to  49,1152.  It  was  originally  estimated 
that  the  expenses  alone  of  keeping 
the  Canal  in  a  navigable  state  would 
amount  to  144,000L  a  year.  In  the 
report  presented  to  the  shareholders 
at  the  beginning  of  1872,  the  general 
receipts  for  the  current  year  are  esti- 


mated at  720,000L,  and  the  expenses 
of  every  kind  at  640,0002. 

The  financial  and  political  diffi- 
culties that  have  been  encountered  in 
the  carrying  out  of  this  gigantic  work 
have  not  been  slight,  but  they  have 
hitherto  been  successfully  passed 
through;  and  the  steadily  increasing 
use  made  of  the  Canal,  especially  by 
English  vessels,  shows  that  the  saving 
in  distance  and  expense  offered  by  this 
route  is  beginning  to  be  appreciated, 
and  that  the  Canal,  from  being  looked 
upon  as  the  "  futile  attempt  of  a  clever 
enthusiast,"  is  regarded  as  an  accom- 
plished fact,  and  as  affording  the 
natural  line  for  traffic  between  East 
and  West.  The  following  table  gives 
the  relative  distances  by  the  Cape 
route,  and  by  the  Canal,  from  Eng- 
land, America,  Eussia,  and  France,  to 
India  : — 


England  to  Bombay  (nautical  miles) 
New  York  to  Bombay        , , 
St.  Petersburg  to  Bombay  , , 
Marseilles  to  Bombay        , , 


Via  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 
,     .     .  10,860 
.     .     .  11,520 
,    .    .  11,610 
.    .    .  10,560 


Via  Suez  Canal. 
6,020 
7,920 
6,770 
4,620 


Saving. 
4,840 
3,600 
4,840 
5,940 


Before  closing  this  short  sketch  it 
may  not  be  inappropriate  to  notice  how 
much  Egypt  has  contributed  towards 
the  making  of  the  Suez  Canal.  Some 
idea  of  it  may  be  gained  by  sum- 
marising certain  items  already  re- 
ferred to — 

176,602  original  201.  shares 


Payment  by  arbitration  award  of  ) 


£3,532,040 
3,360,000 


1864   

For  re-purchase  of  el-  Wady  estate  .  326 , 000 
For  re-purchase  of  certain  rights,  ) 

&c,  by  renunciation  of  interest  >  1,200,000 

on  shares  for  25  years  .    .    .  )  

Total  £8,418,040 

And  when  it  is  considered  that  she 
has  hnd  to  meet  these  engagements  by 
borrowing  money  at,  at  least,  from  10 
to  12  per  cent.,  we  may  add  another 
2  millions  and  more  to  the  account. 
It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  cost  of  the 
Canal  to  Egypt  is  altogether  out  of 
proportion  to  any  benefits  that  she  can 
possibly  receive  from  it.  From  an 
economical  and  commercial  point  of 
view,  the  Canal  can  be  a  source  of 
very  little  profit  to  the  country  through 
which  it  passes.  The  political  advan- 
tage, however,  may  be  considerable,  as 


the  Canal  must  very  much  enhance 
the  geographical  importance  of  Egypt  ; 
but  it  may  be  doubted  whether  this 
advantage  has  not  been  dearly  pur- 
chased. 

h.  Suez  to  Port  Said  by  the  Canal. 
100  miles. 

The  traveller  muSt  obtain  informa- 
tion at  Suez  as  to  the  best  means  of 
going  through  the  Canal  to  Ismailia. 
A  passage  may  often  be  obtained 
on  board  some  large  vessel  passing 
through,  or  a  small  steam  launch  or 
sailing  boat  can  be  hired ;  but  it  must 
be  borne  in  mind  that  if  there  is  at  all 
a  strong  wind  blowing,  neither  small 
steam  launches  nor  sailing  boats  are 
very  safe  in  the  Bitter  Lakes.  If  there 
is  any  difficulty  in  getting  a  passage 
through  the  Canal  to  Ismailia,  that 
portion  of  the  route  might  be  seen  in 
the  following  way.  Make  a  day's  ex- 
cursion in  a  boat,  or  on  donkey,  or 
horseback,  from  Suez  to  the  Bitter 
Lakes  and  back  ;  the  time  in  coming 
back  may  be  shortened  by  taking  the 
train  from  Shaloof,  or  you  might  go 


236 


ROUTE  7.  CAIRO  TO  THE  SUEZ  CANAL. 


Sect.  IT. 


by  train  to  Shaloof  in  the  morning, 
taking  the  donkeys  with  you.  Then 
the  next  day  go  from  Suez  by  train  to 
Ismailia,  and  make  an  exclu  sion  thence 
to  the  N.  end  of  the  Bitter  Lakes. 
For  convenience'  sake,  however,  we 
shall  suppose  the  traveller  to  start  from 
Suez  by  the  Canal. 

The  annexed  table  of  the  dimensions 
of  the  Canal  may  be  useful  for  reference 
on  the  way : — 

Feet. 

"Width  at  water-line,  where  banks  are  low  328 
Widih  at  water-line  in  deep  cuttings, 

where  banks  are  high  190 

Width  at  base  •  72 

Depth  26 

Slope  of  bank  near  water  line  1  in  5,  near  base 
1  in  2. 

The  total  length  is  100  miles,  which 
may  be  divided  with  reference  to  the 
water-line  width  and  the  character  of 
the  soil,  thus  : — 

Miles. 

Plain  of  Suez,  full  width,  tenacious  soil  .    .  10 
Cutting  of  Shaloof,  reduced  width,  tenacious 
soil  and  rocks  with  upper  coating  of  sand  5 

Bitter  Lakes  25 

Sortie  from  Bitter  Lakes,  full  width,  tena- 
cious soil,  with  upper  coating  of  sand .    .  2 
Serapsurn  and  Toussoom  cuttings,  reduced 

width,  sand  6 

Lake  Timsah  5  i 

Cutting  of  Guisr,  reduced  width,  sand    .    .     6  [ 
Lakes  Ballnh  and  Menzaleh.  full  width, 
with  short  sandy  cuttings  at  El  Ferdane 
and  Kantarah  of  about  3  miles  ....  41 


Total 


100 


Leaving  the  roadstead,  the  mouth  of 
the  Canal,  which  is  here  900  feet  wide 
and  27  feet  deep,  is  soon  reached.    It  j 
is  guarded  at  its  entrance  by  a  mole 
^  a  mile  long,  which  piojects  from  the 
Asiatic  shore,  and  protects  it  from  1 
southerly  gales  and  from  the  action 
of  the  tide  at  high  water.    This  mole  . 
is  built  of  calcareous  rock  from  the  I 
quarries  at  the  foot  of  Gebel  Attakah  on  i 
the  African  shore.    Past  this,  on  the  j 
left,  is  a  stone  embankment  facing  the  1 
ground  on  which  stand  the  offices  and  | 
workshops  of  the  Company,  and  the  | 
constructions   belonging  to  the  new  | 
quays  mentioned  in  the  account  of  Suez,  i 
The  whole  of  the  ground  on  which  ! 
these  buildings  stand  is  composed  of  j 
dredgiugs  from  the  channel  of  the  , 
Canal.    First  the  embankments  were  j 


built,  and  then  the  dredges  with  long 
ducts  (a  long  couloir)  were  moved 
alongside,  and  the  dredgings  depo- 
sited behind  the  embankments.  At 
the  point  where  the  channel  of  deep 
water  leading  up  to  Suez  enters  the 
Canal  is  a  small  dock  belonging  to 
the  Company.  Sweeping  round  in  a 
long  curve,  between  embankments 
built  of  the  half-formed  rock  that  here 
lay  beneath  the  upper  coating  of  sand, 
the  Canal,  gradually  narrowing  to  its 
proper  width,  passes  on  the  left  the 
old  Quarantine  station,  and  enters 
what  is  called  the 

Plain  of  Suez,  a  sort  of  marshy 
lagoon,  slightly  above  the  level  of 
the  sea,  extending  up  to  the  heights 
of  Shaloof.  Both  through  this  plain 
and  the  higher  ground  near  the 
old  Quarantine  station  a  first  shallow 
channel  was  dug  by  hand  in  1866, 
a  dam  being  left  nearly  opposite  the 
station  to  keep  out  the  flow  of  the  sea 
at  high  tide.  The  channel  thus  cut 
was  filled,  partly  by  infiltration  from 
the  surrounding  marshes,  and  partly 
by  fresh  water  brought  through  a 
narrow  cutting  from  the  Fresh-Water 
Canal.  Dredges  were  then  floated  in, 
to  complete  the  excavation  to  the  re- 
quired depth.  The  dredging  here  was 
very  difficult,  the  soil  being  composed 
of  veiy  stiff  clay  and  half-formed  stone. 
Indeed  the  strain  upon  the  machines 
was  so  great,  and  the  progress  made  so 
slow,  that  it  w<is  found  necessary  at 
the  end  of  1868  to  change  the  mode  of 
attack  along  a  portion  of  the  plain, 
and  proceed  to  excavate  a  sec  and  by 
hand-labour.  Accordingly  leaving  a 
dam  at  Kilometre  148,  and  confining 
the  working  of  the  dredges  to  the  por- 
tion south  of  this  point,  the  water  was 
pumped  out  of  the  remaining  six  or 
seven  miles  up  to  the  heights  of  Shaloof 
already  dug  through,  and  closed  by 
another  dam,  and  in  a  short  time 
15,000  men  were  hard  at  work  with 
barrow,  spade,  pickaxe,  and  blasting- 
tools.  The  following  notes  written  on 
the  spot  in  April,  1869,  will  give  some 
idea  of  the  aspect  of  the  work  at  that 
time  : — "  The  whole  scene  along  these 
six.  or  seven  miles  was  truly  wonder- 


Egypt. 


KOUTE  7.  THE  SUEZ  CANAL. 


237 


ful ;  such  a  number  arid  variety  of  men 
and  animals  were,  probably,  never  be- 
fore collected  together  in  the  prosecu- 
tion of  one  work.  There  were  to  be 
seen  European  gangs — Greeks,  Alba- 
nians, Montenegrins,  Germans,  Ita- 
lians, &c.  generally  working  at  the 
lower  levels,  and  where  the  tram- 
ways and  inclined  planes  carried  away 
the  detblais.  Their  only  animal 
helpers  were  mules  to  draw  the  wag- 
gons. Then  would  come  groups  of 
native  gangs,  the  produce  of  their 
pickaxes  and  spades  borne  away  in 
wheelbarrows,  or  on  the  backs  of 
camels,  horses,  donkeys,  and  even  chil- 
dren. Of  these  animals  the  donkeys 
were  the  most  numerous,  as  well  as  the 
most  intelligent.  It  was  curious  to 
watch  them.  Seldom  did  the  boy 
whose  post  it  was  to  drive  them  think 
of  accompanying  them;  he  generally 
stood  at  the  top  of  the  embankment, 
and  emptied  the  contents  of  their 
baskets  as  they  arrived.  Below,  as  soon 
as  the  basket  was  loaded,  one  of  the 
fillers  would  give  the  animal  a 
smack  with  the  spade,  and  an  em- 
phatic 'Empshy  ya  kelb!  '  (  'Get 
along,  O  dog '),  and  it  would  quietly 
move  off,  and  gradually  make  its  way 
to  the  top  ;  where  the  basket  emptied, 
it  would  be  dismissed  with  another 
'  Empshy,'  and  proce  d  down  again. 
These  donkeys  would  preserve  an  un- 
broken line  in  mounting  and  descend- 
ing the  tortuous  and  steep  incline  ;  and 
if  a  stoppage  took  place,  a  shout  from 
the  men  was  sufficient  to  send  them 
on  again.  Their  only  trappings  were 
the  open-mouthed  sacks  made  of  shreds 
of  palm-leaf,  flung  across  their  bare 
backs,  forming  a  double  pannier.  The 
camels  had  a  more  scientifically  con- 
struct d  burden,  consi-ting  of  a  pair 
of  open  wooden  boxes  closed  at  the 
bottom  by  doors  fastened  with  a  bolt." 

With  a  very  gradual  bend  to  the  W. 
the  Canal  enters  the  deep  cutting  of  j 
Chaloufi  pronounced  Shaloof )  (12£  m.).  j 
The  seuil,  as  the  French  call  it,  of  j 
Shaloof  (Chalouf)  el  Terraba  is  &' 
plateau  of  from  20  to  25  feet  above 
the  tea-level,  and  about  six  miles  in  j 
length.    The  surface  soil  down  to  the  , 


future  water-line  of  the  Canal  was  ex- 
cavated by  the  forced  contingent  of  fel- 
laheen in  1864.  Noihing  more  was 
then  done  till  1866,  when  the  work 
was  recommenced  a  sec  by  workmen 
from  all  countries  of  Europe  and  such 
natives  as  could  be  procured,  the  soil 
being  removed  and  discharged  over 
the  banks  by  means  of  a  very  complete 
system  of  tramways  and  inclined 
planes.  A  serious  obstacle  was  here 
encountered  in  the  shape  of  a  layer  of 
rock  several  feet  deep,  and  extending 
for  about  400  yards  along  the  cutting, 
It  was  composed  principally  of  sand- 
stone, with  varieties  of  limestone  and 
conglomerate;  the  latter  in  some  places 
very  hard,  in  others  soft,  as  though 
recently  formed.  Eos-il  remains  of 
the  shark,  hippopotamus,  tortoise,  a 
species  of  whale,  &c,  were  found  in  the 
rock.  It  has  been  conjectured,  and 
not  without  reason,  that  the  heights  of 
Shaloof  owe  their  origin  to  an  earth- 
quake, which  may  have  been  so  far 
felt  here  as  to  raise  the  soil  slightly. 
According  to  the  same  hypothesis,  this 
phenomenon  would  have  been  the  cause 
of  the  first  separation  of  the  Heroo- 
polite  Gulf,  now  the  Bitter  L;ikes.  frorn 
the  main  body  of  the  Bed  Sea,  only  a 
narrow  and  shallow  channel  of  com- 
munication being  left  b  tween  them. 
Across  this  channel,  the  combined 
action  of  the  wind  and  tide,  and  the 
sand  detritus  from  the  neighbouring 
hills  would  in  time  form  a  bar,  thus 
isolating  completely  the  northern  gulf ; 
and  the  same  causes  continually  at 
work  would,  century  after  century,  in- 
crease the  size  of  the  obstructing 
height,  and  push  the  shore  of  the  Bed 
Sea,  little  by  little,  further  south. 
Various  sovereigns  of  Egypt  attempted 
to  keep  open  the  communication  be- 
tween the  HeroopoliteGulfandtheBed 
Sea  ;  and  the  course  of  the  canal  first 
cut  by  Darius  can  be  distinctly  traced 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Shaloof. 
Many  are  inclined  to  place  the  site  of 
the  Israelites'  passage  of  the  Bed  Sea 
near  this  point  (see  Bte.  14,  g).  52,000 
cubic  yards  of  rock  were  blasted  and 
cleared  away.  The  sight  while  the  work 
was  going  on  here  was  a  most  remark- 
able one,  presenting  the  appearance  of 


238 


ROUTE  7.  CAIRO  TO  THE  SUEZ  CANAL. 


Sect.  II. 


a  huge  excavated  valley,  of  vast  depth 
and  width,  the  bottom  covered  with  a 
network  of  tramways,  the  sides  lined 
with  inclined  planes,  and  the  whole 
swarming  with  thousands  of  workmen. 
The  Canal  here  narrows  to  a  width  at 
the  water-line  of  only  190  feet. 

The  banks  gradually  lower  as  we 
pass  out  of  the  Shaloof  cutting  into 
the  southernmost  part  of  the  Bitter 
Lakes  (3  m.),  called  by  the  French  the  j 
"  Petit  Bassin  des  Lacs  Amers."  The 
so-called  Bitter  Lakes  are  supposed  to 
have  formed  in  more  ancient  times  the 
northern  portion  of  the  Bed  Sea,  known 
as  the  Sinus  Heroopolites.  Cut  off 
gradually,  as  explained  above,  from 
the  main  sea,  the  waters  of  the  gulf  in 
time  evaporated,  leaving  a  dry  depres- 
sion divided  into  two  unequal  parts : 
the  southernmost  and  smallest,  about 
7  miles  long,  and  2  wide,  with  an 
average  depth  in  the  centre  of  15  feet 
below  the  old  water-line  ;  and  the 
northernmost  and  largest  15|  miles 
long,  and  about  6  wide,  with  an  aver- 
age depth  in  the  centre  of  25  to  30 
feet  below  the  old  water-line.  A  nar- 
row isthmus  about  a  mile  in  length, 
and  rising  at  its  highest  point  to  about 
sea-level,  formed  the  separation.  The 
bottom  was  a  species  of  salt-marsh, 
with  water  a  few  inches  below  the 
surface;  but  in  the  centre  of  the 
larger  depression  was  an  elliptical- 
shaped  bank  of  salt,  7  miles  in  length 
by  5  in  width. 

The  excavating  work  in  this  por- 
tion of  the  Canal  was  very  slight: 
only  the  neck  between  the  two  de- 
pressions had  to  be  cut  through,  and 
an  entrance  to  the  channel  made  at 
each  end,  the  depth  in  the  centre  be- 
ing more  than  sufficient.  But  the 
filling  this  vast  expanse  with  water 
was  an  achievement  second  to  none  in 
the  progress  of  the  undertaking.  It 
was  commenced  on  the  17th  of  March, 
1869,  by  letting  in  the  waters  of  the 
Mediterranean  which  had  already  filled 
Lake  Timsah,  and  advanced  through  ' 
the  Canal  to  the  foot  of  the  enormous  j 
weir  destined  to  regulate  their  flow  j 
into  the  Bitter  Lakes.  This  weir,  the 
largest  probably  ever  made,  had  been 
constructed  in  the  west  bank  of  the 


Canal  with  a  curved  channel  leading 
from  it  into  the  lakes  :  the  line  of  the 
Canal  continuing  in  a  straight'  line, 
and  being  closed  at  the  entrance  to  the 
lakes  by  a  dam.  The  weir  was  more 
than  350  feet  in  length,  with  25  open- 
ings, each  of  which  had  20  doors,  so 
that  the  flow  of  water  could  be  regu- 
lated to  any  degree.  The  whole  open- 
ing represented  about  328  feet  in 
j  length  by  rather  more  than  3  in  height, 
and  was  about  3  feet  below  the  level 
of  the  water-line  of  the  Canal,  so  that 
the  force  of  the  stream  pouring  through 
w7as  increased  by  the  weight  of  the 
water  above  it.  In  order  to  break  the 
fall  of  such  a  nws  of  water  and  pre- 
vent its  eating  back  under  the  weir,  a 
solid  platform  was  constructed,  com- 
posed of  piles  driven  in,  and  then  joined 
together  by  cross  beams,  and  filled  in 
to  a  depth  of  10  feet  with  hard  clay  ; 
over  this  was  a  stout  planking  nailed 
to  the  piles,  and  covered  with  pieces  of 
stone,  old  iron,  &c. ;  while  for  300 
yards  along  the  channel  below  the 
weir  were  placed  huge  pieces  of 
rock  to  break  the  force  of  the  wTater. 
When  all  the  doors  were  raised,  from  4 
to  5  million  cubic  metres  of  water 
passed  through  in  the  day.  Three 
months  later  a  similar  weir,  but  of  still 
larger  dimensions,  was  constructed  near 
Shaloof,  and  the  water  of  the  Bed 
Sea  admitted  through  it  into  the 
southern  portion  of  the  Bitter  Lake. 
As  much  as  from  10  to  12  million 
cubic  metres  of  water  were  discharged 
in  a  day  through  this  weir.  Altogether 
it  was  calculated  that  19  hundred 
million  cubic  metres  of  water,  allowing 
for  absorption  and  evaporation,  would 
be  required  to  fill  the  Bitter  Lakes. 

The  ebb  and  flow  of  the  tide  through 
the  Canal  between  the  Bed  Sea  and  the 
Bitter  Lakes  is,  as  will  have  been  seen 
during  the  passage  through,  consider- 
able ;  but  the  clayey  character  of  the 
soil  prevents  its  doing  much  mischief, 
|  and  its  effect  is  almost  lost  in  the  vast 
:  surface  of  the  Bitter  Lakes,  on  whose 
|  level  it  has  no  sensible  effect.  There 
I  is  a  slight  continuance  of  the  ebb 
and  flow  between  the  Bitter  Lakes  and 
Lake  Timsah,  from  which  point  there 
is  a  slight  uniform  current  into  the 


Egypt. 


ROUTE  7.  THE  SUEZ  CANAL. 


239 


Mediterranean,  often  however  checked, 
and  sometimes  reversed,  by  the  action 
of  the  north  wind. 

The  line  of  the  Canal  through 
the  Bitter  Lakes  is  marked  by  buoys 
at  every  330  yards,  forming  an 
avenue  of  about  130  feet  wide ;  and 
at  the  northern  and  southern  ends 
of  the  larger  Bitter  Lake  or,  as 
the  French  call  it,  the  "  Grand  Bas- 
sin  des  Lacs  Amers,"  is  a  lighthouse 
65  feet  high,  the  tower  of  iron  built 
on  solid  masonry ;  the  light  is  of  the 
fourth  order.  The  sandy,  gravelly  sur- 
face of  the  soil  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  Bitter  Lakes  is  strewn  with 
shells,  exactly  corresponding  with 
those  now  found  in  the  Red  Sea, — a 
proof  that  not  only  the  depression  of 
the  Bitter  Lakes,  but  the  whole  of  the 
surrounding  country,  was  formerly 
submerged.  The  only  vegetation  in 
the  neighbourhood  is  composed  of 
tamarisk  shrubs,  which  often  form, 
with  the  earth  and  sand  at  their  roots, 
high  mounds,  and  present  from  a  dis- 
tance the  appearance  of  trees.  To  the 
E.  of  the  Bitter  Lakes  they  extend 
over  a  large  space,  and  looked  so  like  a 
wood  from  a  distance,  that  the  French 
gave  that  part  the  name  of  the  "  Foret." 

After  passing  through  the  Bitter 
Lakes  the  Canal  enters  the  low  ground 
lying  between  them  and  the  heights  of 
Serapeum  (28  m.).  The  greater  part  of 
this  section,  about  a  mile  and  a  half 
long,  was  excavated  a  sec.  At  a  short 
distance  from  the  W.  bank  of  the  Canal 
are  some  remains  of  ancient  works, 
and  traces  of  a  cutting,  which  may  be 
followed  for  some  considerable  distance 
N.  It  has  been  conjectured  that  this 
cutting  marks  the  course  of  the  old 
canal  of  the  Pharaohs,  and  the  remains 
of  the  spot  where  Ptolemy  built  the 
species  of  primitive  lock  connect- 
ing it  with  the  Heroopolite  Gulf. 
The  seuil  of  Serapeum  has  been  so 
named  from  some  supposed  remains  of 
a  temple  of  Serapis  found  about  tlie 
centre  of  the  heights.  Others  are  dis- 
posed to  see  in  them  the  ruins  of 
the  old  town  of  Heroopolis.  The  seuil 
itself  is  about  3  miles  long,  and  from 
15  to  25  feet  high,  composed  of  sand 


with  layers  of  lime  and  clay,  and  here 
and  there  a  sort  of  half-formed  rock, 
of  shells  imbedded  in  lime.  The  re- 
moval of  the  superficial  soil  was  accom- 
plished here  by  a  very  ingenious  and 
skilful  contrivance.  After  a  shallow 
channel  had  been  dug  through  the 
heights,  a  dam  being  left  at  the  north- 
ern and  southern  ends,  a  cross-cutting 
was  made  between  this  channel  and 
tiie  Fresh-Water  Canal,  distant  about  3 
miles  to  the  W.  and  at  about  the  same 
level  as  the  heights.  Through  this 
cutting  fresh  water  was  admitted  into 
the  shallow  channel,  and  into  a  num- 
ber of  slight  depressions  that  existed 
on  either  side ;  these  last  being  thus 
turned  into,  as  it  were,  closed  basins 
communicating  with  the  line  of  the 
Canal.  At  the  same  time  dredges 
were  brought  up  the  Canal  from  Port 
Said  to  Ismailia,  thence  passed  through 
the  locks  up  into  the  Fresh- Water 
Canal,  and  floated  along  it  and  down 
the  cross-cutting  into  the  channel  filled 
with  fresh  water,  where  they  com- 
menced dredging  at  a  height  of  nearly 
20  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 
Flat  -  bottomed,  twin  -  screw  lighters 
received  the  dredgings,  and  deposited 
them  in  the  artificially  formed  basins 
already  mentioned.  When  the  dredges 
had  excavated  to  a  depth  of  nearly  40 
feet,  or  about  20  feet  below  the  sea- 
level,  the  dam  at  the  northern  end  was 
cut,  and  the  waters  of  the  Mediterra- 
nean mingled  with  the  waters  of  the 
Nile,  which  had  thus  been  made  to 
render  a  novel  assistance  to  the  making 
of  the  Canal.  The  cross-cutting  had  of 
course  been  dammed  up.  and  the  basins 
emptied  themselves  into  the  Canal,  now 
fallen  considerably  below  their  base. 
It  was  at  the  southern  end  of  the 
Serapeum  cutting  that  the  dredges  en- 
countered, two  or  three  days  before  the 
date  fixed  for  the  opening  of  the  Canal, 
Nov.  17,  1869,  some  solid  rock,  which 
was  with  great  difficulty  removed  suffi- 
ciently to  allow  of  the  passage  of  the 
vessels  that  took  part  in  the  opening 
ceremony. 

To  the  Serapeum  heights  succeed 
those  of  Toossoom  (3  m.),  from  15  to  20 
feet  in  height,  and  composed  chiefly  of 


240 


ROUTE  7.  CAIRO  TO 


THE  SUEZ  CANAL. 


Sect.  II. 


loose  sand.  It  was  here  that  the  first 
working  encampment  was  formed  in  the 
southern  half  of  the  Isthmus  in  1859, 
and  the  channel  to  a  depth  of  6  feet 
below  the  sea-level  cut  by  the  native 
contingent.  At  that  time  there  was 
no  Fresh- Water  Canal  to  Suez,  and 
all  the  water  had  to  be  brought  from 
a  long  distance  on  camels'  backs.  It 
was  the  difficulty  of  providing  water 
for  the  number  of  men  at  work  here, 
that  proved  to  the  Company  how  im- 
possible it  would  be  to  meet  the 
wants  of  the  still  greater  number  that 
must  be  employed  on  the  sections  to 
the  south  of  the  Bitter  Lakes,  and 
determined  it  to  continue  the  Fresh- 
Water  Canal  from  Nefiche  to  Suez. 
The  remaining  work  in  this  cutting 
was  done  by  dredges;  the  material 
being  carried  away  by  fiat-bottomed 
lighters,  and  discharged  near  the 
shore  of  Lake  Timsah.  Close  to 
the  station  of  Toossoom  is  a  Muslim 
saint's  tomb  called  Sheykh  Hanay- 
dik  near  which  may  be  traced  the 
course  of  the  old  canal ;  and  a  little 
further  to  the  S.  are  a  few  ruins.  The 
bauks  gradually  lower  after  passing 
Toossoom,  and  the  view  spreads  out 
over  tamarisk-tufted  sand-hills,  with 
here  and  there  a  creek  opening  from 
the  Canal.  These  creeks  gradually 
become  larger,  and  announce  the  be- 
ginning of  Lake  Timsah,  which  soon 
widens  out,  with  the  town  of  Ismailia 
in  front  of  the  vessel  as  it  advances 
to  take  up  its  moorings  in  the  centre 
of  this  inland  harbour. 

Lake  Timsah  was  formerly,  accord- 
ing to  the  more  generally  received 
view,  a  fresh-water  lake,  receiving  by 
means  of  the  old  canal  from  the  Pelu- 
siac  branch  of  the  Nile  at  Bubastis 
— traces  of  which  have  already  been 
mentioned  as  apparent  in  various 
places — the  overflow  of  the  Nile  at  the 
time  of  the  inundation  ;  and  this  theory 
is  supported  by  the  nature  of  the  soil 
at  the  bottom  of  the  lake,  by  the  vege- 
tation on  its  banks,  and,  above  all,  by 
its  name  in  Arabic,  Bohr  el  Timsah, 
the  Sea  of  the  Crocodile,  which  seems 
to  show  it  to  have  been  a  favourite 
resort  of  that  fresh  -  water  monster. 


Others,  however,  contend  that  the  bed 
of  this  lake  was  once  in  communication 
with  the  Bitter  Lakes,  thus  forming 
part  of  the  Heroopolite  Gulf,  and  in- 
deed of  the  Red  Sea,  and  that  the 
name  Bahr  el  Timsah  was  applied, 
not  to  this  particular  part,  but  to  the 
whole  gulf,  and  was  given  on  account 
of  the  shape  of  the  whole  gulf  resem- 
bling that  of  a  crocodile.  Both  these 
theories  are,  no  rloubt,  right  in  the 
main.  It  is  probable  that  at  some  re- 
mote period  the  Mediterranean  and  Red 
seas  met  across  what  is  now  the  Isth- 
mus of  Suez,  and  that  the  first  sepa- 
ration took  place  when  the  heights  of 
El  Guisr,  to  the  north  of  the  present 
lake,  were  upheaved  by  some  subter- 
ranean commotion.  This  would  place 
the  then  limit  of  the  Red  Sea  where 
the  lake  now  is.  The  same,  or  more 
probably  a  subsequent,  upheaving  pro- 
duced the  heights  of  Serapeum  and 
Shaloof,  and  gradually  drained  off 
the  Red  Sea  to  its  present  limit,  leav- 
ing two  inland  lakes,  the  northernmost 
of  which,  from  its  proximity  to  the 
Nile,  soon  filled  with  fresh  water. 
The  abandonment  of  the  eastern 
branches  of  the  Nile,  and  the  conse- 
quent drying  up  of  the  canals  in  that 
part  of  the  Delta,  deprived  the  lake  of 
its  source  of  nourishment ;  and,  except 
when  an  unusually  high  inundation 
sent  a  large  overplus  of  water  down 
the  Wady  canal,  and  along  the  old 
course  into  the  lake,  it  was  almost  dry. 
The  depth  of  the  depression  was  about 
22  feet  below  the  sea-level,  and  the 
circumference,  judging  from  the  mark 
of  the  old  water-line,  about  9  miles. 
The  systematic  filling  of  the  hollow 
with  water  from  the  Mediterranean, 
through  the  channel  that  had  been 
already  cut  from  Port  Said,  began  on 
the  12th  Dec.  186t>,  and  was  com- 
pleted by  the  end  of  April,  1867.  A 
weir  was  used,  similar  to  that  after- 
wards used  at  the  Bitter  Lakes,  but 
of  smaller  size.  Nearly  100  million 
cubic  metres  of  water  were  required  to 
fill  the  lake.  The  remaining  6  feet  of 
depth  required  for  the  channel  of  the 
Canal  through  the  lake  were  dredged 
out ;  as  also  was  a  large  area  in  the 
centre,  to  serve  as  a  harbour.  The 


Egypt 


ROUTE  7. — THE  SUEZ  CANAL  ISMAILIA. 


241 


course  is  buoyed  as  in  the  Bitter  Lakes. 
On  the  W.  shore  is  a  lighthouse,  and 
on  the  N.  is  another,  slightly  to  the 
E.  of  the  landing-place  for  the  town  of 
Ismailia. 

Ismailia  (pronounced  Isroaileeyah), 
4i  m.  (Pop.  3000.  Hotel  des  Voy- 
ageurs,  very  fairly  clean  and  com- 
fortable). A  broad  road,  lined  with 
trees,  leads  up  from  the  landing-place 
on  the  lake,  and  across  the  Fresh- 
Water  Canal  to  the  Quai  Mehemet 
Ali,  a  broad  avenue  bordered  on  one 
side  by  the  Canal,  and  on  the  other 
by  the  houses  of  the  principal  inhabi- 
tants. A  short  distance  further  on  to 
the  left,  after  crossing  the  bridge,  is 
the  hotel. 

A  general  idea  of  Ismailia  has  been 
already  given  in  describing  the  route 
from  Cairo  to  Suez.  It  only  re- 
mains to  notice  some  of  the  principal 
features  of  interest  that  may  be  seen 
during  a  few  hours'  stay.  The  town 
may  be  divided  into  two  parts,  the  east 
and  west,  separated  by  the  road  leading 
from  the  landing-place  to  the  station-. 
In  the  W.  part  are  the  hotel,  the  station, 
the  landing  quays  of  the  Fresh- Water 
Canal  and  large  blocks  of  warehouses 
adjoining,  and  beyond  them  the  Arab 
village.  There  is  nothing  here  to  stop 
the  visitor  in  his  walk.  In  the  E. 
part  are  the  houses  and  offices  of  the 
employes  of  the  Company,  the  shops, 
the  palace  of  the  Viceroy,  the  water- 
works for  sending  water  along  the  line 
of  the  Canal  to  Port  Said,  and  the 
principal  streets  and  squares.  In 
walking  down  the  Quai  Me'hemet  Ali 
from  the  hotel,  the  visitor  will  notice 
with  interest  a  sort  of  Swiss  chalet, 
the  residence  of  M.  de  Lesseps,  and 
the  first  constructed  house  at  Is- 
mailia. Some  way  further  down  is 
the  Viceroy's  palace,  run  up  in  a  few 
months  for  the  purpose  of  enabling 
him  to  entertain  his  illustrious  visi- 
tors at  the  opening  of  the  Canal. 

At  the  end  of  the  quay  are  the 
Waterworks.  These  are  worth  a 
visit.  The  water  reaches  them  by 
means  of  a  small  canal  derived  from 
the  Fresh-Water  Canal  at  a  point  be- 
yond the  Arab  village.    It  is  carried 

{Egypt.'] 


all  round  the  town,  to  which  it  forms, 
as  it  were,  the  northern  boundary,  and 
being  thickly  planted  with  willows, 
the  sand  from  the  desert  on  that  side 
can  neither  choke  it  up,  nor  pass  over 
it  into  the  town.  Simultaneously  with 
the  completion  of  the  Fresh -Water 
Canal  to  Ismailia  and  Suez,  it  was 
found  necessary  to  provide  Port  Said 
and  the  line  of  works  along  the 
northern  portion  of  the  Canal  with  a 
regular  supply  of  water  that  could  be 
depended  on.  Two  powerful  pump- 
ing-engines  were  accordingly  erected 
at  Ismailia,  and  a  double  row  of 
cast-iron  pipes  laid  the  whole  length 
of  -  the  Canal  to  Port  Said,  a  distance 
of  50  miles,  through  which  water  is 
continuously  pumped.  At  all  the 
principal  stations  there  are  reservoirs 
for  storing  the  water,  and  drinking- 
*  fountains  from  which  any  one  can 
draw,  while  at  every  2 h  miles  are  open 
self  -  filling  cisterns  for  the  use  of 
man  and  beast.  One  of  the  features 
of  these  waterworks  are  the  gardens, 
very  prettily  laid  out  with  cascades 
and  walks,  and  filled  with  all  kinds 
of  choice  fruits  and  flowers.  Indeed 
the  luxuriance  and  beauty  of  the 
gardens  is  one  of  the  chief  features 
of  this  town,  whose  site  in  1860  was  a 
barren  waste  of  sand.  But  it  seems 
only  necessary  to  pour  the  waters  of 
the  Nile  on  the  desert  to  produce  a 
soil  which  will  grow  anything  to  per- 
fection. 

The  walk  or  ride  may  be  prolonged  to 
the  point  where  the  Fresh-Water  Canal 
joins  by  a  lock  a  short  branch  from  the 
Maritime  Canal,  and  thence  to  the 
heights  of  El  Guisr,  whence  is  a  good 
view  of  the  deep  cutting  the  Canal 
there  passes  through,  and  a  really 
magnificent  coup  oVozil  across  Lake 
Timsah,  with  the  Bitfer  Lakes  and  the 
heights  of  Gebel  GenefFeh  beyond,  and 
far  in  the  distance  the  hazy  blue  out- 
line of  Gebel  Attakah  on  the  right,  and 
the  granite  peaks  of  Sinai  on  the  left. 
The  return  ride  from  El  Guisr  may  be 
made  straight  across  the  desert,  and 
through  the  industrial  part  of  the 
town,  where  there  are  some  good  shops. 
The  stone  used  in  building  the  houses 
was  brought  from  quarries  on  the 
M 


242 


KOTJTE  7.  CAIRO  TO  THE  SUEZ  CANAL.  Sect.  II. 


E.  side  of  the  lake,  called  by  the 
French  "les  Carrieres  des  Hyenes," 
Hyena  Quarries,  from  some  of  these 
animals  having  been  found  in  the 
neighbourhood. 

The  marshes  round  the  W.  side 
of  the  lake  abound  in  water-fowl  of 
various  kinds,  and  gazelles  are  very 
frequently  met  with  in  the  neigh- 
bouring desert.  Any  traveller  who 
is  fortunate  enough  to  have  an  in- 
troduction to  one  of  the  chief  em- 
ployes of  the  Company  at  Ismailia 
will  readily  obtain  any  information  as 
to  sport,  and,  should  he  stay  long 
enough,  very  probably  have  an  oppor- 
tunity given  him  of  joining  in  a  gazelle 
hunt.  The  sanitary  advantages  of 
Ismailia  as  a  residence  are  thought 
very  highly  of  by  medical  men  resident 
in  Egypt.  The  climate  is  extremely 
dry  and  temperate ;  there  being  always 
a  fresh  breeze  from  the  lake  to  moder- 
ate the  noonday  heat,  and  the  nights, 
even  in  summer,  are  fresh  and  cool. 
The  humidity  is  very  slight,  and  there 
is  hardly  any  dust.  An  additional  re- 
commendation may  be  found  in  the 
possibility  of  enjoying  sea-bathing  in 
the  lake  all  the  year  round.  The  town 
is  well  supplied  with  articles  of  food  by 
the  Railway  and  the  Canal,  and  the 
fish,  which  abound  in  Lake  Timsah, 
are  finer  and  better  flavoured  than 
those  caught  in  the  Mediterranean. 

The  traveller  may  continue  his 
voyage  from  Ismailia  to  Port  Said 
either  in  some  large  steamer  on  her 
way  through  the  Canal,  or  in  the  small 
steam  launch  which  runs  daily.  In- 
formation as  to  the  hours  of  departure, 
&c,  had  better  be  obtained  at  the 
transit  office  of  the  Company. 

Passing  out  at  the  N.E.  corner  of 
Lake  Timsah,  the  Canal  enters  almost 
immediately  the  heights  of  El  Guisr. 
On  the  right  is  seen  the  entrance  of  a 
small  canal  leading  to  the  stone  quar- 
ries in  the  Plateau  des  Hyenes,  and 
on  the  left  the  branch  canal  which 
joins  the  Maritime  Canal  to  the  Fresh- 
Water  Canal.  The  difference  of  level, 
17  feet,  is  adjusted  by  means  of  two 
locks,  one  just  below  Ismailia,  and 
the  other  near  the  upper  part  of  the 
town.    By^  means  of  this  connecting 


canal  between  the  channel  already 
dug  from  Port  Said  to  Lake  Timsah 
and  the  Fresh- Water  Canal,  water 
transit  between  the  two  seas  was  be- 
gun in  1865.  During  the  Abyssinian 
war  extensive  use  was  made  of  this 
route  for  the  conveyance  of  stores. 

The  seuil  of  El  Guisr  (pronounced 
Geersh)  (5.^  m.)  is  the  highest  point 
in  the  Isthmus.  It  is  about  6  miles 
'long,  and  from  60  to  65  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea.  The  soil  is  composed 
almose  entirely  of  loose  sand,  inter- 
spersed with  a  few  beds  of  hard  sand 
and  clay.  The  upper  surface  was 
removed  by  the  forced  contingent  of 
fellaheen,  who,  with  the  primitive 
tools  common  to  the  Egyptian  la- 
bourer, viz.,  hands  for  grubbing  up  the 
soil,  and  baskets  for  carrying  it  away, 
excavated  a  channel  from  25  to  30  feet 
wide,  and  about  5  feet  below  the  level 
of  the  sea.  When  they  were  with- 
drawn, the  work  was  continued  by  M. 
Couvreux,  who  completed  the  cutting 
to  its  full  width,  and.  to  a  depth  of  10 
feet  below  the  sea-level  by  means  of 
machines  of  his  own  invention,  called 
excavateurs.  The  escavateur  was  a 
species  of  locomotive  engine,  working 
behind  it  a  chain  of  dredge-buckets 
on  an  inclined  plane  ;  on  reaching  the 
top  of  the  plane,  the  buckets  opened  at 
the  bottom  and  discharged  their  con- 
tents into  waggons ;  these  were  drawn 
by  locomotives  to  the  top  of  the  em- 
bankment, along  a  well-arranged  net- 
work of  railways.  The  remaining  16 
feet  of  depth  were  dredged  out  in  the 
ordinary  way;  the  soil  being  taken 
away  in  screw-lighters  and  discharged 
in  the  shallows  of  Lake  Timsah.  At 
the  top  of  the  embankment,  on  the  W. 
side,  is  the  encampment  of  El  Guisr, 
reached  from  the  Canal  by  a  staircase 
of  a  hundred  steps.  When  the  cutting 
was  in  progress,  it  presented  a  very 
lively  and  busy  scene,  being  one  of 
the  largest  stations  on  the  line,  and 
arranged  with  great  taste  and  an  eye 
to  effect.  The  gardens  were  a  sight 
in  themselves,  and  they  were  entirely 
the  result  of  the  water  pumped  from 
Ismailia. 

On  issuing  from  the  heights  of  El 
Guisr,  the  Canal  runs  a  short  way  along 


Egypt 


ROUTE  7. — THE  SUEZ  CANAL. 


243 


the  edge  of  an  offshoot  of  Lake  Bal- 
lah,  and  then  enters  the  cutting  of  El 
Ferdane  (4J  m.),  a  sandy  promontory 
running  out  into  the  lake,  about  1J  m. 
long.  This  cutting  was  excavated  in 
the  same  manner  as  that  of  El  Guisr. 
A  rather  sharp  turn  now  leads  into 
Lake  Ballali,  the  principal  among  a 
series  of  shallow  lakes,  dotted  here  and  } 
therewith  sandy  tamarisk-tufted  islets,  | 
through  which  the  Canal  passes  before 
entering  the  low  sand-hills  of  Kan- 
tarah.  These  lakes  are  more  or  less 
full  of  water,  according  to  the  time  of 
year ;  full  in  the  winter  after  the  in- 
undation, shallow  in  the  summer. 

The  small  passenger-boats  generally 
stop  long  enough  at  Kantarah  (11  m.), 
to  admit  of  refreshment  being  obtained 
at  the  restaurant.  The  station  is 
situated  at  the  highest  point  of  the 
chain  of  low  sand-hills  which  divide 
Lake  Menzaleh  from  the  smaller  in- 
land lakes.  It  was  one  of  the  principal 
caravan  stations  on  the  road  between 
Egypt  and  Syria,  and  the  name  Kan- 
tarah, which  in  Arabic  means  a 
"bridge"  or  "ford,"  is  explained  by 
its  position  as  the  point  where  the 
lakes  and  shallows  that  intervene 
between  the  eastern  and  western  de- 
sert are  crossed.  This  road  was 
once  one  of  the  greatest  highways 
of  the  old  world,  and  served  as 
the  causeway  to  succeeding  armies 
of  Egyptians,  Assyrians,  Persians, 
Greeks,  Eomans,  Arabs,  and  French. 
The  traveller  from  Egypt  to  Syria  by 
way  of  El  Areesh  and  Gaza  still  follows 
this  road,  and  crosses  the  Canal  at 
this  point  by  a  ferry.  Ten  miles  to 
the  W.  of  Kantarah  is  Tel  el  Daph- 
neh,  whose  mounds  mark  the  site  of 
Daphne,  the  Tahpannes  of  the  Bible. 

1J  m.  from  Kantarah  the  Canal 
enters  Lake  Me7iznleh,  and  continues 
in  a  straight  line  through  it  for  27  m. 
to  Port  Said.  The  banks  here  are  but 
slightly  above  the  level  of  the  Canal 
and  the  lake,  and  from  the  deck  of  a 
big  steamer  there  is  an  unbounded 
view  over  a  wide  expanse  of  lake  and 
morass,  studded  here  and  there  with 
islets,  and  at  times  rendered  gay  and 
brilliant  with  innumerable  flocks — 
regiments  we  might  almost  call  them, 


in  such  perfect  and  almost  unbroken 
order  are  they  drawn  up — of  rosy 
pelicans,  scarlet  flamingoes,  and  snow- 
white  spoonbills  ;  geese,  ducks,  herons, 
and  other  birds,  abound.  The  whole 
of  the  channel  through  Lake  Menzaleh 
was  almost  entirely  excavated  by  the 
dredges,  the  soil  having  been  in  no 
instance  more  than  a  foot  or  two  above 
the  level  of  the  lake,  and  in  many 
instances  below  it.  Where  it  was 
necessary  to  remove  some  surface  soil 
before  there  was  water  enough  for  the 
dredges  to  float,  it  was  done  by  the 
natives  of  Lake  Menzaleh,  a  hardy  and 
peculiar  race,  whose  constant  practice 
in  digging  canals,  and  making  em- 
bankments to  keep  out  the  inundation, 
rendered  them  peculiarly  apt  at  the 
work,  especially  when  it  came  to 
digging  under  water.  The  following 
account  shows  their  method  of  pro- 
ceeding : — "  They  place  themselves  in 
files  across  the  channel.  The  men  in 
the  middle  of  the  file  have  their  feet 
and  the  lower  part  of  their  legs  in  the 
water.  These  men  lean  forward  and 
take  in  their  arms  large  clods  of  earth, 
which  they  have  previously  dug  up 
below  the  water  with  a  species  of  pick- 
axe called  a  fass,  somewhat  resembling 
a  short  big  hoe.  The  clods  are  passed 
from  man  to  man  to  the  bank,  where 
other  men  stand  with  their  backs 
turned  and  their  arms  crossed  behind 
them,  so  as  to  make  a  sort  of  primitive 
hod.  As  soon  as  each  of  these  has 
had  enough  clods  piled  on  his  back  he 
walks  off,  bent  almost  double,  to  the 
further  side  of  the  bank,  and  there 
opening  his  arms,  lets  his  load  fall 
through  to  the  ground.  It  is  unneces- 
sary to  add  that  this  original  metier 
requires  the  absence  of  all  clothing." 
— 0.  Bitt,  'Histoire  de  ITsthme  de 
Suez.' 

Into  the  channel  thus  cut  the 
dredges  were  floated.  Some  of  the 
inventions  in  connection  with  the 
working  of  these  dredges  deserve 
mention.  They  were  not  exclusively 
employed  in  this  part  of  the  Canal, 
but  as  it  was  where  they  were  first 
tried,  and  where  they  did  the  most 
work,  it  seems  the  most  fitting  place 
to  speak  of  them.  First  among  them 
m  2 


244 


ROUTE  7.  CAIRO  TO  THE  SUEZ  CANAL. 


Sect.  II. 


was  the  long  couloir  (long  duct),  an  ; 
iron  spout  of  semi-elliptical  form,  230  ; 
feet  long,  5|  wide,  and  2  deep ;  by  1 
means  of  which  a  dredger  working  in 
the  centre  of  the  channel  could  dis- 1 
charge  its  contents  beyond  the  bank.  \ 
This  enormous  spout  was  supported  j 
oh  an  iron  framework,  which  rested 
partly  on  the  dredge  and  partly  on  a  j 
floating  lighter.   The  dredgings,  when  i 
dropped  into  the  upper  end  of  this  J 
spout,  were  assisted  in  their  progress 
down  it  by  water  supplied  by  a  rotary  j 
pump,  and  by  an  endless  chain,  to  ! 
which  were  fixed  scrapers — large  pieces  j 
of  wood  that  fitted  the  inside  of  the! 
spout,  and  forced  on  pieces  of  stone  j 
and  clay.    By  these  means  the  spouts 
could  deliver  their  dredgings  at  almost ! 
a  horizontal  line,  and  the  water  had 
the  further  good  effect  of  reducing  the 
dredgings  to  a  semi-liquid  condition, 
and  thus  causing  them  to  spread 
themselves  over  a  larger  surface,  and 
settle  down  better.    The  work  done 
by  these  long-spouted  dredges  was 
extraordinary  :  80,000  cubic  yards  of 
soil  a  month  was  the  average,  but  as 
much    as    120,000   was  sometimes 
accomplished.    When  the  banks  were 
too  high  for  the  long  spouts  to  be 
employed,  another  ingenious  machine,  i 
called  an  elevateur,  was  introduced.  I 
This  consisted  of  an  inclined  plane 
running  upwards  from  over  the  water 
line,  and  supported  on  an  iron  frame, 
the  lower  part  of  which  rested  over 
the  water  on  a  steam  float,  and  the 
upper  part  on  a  platform  moving  on 
rails  along  the  bank.    The  plane  car- 
ried a  tramway,  along  which  ran  an 
axle  on  wheels,  worked  by  the  engine 
of  the  steam  float.    From  this  axle 
hung  four  chains.    As  soon  as  a 
lighter  containing  seven  huge  boxes 
filled  with  dredgings  was  towed  under 
the  lower  part  of  this  elevateur,  the 
chains  hanging  from  the  axle  were 
hooked  to  one  of  the  boxes,  and  the 
machine  being  set  in  motion  the  box 
was  first  raised,  and  then  carried  along 
swinging  beneath  the  axle  to  the  top 
of  the  plane;  then,  by  a  self-acting 
contrivance,  it  tilted  over  and  emptied 
its  contents  over  the  bank.    It  was 
then  run  down  again,  dropped  into 


its  place  in  the  lighter,  and  the 
operation  repeated  with  the  next  box. 
No  such  dredging  operations  had  ever 
been  undertaken  before :  those  on  the 
Clyde  took  21  years  to  accomplish, 
and  the  whole  amount  only  equalled 
about  three  and  a  half  times  as  much 
as  was  here  often  done  in  a  month. 
M.  de  Lesseps,  in  one  of  his  lecturt  s, 
illustrated  the  amount  of  excavation 
done  in  one  month — 2,763,000  cubic 
yards— by  the  following  graphic  com- 
parison : — "  I  dare  say  few  amongst 
you  realise  what  is  represented  by  this 
enormous  amount  of  excavation.  Were 
it  plactd  in  the  Place  Vendome  it 
would  fill  the  whole  square,  and  rise 
five  times  higher  than  the  surrounding 
houses;  or,  if  laid  out  between  the 
Arc  de  Triomphe  and  the  Place  de  la 
Concorde,  it  would  cover  the  entire 
length  and  breadth  of  the  Champs 
Elysees,  a  distance  equal  to  a  mile 
and  a  quarter,  and  reach  to  the  top  of 
the  trees  on  either  side." 

The  course  of  the  old  Pelusiac 
branch  of  the  Nile  is  crossed  at  Kil. 
34,  a  few  miles  before  reaching  i?as 
el  HcJi  (pronounced  Aysli)  (18  m.),  the 
next  station  to  Kantsrah.  It  is  a 
small  islet  of  oozy  mud,  whose  height 
has  been  raised  above  the  level  of  the 
inundation  by  dredgings  from  the 
Canal.  Not  far  off  to  the  left  in 
the  lake  are  the  islands  of  Toonah 
and  Tennes  (Tennesus),  both  with 
remains.  Some  way  to  the  right, 
beyond  the  marshy  plain  and  near 
the  sea,  are  some  ruins  marking  the 
site  of  Pelusium. 

Nothing  of  interest  occurs  to  break 
the  monotonous  course  of  the  Canal, 
until,  bending  gradually  to  the  E.  and 
opening  out  to  a  width  of  nearly 
1000  feet,  it  enters  the  harbour  of  Port 
Said,  and,  passing  the  port  and  the 
town  on  the  left,  joins  the  open  sea 
beyond  the  breakwater. 

Port  Said  (10  m.)  (Pop.  8,000 : 
Hotel  du  Louvre ;  Grand  Hotel  de 
France;  but  neither  is  to  be  recom- 
mended). English  Vice-Consul,  Dr. 
Zarb,  on  the  Marina,  facing  the  sea. 

The  through  steamers  between  Eu- 
rope and  the  East,  of  the  P.  and  O.  Co., 


Egypt 


ROUTE   7. — THE  SUEZ  CANAL— PORT  SAID. 


245 


the  Messageries,  the  Austrian  Lloyd, 
the  Eubattino,  and  others,  all  stop  at 
Port  Said.  The  steamers  of  the  Mes- 
sageries, Austrian  Lloyd,  Eussian 
Steam  Navigation  and  Azizieh  Cos., 
between  Alexandria,  the  Syrian  coast, 
and  Constantinople,  call  at  Port  Said, 
in  18  hours  from  Alexandria,  and  15 
from  Jaffa,  and  generally  stay  from 
8  to  10  hours  in  the  harbour.  "  Tick- 
ets, with  information  as  to  times  of 
sailing  and  rates  of  passage,  can  be 
procured  at  the  offices  of  the  respective 
companies  in  the  town  ;  but  the  tra- 
veller will  do  well  to  inform  himself 
on  these  points  before  leaving  Cairo  or 
Alexandria.  To  the  general  visitor 
Port  Said  offers  few  objects  of  interest 
in  its  present  state,  and  a  walk  of  two 
or  three  hours  on  shore  during  the 
stay  of  the  steamer  will  more  than  j 
satisfy  the  curiosity  of  most  people. 
The  chief  interest  of  the  place  lies  j 
in  its  position,  and  the  story  of  its  j 
foundation  and  growth. 

From  the  mouth  of  the  Damietta  ! 
branch  of  the  Nile  to  the  Gulf  of  j 
Pelnsiura  there  stretches  a  low  belt ! 
of  sand,  varying  in  width  from  200  to  ! 
300  yards,  and  serving  to  separate  the  ! 
Mediterranean  from  the  waters  of  the  j 
Lake  Menzaleh;  though  often,  when  j 
the  lake  is  full  and  the  waves  of  the  \ 
Mediterranean  are  high,  the  two  meet 
across  this  slight  boundary  line.    In  I 
the  beginning  of  the  month  of  April  j 
1859  a  small  body  of  men,  who  might 
well  be  called  the  pioneers  of  the  Suez 
Canal,  headed  by  M.  Laroche,  landed 
at  that  spot  of  this  narrow  sandy  slip, 
which  had  been  chosen  as  the  starting- 
point  of  the  Canal  from  the  Mediter- 
ranean, and  the  site  of  the  city  and 
port  intended  ultimately  to  rival  Alex- 
andria.   It  owed  its  selection  not  to  its 
being  the  spot  from  which  the  shortest 
line  across  the  Isthmus  could  be  drawn 
—that  would  have  been  the  Gulf  of 
Pelusium— but  to  its  being  that  point 
of  the  coast  to  which  deep  water 
approached    the    nearest.     Here  S 
metres  of  water,  equal  to  about  26 
feet,  the  contemplated  depth  of  the 
Canal,  were  found  at  a  distance  of  less 
than  2  miles ;  at  the  Gulf  of  Pelusium 
that  dtpth  only  exited  at  more  than 


5  m.  from  the  coast.  The  spot  was 
called  Port  Said,  in  honour  of  the  then 
Viceroy.  On  the  25th  of  April  M. 
de  Lesseps,  surrounded  by  10  or  15 
Europeans  and  some  100  native  work- 
men, gave  the  first  stroke  of  the  spade 
to  the  future  B^sphorus  between  Asia 
and  Africa.  Hard,  indeed,  must  have 
been  the  life  of  the  first  workers  on 
this  desolate  slip  of  land.  The  nearest 
place  from  which  fresh  water  could  be 
procured  was  Damietta,  a  distance  of 
30  m.  It  was  brought  thence  across 
the  Lake  Menzaleh  in  Arab  boats, 
but  calms  or  storms  often  delayed  the 
arrival  of  the  looked-for  store ;  some- 
times, indeed,  it  was  altogether  lost, 
and  the  powers  of  endurance  of  the 
little  band  were  sorely  tried.  After 
a  time  distilHng  machines  were  put 
up,  and  in  1863  water  was  received 
through  a  pipe  from  the  Fresh- Water 
Canal,  which  had  been  completed  to 
the  centre  of  the  Isthmus. 

The  first  thing  to  be  done  at  Port 
Said  was  to  make  the  groimd  on  which 
to  build  the  future  town.  This  was 
done  by  dredging  in  the  shallows  of 
the  lake  close  to  the  belt  of  sand  :  the 
same  operation  serving  at  once  to  form 
an  inner  port,  and  to  extend  the  area 
and  raise  the  height  of  the  dry  land. 
When  the  fellaheen  were  withdrawn, 
and  recourse  had  to  machinery  for 
supplying  their  place,  great  impetus 
was  given  to  Port  Said.  It  soon  be- 
came perhaps  the  largest  workshop  in 
the  world.  The  huge  machines,  which 
were  to  do  the  work  hitherto  done  by 
hands  and  baskets,  were  brought  piece 
by  piece  from  France,  and  put  to- 
gether in  long  ranges  of  sheds  erected 
along  the  inner  port.  In  another  part 
sprang  up  the  works  where  Messrs. 
Dussaud  were  to  make  the  huge  con- 
crete blocks  for  the  construction  of  the 
piers  of  the  harbour  ;  at  the  same 
time  the  dredging  of  the  harbour  was' 
commenced. 

Thus  sprang  up  in  10  years,  on  a  site 
than  which  it  would  have  been  difficult 
to  find  one  more  disadvantageous,  a 
town  of  nearly  10,000  inhabitants,  regu- 
larly laid  out  in  streets  and  squares, 
with  docks,  quays,  churches,  hospitals, 
mosks,  hotels,  and  all  the  adjuncts  of 


246 


EOTJTE  7.  CAIRO  TO  THE  SUEZ  CAS"AL. 


Sect.  II. 


a  sea-port,  and  with  the  most  easily 
approached  and  safest  harbour  along 
the  coast.  Fresh  water  is  supplied 
from  Ismailia,  and  a  big  reservoir, 
called  the  "  Chateau  d'Eau,"  holding 
sufficient  for  three  days'  consumption, 
provides  against  a  stoppage  of  the 
supply  through  accident  to  the  pipes. 
The  central  harbour,  lying  between 
the  outer  port  and  the  Canal  is  called 
the  "  Grand  Bassin  Ismail."  Joining 
it  on  the  TV.  are  the  "  Bassin  Cherif," 
the  "Bassin  des  Ateliers,"  formerly 
the  busiest  place  in  the  town,  but  now 
very  nearly  deserted,  and  the  "  Bassin 
du  Commerce."  The  principal  part  of 
the  town  lies  to  the  N.  and  W.  of  the 
last-named.  The  best  houses  are  situ- 
ated on  the  Marina,  or  "  Quai  Euge- 
nie," close  to  the  sea-shore.  A  short 
distance  beyond  this  to  the  TV.  is  the 
Arab  village,  on  the  strip  of  sand  be- 
tween the  sea  and  the  lake. 

The  outer  port  is  formed  by  the  two 
enormous  breakwaters  or  moles,  al- 
ready referred  to.  That  on  the  wes- 
ternmost side  juts  out  at  right  angles 
to  the  shore  and  perpendicularly  to  the 
line  of  the  Canal,  and  runs  straight 
out  to  sea  for  a  distance  of  2726 
yards ;  the  eastern  mole  stands  about 
1500  yards  to  the  E.  of  the  other,  and 
runs  towards  it  in  a  gradually  con- 
verging line  for  1962  yards.  The  en- 
trance to  the  outer  port  is  thus  about 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  wide,  and  the 
space  enclosed  within  it  a  triangular 
area  of  about  550  acres.  The  depth 
of  water  at  the  entrance  is  30  feet, 
and  the  channel  through  it  to  the 
inner  harbour  about  300  feet  wide  and 
26  deep.  A  red  light  is  placed  at  the 
end  of  the  TV.  mole,  and  a  green  light 
at  the  end  of  the  E.  mole. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  TV. 
mole,  or  rather  on  the  sea-shore  close 
to  it,  is  the  lighthouse.  The  tower, 
which  is  nearly  160  feet  high,  is  com- 
posed of  a  solid  mass  of  concrete.  On 
the  top  is  the  lantern,  about  20  feet 
high,  containing  an  electric  light, 
flashing  every  3  seconds,  and  visible 
at  a  distance  of  20  miles.  Three  other 
lighthouses  of  the  same  height,  though 
differing  in  construction,  have  been 
erected  along  the  125  miles  of  coast  j 


between  Port  Said  and  Alexandria  : 
one  at  the  entrance  to  the  Damietta 
branch  of  the  Nile,  with  a  white  light 
of  the  second  order,  flashing  every 
minute;  another  at  Burlos,  a  fixed 
light  of  the  first  order ;  and  the  third 
at  Rosetta,  with  a  10-second  revolving 
light  of  the  second  order. 

The  moles  are  built  of  concrete 
blocks.  These  blocks,  each  of  which 
weighs  22  tons,  and  has  a  dimension  of 
12  cubic  yards,  are  composed  of  two- 
thirds  sand  dredged  from  the  har- 
bour, and  one-third  hydraulic  lime 
from  Theil,  in  France,  mixed  with 
salt  water.  They  were  dropped  into 
the  sea  from  lighters  three  at  a 
time,  till  the  water-line  was  reached, 
and  then  lifted  into  their  places  by 
cranes.  The  sand,  which  drifts  along 
the  coast  from  the  Damietta  mouth 
of  the  Nile,  has  silted  through  the 
western  mole,  and  formed  a  con- 
siderable bank  along  its  inner  side 
near  the  shore  end ;  but  its  encroach- 
ments are  easily  kept  under  by  occa- 
sional dredging,  and  the  bank  will  in 
time  be  itself  a  barrier  against  the 
silting  in.  A  similar  cause  has  con- 
siderably extended  the  shore  seaward 
to  the  TV.  of  this  mole,  especially  in 
the  angle  formed  by  it  and  the  coast. 
Another  bank  of  sand  has  been  formed 
too  in  the  open  sea,  a  little  to  the  N.E. 
of  the  eastern  mole,  by  the  dredgings 
from  the  harbour-  which  were  brought 
out  in  hoppers  and  dropped  there. 

Port  Said  no  longer  presents  the 
same  busy  appearance  that  it  did  when 
it  was  the  head-quarters  of  the  en- 
gineering work  of  the  Canal,  but  the 
increasing  traffic  through  the  Isthmus 
must  always  impart  a  certain  activity 
to  the  place.  In  1859,  the  first  year 
of  its  existence,  it  was  visited  by  28 
vessels,  with  an  aggregate  tonnage  of 
6040  tons.  In  1871,  the  number  of 
vessels  that  entered  the  harbour,  ex- 
clusive of  vessels  of  war,  was  1275, 
and  then-  tonnage  927,796  tons. 

Pelicans,  flamingoes,  herons,  and  all 
kinds  of  aquatic  fowl,  abound  in  the 
shallows  of  Lake  Menzaleh,  especially 
in  the  months  of  February,  March, 
and  April ;  and  the  sportsman  who  is 
anxious  to  spend  a  few  days  in  their 


Egypt.         route  8. — caieo  to 


DAMIETTA  BY  WATER.  247 


pursuit  may  make  Port  Said  his  head- 
quarters, luring  a  native  boat  for  a  few 
days,  and  visiting  -  different  parts  of 
the  lake.  When  the  lake  is  full,  in 
the  winter  months,  there  is  a  regular 
service  of  native  boats  between  Port 
Said  and  Damietta.  36  miles  distant. 


ROUTE  8. 

CAIEO,  BY  WATER,  TO  DAMIETTA. 

Miles. 

Cairo,  or  Boolak,  to  the  Barrage 
at  the  head  of  the  Delta  (see 


Ete.  5)    16 

Bershoom,  E.  bank    9 

Benha-el-Assal    (Athribis),  E. 

bank   20 

Entrance  of  Canal  of  Moez      . .  2§ 

Sahragt  (Natho),  E.  bank . .  . .  17 
Zifteh  and  Mit  Ghumr,  E.  &  W.  6 

Semenhood  (Sebennytus),  W.  . .  26 
Bebayt  el  Hagar  (Iseum),  W.  . .  6| 


Mansoorah  and  Talkah,  E.  &  W.      6  J 
[Excursion  by  the  Bahr  es 
Sogheiyer,  or  Canal  of  Men- 
zaleh,  to  Menzaleh  and  the 
Lake.] 

Shirbin,  W  22 

Faraskoor,  E  22 

Damietta,  E  12 

165i 

This  is  a  very  pleasant  excursion 
in  the  months  of  February  or  March, 
especially  for  those  who  wish  to  get 
good  wildfowl-shooting  in  Lake  Men- 
zaleh.   The  time  taken  to  reach  Da- 


mietta will  depend  on  the  wind,  and 
the  stoppages  by  the  way,  but  unless 
there  is  a  strong  N.  wind  blowing, 
four  or  five  days  to  a  week  will  be 
sufficient.  It  will  be  necessary  at  Da- 
mietta to  hire  a  native  boat  for  going 
on  the  lake  to  shoot,  and  those  who 
are  anxious  to  make  a  good  bag 
should  have  a  small  English  gig  or 
punt  drawing  very  little  water. 

The  point  of  the  Delta  was  formerly 
a  little  below  the  palace  of  Shoobra, 
where  the  Pelusiac  branch  turned  off 
to  the  N.N.E.  towards  Bubastis.  It 
is  now  at  the  junction  of  the  Bosetta 
and  Damietta  branches.  These  two, 
the  ancient  Bolbitine  and  Bucolic  (or 
Phatmetic)  branches,  are  said  by  He- 
rodotus to  have  been  "  made  by  the 
hand  of  man,"  and  are  the  only  two 
remaining,  the  others  having  either 
entirely  disappeared,  or  being  dry  in 
summer ;  which  would  seem  to  explain 
an  apparently  unintelligible  prophecy 
of  Isaiah,  that  man  should  go  over  the 
Nile  "  dry-shod."  (Isaiah  xi.  15.) 

Berslioom  is  famous  for  its  figs ;  and 
a  little  beyond,  on  the  opposite  bank, 
inland  in  the  Delta,  is  Pharaooneeyah, 
from  which  the  canal  of  Menoof,  con- 
necting the  two  branches  of  the  Nile, 
derived  its  name.  This  canal  began 
about  4  m.  further  N.,  close  to  the 
village  of  Beershems,  and,  passing  by 
Menoof,  fell  into  the  Bosetta  branch 
at  Nader.  About  30  years  ago  it  was 
found  necessary  to  close  its  eastern 
entrance,  in  consequence  of  its  carry- 
ing off  the  water  into  the  Bosetta 
branch ;  and  other  navigable  canals 
have  been  used  for  communication 
with  the  interior.  Four  or  five  miles 
lower  down  is  the  canal  of  Karinayn, 
another  noble  work.  At  Ej  J affareeyah 
it  separates  into  two  channels,  one  going 
to  the  W.  to  Tantah,  and  the  other  by 
Mahallet  el  Kebeer  to  the  sea,  which 
it  enters  at  the  old  Sebennytic  mouth, 
and  the  Pineptimi  ostium,  one  of  the 
false  mouths  of  the  Nile.  The  western 
channel  that  goes  to  Tantah  is  only 
navigable  for  small  craft  after  Janu- 
1  ary ;  but  the  other  is  sufficiently  deep 
{ to  admit  boats  of  200  ardebs'  burthen 
I  the  whole  year.  It  is,  however,  closed 


248  ROUTE  8.  CAIRO  TO 

by  a  bridge  and  sluices  at  Santah, 
below  Ej  J'fTareeyah ;  and  here  goods 
are  transferred  to  smaller  boats  for 
Nabaro,  and  those  places  with  which 
the  communication  is  kept  up  by  other 
channels.  This  is  the  general  prin- 
ciple of  all  the  large  canals  of  the 
Delta,  and  has  been  adopted  in  that 
of  Mooz,  and  sometimes  in  that  of 
Alexandria. 

Benha-el-Assal,  "  Benha  of  honey," 
is  the  successor  of  Athribis,  whose 
mounds  are  seen  to  the  N.  They  still 
bear  the  name  of  Atreeb. 

For  description  of  Benha,  see  Ete. 
6.  Bailway  to  Cairo  and  Alexandria, 
Zagazig,  &c. 

To  the  N.  of  this  town  is  the  en- 
trance to  the  Toorat  Moez,  or  Canal 
of  Moez,  which  takes  the  water  to 
Zagazig,  and  thence  to  the  Lake 
Menzaleh  by  the  old  Tanitic  channel. 

Continuing  down  the  Damietta 
branch,  no  place  of  any  great  interest 
occurs  between  Athribis  and  Seben- 
nytus.  Sahragt  on  the  E.  occupies 
the  site  of  Natho,  and  is  called  in 
Coptic  Nathopi.  The  isle  of  Natho 
was  on  the  other  side  of  the  Nile. 
Zifteh  and  Mit  Ghumr  stand  on  oppo- 
site sides  of  the  river ;  they  have  the 
rank  of  bender  or  town. 

From  Zifteh  on  the  E.  bank  there  is 
a  railway,  via  Tantah  and  Korasheeah, 
to  Mahallet,  at  which  place  branch  off 
lines  to  Tantah  (see  Ete.  6)  on  the  main 
Alexandria  and  Cairo  line,  Semen- 
hood  and  Talkah  opposite  Mansoorah, 
and  Damietta  (see  Kte.  9),  and  Dessook 
(see  Ete.  5).  Mit  Damees  is  the  Pitern- 
sisot  of  the  Copts.    Benneh,  in  Coptic  j 
Pineban  or  Penouan,  has  the  mounds  of  i 
an  old  town,  but  no  remains,  and  is  now  j 
a  small  village.  Abooseer  is  larger,  and  j 
has  more  extensive  mounds,  marking  j 
the  site  of  Busiris.    It  is  called  by 
the  Copts  Bosiri.   The  mounds  extend 
beyond  the  village  to  the  westward,  j 
and  a  short  distance  beyond  is  another  ' 
mound,  said  to  have  belonged  to  the 
old  town.  i 

Semenlwod  is  a  place  of  some  size, 
with  the  usual  bazaars  of  the.  large 
towns  of  Egypt,  and  famous  for  its 


DAMIETTA  BY  WATER.        Sect.  IT. 

pottery,  which  is  sent  to  Cairo.  Here 
are  the  mounds  of  Sebennytus,  the 
city  of  Sem  (Gem  or  Gom),  the  Egyp- 
tian Hercules.  In  Coptic  it  is  called 
Gemnouti,  which  implies  "  Gem,  the 
God,"  and  shows  the  origin  of  the 
present  as  well  as  the  orthography  of 
the  ancient  name ;  and  it  is  remark- 
able that  the  name  of  the  god  begins 
with  the  word  noute  in  many  legends. 
Semenhood  is  a  station  on  the  line 
between  Tantah  and  Talkah. 

Bebayt-el-Hagar,  the  ancient  Iseum, 
is  little  more  than  6  m.  below  Semen- 
hood,  opposite  Weesh,  and  about  If  m. 
from  the  river.  The  remains  are  very 
interesting,  and  larger  than  in  any 
other  town  of  the  Delta.  They  are 
inferior  in  style  to  those  of  San  (Tanis}, 
being  of  a  Ptolemaic  time ;  but  the 
number  of  sculptured  blocks,  and  the 
beauty  of  the  granite  used  in  this 
temple,  are  remarkable ;  and  if  Bebayt 
does  not  boast  the  number  of  obelisks, 
which  must  have  had  a  very  grand 
effect  at  Tanis,  it  has  the  merit  of 
possessing  rich  and  elaborate  sculp- 
tures. To  the  antiquary  it  is  particu- 
larly interesting,  from  its  presenting 
the  name  of  the  deity  worshipped 
there,  and  that  of  the  ancient  town. 
Isis  was  evidently  the  divinity  of  the 
city,  and  it  was  from  this  that  the 
Greeks  and  Eomans  gave  it  the  name 
of  Ision  or  Iseum.  By  the  Egyptians 
it  was  called  Hebai  or  Hebait,  "  the 
city  of  assembly,"  which  has  been 
preserved  by  the  modern  inhabitants 
in  the  name  Bebayt ;  with  the  affix 
el  Hagar,  "  of  the  stone,"  from  its 
numerous  stone  remains. 

The  temple,  like  many  others  in 
Egypt,  stood  in  an  extensive  square 
about  1501)  by  1000  ft.,  surrounded  by 
a  crude-brick  wall,  doubtless  with 
stone  gateway ;  which  was  the  temenos 
or  sacred  enclosure,  and  was  planted 
with  trees,  as  Herodotus  informs  us  in 
describing  that  of  Bubastis.  To  this 
might  be  applied  the  name  of  the  grove 
denounced  in  the  Bible  as  an  abomina- 
tion to  the  God  of  Israel  (Exod.  xxxiv. 
13  ;  Deut.  xii.  3  ;  2  Kings  xvii.  10). 

The  temple  itself  was  about  400  ft. 
long,  or  600  to  the  outer  vestibule,  by 


Ejypt. 


ROUTE  8. — BEBAYT-EL-HAGAR. 


249 


about  200  in  breadth,  and  built  of 
granite,  some  red,  some  grey,  of  a 
very  beautiful  quality,  and  covered 
with  sculptures,  in  intaglio  and  in 
relief.  Many  of  the  blocks  are  of  very 
great  size;  and  thougli  the  temple 
has  been  entirely  destroyed,  and  the 
broken  stones  forcibly  torn  from  their 
places,  and  thrown  in  the  greatest 
confusion  one  upon  the  other,  it  is 
easy  to  form  an  idea  of  its  former 
magnificence.  1 1  is  entirely  of  granite 
— walls,  columns,  roofs,  and  doorways ; 
affording  a  striking  instance  of  the 
use  of  this  s:one  in  the  Delta;  for 
though  the  building  is  so  large,  no 
block  of  the  ordinary  kinds  employed 
in  Upper  Egypt  has  here  been  ad- 
mitted. The  whole  appears  to  have 
been  erected  by  Ptolemy  Philadelphus, 
whose  name  occurs  in  all  the  dedica- 
tions, and  wiio  alone  is  seen  present- 
ing offerings  to  the  gods.  The  prin- 
cipal divinities  are  Isis  (the  deity  of 
the  place,  who  has  always  the  title 
"Lady  of  Hebai-t"),  Osiris  (who  fre- 
quently accompanies  her,  and  is  gene- 
rally called  "  Lord  of  Hebai-t"), 
Anubis,  Savak  (the  crocodile-headed 
god),  and  some  others  whose  legends 
are  lost,  and  who  may  possibly  be 
characters  of  Osiris. 

Unfortunately  it  has  been  so  com- 
pletely destroyed  that  the  plan  cannot 
easily  be  recognised ;  and  such  is  the 
mass  of  broken  blocks,  that  you  can 
go  down  amongst  them  to  the  depth 
of  12  and  15  ft.  ;  below  which  are  the 
numerous  abodes  of  jackals,  hares, 
and  other  animals,  who  alone  rejoice 
in  the  ruinous  state  to  which  this 
building  has  been  reduced.  Nothing 
seems  to  be  in  its  original  position. 
The  doorways  are  seen  as  well  as 
parts  of  cornices,  ceilings,  architraves, 
and  walls,  but  all  in  confusion,  and 
hurled  from  their  places;  and  one  is 
surprised  at  the  force  and  labour  that 
must  have  been  used  for  the  destruc- 
tion of  this  once  splendid  building. 
The  ceilings  have  been  studded  with  ' 
the  usual  five-pointed  Egyptian  stars.  I 
The  cornices  have  the  Egyptian  tri-  j 
glyphs  with  the  ovals  of  the  king  be-  j 
tween  them ,  but  in  some  the  name  of  : 
"  Isis,  the  beautiful  mother-goddess," 


is  substituted  for  the  royal  prenomen, 
and  is  accompanied  by  the  nomen  of 
Ptolemy. 

On  one  of  the  wTalls,  about  the 
centre  of  the  temple,  is  represented 
the  sacred  boat,  or  ark,  of  Isis  ;  and 
in  the  shrine  it  bears  the  "  Lady  of 
Hebai-t,"  seated  between  two  figures 
of  goddesses,  like  the  Jewish  Cheru- 
bim, who  seem  to  protect  her  w-ith 
their  wings.  They  occur  in  two  com- 
partments, one  over  the  other,  at  the 
centre  of  the  shrine ;  and  these  figures 
were  doubtless  the  holy  and  unseen 
contents  of  the  sacred  repository,  which 
no  profane  eye  was  permitted  to  be- 
hold, and  which  were  generally  co- 
vered with  a  veil.  In  the  upper  one 
Isis  is  seated  on  a  lotus-flower,  and 
the  two  figures  are  standing ;  in  the 
other  all  three  are  seated,  and  below 
are  four  kneeling  figures,  one  with 
a  man's,  the  other  three  with  jackals' 
heads,  beating  their  breasts.  At  either 
end  of  the  boat  is  the  head  of  the 
goddess,  and  the  legend  above  shows 
it  to  have  belonged  to  her.  The  king 
stands  before  it,  presenting  an  offering 
of  incense  to  Isis.  The  stone  has  been 
broken,  and  part  of  the  picture  lias 
been  taken  away ;  but  on  a  fragment 
below,  that  appears  to  have  belonged 
to  it,  is  represented  a  sledge  on  trucks, 
with  the  usual  ring  attached  to  the 
end,  for  drawing  it  into  the  selcps,  of 
which  this  doubtless  marks  the  site. 
It  was  probably  one  of  those  isolated 
sanctuaries  that  stood  near  the  centre 
of  the  naos,  or  body  of  the  temple. 

The  sculptures  on  some  portions  of 
the  building  are  in  relief, — an  unusual 
mode  of  sculpturing  granite,  which 
shows  the  great  expense  and  labour 
bestowed  on  the  temple  of  the  god- 
dess, and  the  importance  of  her  temple. 
That  it  was  very  handsome  is  evident ;  . 
and  to  it  might  be  applied  the  remark 
made  by  Herodotus  respecting  the 
temple  of  Bubastis — that  many  were 
larger,  but  few  so  beautiful.  Besides 
the  unusual  mode  of  sculpturing  gra- 
nite in  relief,  the  size  of  some  of  the 
hieroglyphics  is  remarkable,  being  no 
less  than  14  in.  long,  and  all  wrought 
with  great  care.  The  cornices  varied 
in  different  parts  of  the  building;  and 
m  3 


250 


ROUTE  8. — CAIEO  TO  DAMIETTA  BY  WATER. 


Sect.  II. 


one,  perhaps  of  the  wall  of  the  sekos 
itself,  has  the  heads  of  Isis  surmounted 
by  a  shrine  alternating  with  the  oval 
of  the  king,  in  which,  however,  the 
hieroglyphics  have  not  been  inserted. 

On  the  lower  compartment  of  the 
walls,  in  this  part  of  the  temple,  are 
traces  of  the.  usual  figures  of  the 
god  Nilus  in  procession,  found  by  Mr. 
Harris  to  represent  the  nomes  of  Egypt. 
Between  each  are  water-plants,  and  the 
figures  of  the  god  have  a  cluster  of 
those  of  the  upper  and  of  the  lower 
country,  alternately,  on  their  heads. 
Not  far  from  this  are  the  capitals  of 
large  columns,  in  the  form  of  Isis' 
heads,  bearing  a  shrine,  like  those  of 
Denderah. 

There  appears  to  be  a  very  great 
variety  in  the  sculptures,  which  mostly 
represent  offerings  to  Isis  and  the  con- 
templar  deities,  as  in  other  Ptolemaic 
buildings ;  and  in  one  place  the  hawk- 
headed  Hor-Hat  conducts  the  king  into 
the  presence  of  the  goddess  of  the 
temple.  But  the  battle-scenes  and 
grand  religious  processions  of  old  times 
are  wanting  here,  as  in  other  temples 
of  a  Ptolemaic  and  Koman  epoch ; 
and  though  the  sculptures  are  rich  and 
highly  finished,  they  are  deficient  in 
the  elegance  of  a  Pharaonic  age,— the 
fault  of  all  Greco-Egyptian  sculpture, 
and  one  which  strikes  every  eye  accus- 
tomed to  monuments  erected  before  the 
decadence  of  art  in  Egypt. 

The  modern  village  stands  to  the 
N.W.,  a  little  beyond  the  enclosure 
of  the  temenos ;  and  near  it  is  a  lake 
containing  water  all  the  year,  except 
after  unusually  low  inundations,  which 
was  probably  once  attached  to  the 
temple,  like  those  of  Karnak  and  other 
places. 

Inland  from  Bebayt  el  Hagar  is 
Benoob,  which  occupies  the  site  of 
Onuphis. 

Mansoorah  is  a  large  town,  capital  of 
the  province  of  Dakaleeyah.  Kail  way 
to  Zagazig  (Kte.  9),  and  thence  to 
Cairo,  Suez,  &c.  (Kte.  7).  Immedi- 
ately on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river 
is  Talkah,  whence  is  a  railway  to 
Tantah  (Rte.  6),  via  the  towns  of  Se- 
menhood,  Mahallet  el  Kebeer,  and 


Mahallet  el  Rokh,  and  to  Damietta 
via,  Shirbin.  Mansoorah  was  founded 
by  Melek  el  Kamel  in  1221,  as  Abool- 
feda  states,  at  the  time  of  the  siege 
of  Damietta,  to  serve  as  a  point 
d'appui,  and  was  called  Mansoora, 
"the  Victorious,"  from  the  defeat  of 
the  Crusaders  in  that  spot,  at  the  time 
the  city  was  building.  It  was  there 
that  Louis  IX.  was  imprisoned,  after 
his  disastrous  retreat  and  capture  in 
1250.  The  spot  where  the  Crusaders 
pitched  their  tents  in  1221  and  1250 
is  just  opposite  the  new  palace,  built 
for  one  of  the  Khedive's  younger 
sons.  Cotton  is  the  principal  article 
of  trade  at  Mansoorah,  and  there  are 
several  cotton-gin  factories  in  the  town ; 
cotton  and  linen  stuffs,  sail-cloth,  &c, 
are  also  made  there. 

Mansoorah  has  no  ruins,  and  is  not 
supposed  to  occupy  the  site  of  any 
ancient  city.  To  the  S.  of  the  town 
is  the  entrance  to  the  Canal  of  Men- 
zaleh,  or,  as  it  is  called  by  the  natives, 
the  Bahr  es  Sogheiyer,  "  Little  River," 
leading  by  Ashmoon  into  Lake  Men- 
zaleh.  It  is  supposed  to  follow  the 
course  of  the  old  Mendesian  branch  of 
the  Nile. 


MANSOORAH  BY  THE  BAHE  ES  SOGHEIYER, 
OR  CANAL  OF  MENZALEH,  TO  MEN- 
ZALEH  AND  THE  LAKE. 

Miles. 

Mahallet  Damaneh     . .  8 
Ashmoon  or  Oshmoon  . .  9£ 
Menzaleh   19J 

37 

The  Canal  of  Menzaleh,  or  of  Ash- 
moon, more  commonly  called  the  Bahr 
es  Sogheiyer,  though  containing  water 
the  whole  year,  is  only  navigable  the 
whole  way  during  the  winter  and 
early  spring.  In  its  widest  part  near 
Mansoorah  it  is  only  70  or  80  ft.  broad, 
and  below  Ashmoon  it  is  much  nar- 
rower. Boats  cannot  pass  into  it 
from  the  Nile,  and  it  is  necessary 
to  hire  one  from  among  those  to  be 
found  on  it  at  Mansoorah.  If  there 
are  not  more  than  one  or  two  persons 
however,  the  sandal  of  the  dahabeeah, 


Egypt. 


ROUTE  8. — CANAL  OF  MENZALEH. 


251 


if  tolerably  large  and  provided  with,  a 
sail,  will  hold  all  that  is  necessary  for 
the  excursion,  a  tent  included  for 
sleeping  in  at  night ;  and  this  sandal 
can  be  carried  from  the  river  to  the 
canal.  But  a  larger  boat  is  better,  as 
the  canal  being  very  winding  and  the 
banks  high,  it  is  difficult  for  a  boat 
low  in  the  water  to  catch  any  wind. 
The  excursion  is  not  one  of  any  great 
interest,  and  Ete.  10  is  an  easier  way 
of  reaching  Lake  Menzaleh. 

Leaving  Mansoorah  the  country  on 
the  banks  of  the  canal  is  very  rich 
and  fertile.  Especially  remarkable  is 
the  number  of  trees — oaks,  sycamore- 
figs,  weeping  and  common  willows, 
and  mulberry-trees,  recently  planted. 
Numerous  sakeeyahs  line  the  banks, 
and  a  carefully  arranged  system  of 
tiny  ditches  carries  the  water  inland. 
The  first  large  village  is  Mahallet 
Ddmaneh.  A  few  miles  inland  to  the 
S.  are  the  ruins  of  Tel-et-Tmei. 

Tel-et-Tmei  occupies  the  site  of 
Thmuis ;  which  is  at  once  pointed  out 
by  its  Arabic  name,  as  well  as  by  the 
Coptic  Thmoui.  Some  suppose  it  to 
be  the  same  as  Leontopolis.  A  large 
monolith  is  still  standing  on  the  site 
of  Thmuis.  It  is  of  granite,  and  mea- 
sures 21  ft.  9  in.  high,  13  ft.  broad, 
and  11  ft.  7  in.  deep ;  and  within,  it 
is  19  ft.  3  in.  high,  8  ft.  broad,  and 
8  ft.  3  in.  deep.  In  the  hieroglyphics 
is  the  prenomen  of  Amasis,  and  men- 
tion seems  to  be  made  of  the  gods 
Neph  and  Moui  (Hercules?).  Jo- 
sephus  says  that  Titus,  on  his  way 
from  Alexandria  to  Judaea,  passed  by 
Thmuis.  He  went  by  land  to  Nico- 
polis,  and  then,  putting  his  troops  on 
board  long  ships,  went  up  the  Nile  by 
the  Mendesian  province  to  the  city  of- 
Thmuis. 

Abut  5  m.  S.W.  by  S.  of  Ashmoon 
is  Mit-Fdres,  whose  mounds  indicate 
the  site  of  an  old  town. 

Ashmoon,  or,  as  Aboolfeda  writes  it, 
Oshmoom, — Oshmoom-Tanah,  or  Osh- 
moom-er-Roo-man  ("of  the  pomegra- 
nates "),— was  in  his  time  a  large  city, 
with  bazaars,  baths,  and  large  mosks, 
and  the  capital  of  the  Dahkala  and 


Bashmoor  provinces.  It  is  supposed 
to  occupy  the  site  of  Mendes,  but  now 
presents  nothing  of  interest.  The 
only  remains  are  of  Roman  time,  con- 
sisting of  a  few  small  broken  columns, 
fragments  of  granite,  burnt  bricks,  and 
pottery,  amidst  mounds  of  some  ex- 
tent but  of  no  great  height. 

The  canal  below  Ashmoon  becomes 
very  narrow,  and  the  trees  often  meet 
above  it.  No  other  place  of  interest 
occurs  between  this  and  Menzaleh. 
Mit-en-Nasdrah  probably  occupies  the 
site  of  an  ancient  town,  judging  from 
its  distinctive  appellation  "of  the 
Christians."  Berimbdl  is  a  large  vil- 
lage, with  fine  trees.  The  stream  here 
is  not  20  yards  wide.  Miniet-Silseel 
was  formerly  of  much  greater  extent 
and  more  flourishing  than  at  present, 
as  the  style  of  its  houses,  its  broken 
minarets,  and  its  brick  walls  attest ; 
and  Gemeleeyah  is  distinguished  from 
afar  by  its  lofty  minaret. 

On  the  canal  grow  numerous  reeds 
and  water-plants,  among  which  is  a 
Cyperus.  It  is  found  principally  on 
the  N.  bank,  where  it  has  the  benefit 
of  the  sun,  and  only  at  the  eastern 
part  of  the  canal.  It  has  been  mis- 
taken for  the  papyrus,  and  has  led  to 
the  belief  that  this  last  grows  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  lake  Menzaleh.  In 
Arabic  it  is  called  dus,  a  name  given 
also  to  the  Cyperus  dives;  and  both 
are  used  for  making  baskets  and  an 
ordinary  kind  of  mat. 

The  principal  produce  grown  in  the 
immediate  neighbourhood  of  the  canal 
is  flax,  cotton,  simsim,  rice,  &c. ;  there 
i  s  comparatively  little  wheat,  the  land  of 
the  Delta  in  general  being  considered 
inferior  as  a  corn-growing  country  to 
Upper  Egypt.  In  consequence  wheat 
is  much  dearer  to  the  N.  than  to  the 
S.  of  Cairo. 

Menzaleh  stands  on  the  canal,  about 
12  m.  from  its  entrance  into  the  lake. 
It  is  supposed  to  occupy  the  site  of 
Panephysis ;  and  near  the  point  of 
land  projecting  to  the  N.  into  the 
lake  some  have  placed  Papremis,  the 
City  of  Mars.  Menzaleh  has  no  re- 
mains. It  is  a  busy  lively-looking 
place,  and  with  its  minaretted  mosks, 


252 


ROUTE  8.  CAIRO  TO  DAMIETTA  BY  WATER. 


Sect.  II. 


bazaars,  and  some  respectable  houses,  j 
presents  an  appearance  little  expected 
in  such  an  out-of-the-way  place.  The 
canal,  which  contributes  so  much  to 
its  importance,  and  to  its  very  exist- 
ence as  a  town,  also  gives  it  a  cheerful 
aspect.  There  is  a  barrier  which 
renders  it  necessary  to  hire  another 
boat  in  order  to  go  on  to  Lake  Men- 
zaleh.  In  the  autumn  there  is  some  j 
fever  at  Menzaleh,  but  in  winter  it  is 
perfectly  healthy,  and  at  all  times 
more  so  than  Damietta.  Its  principal 
trade  is  in  rice  and  fish.  The  former 
is  of  good  quality,  little  inferior  to 
that  of  Damietta  and  of  Kafr  el 
Bateekh. 

The  fresh-water  fish  mostly  come 
from  the  different  branches  of  the 
Moez  Canal  leading  from  Zagazig  to 
the  lake ;  the  salt-water  kinds  being 
brought  from  Matareeah. 

The  canal  or  Bahr  es  Sogheiyer 
runs  into  the  lake  4  miles  below  Men- 
zaleh. Matareeah  can  be  reached 
either  by  land,  or  by  boat  down  to  the 
mouth  of  the  canal  and  thence  over 
the  lake.  For  Matareeah  and  Lake 
Menzaleh  see  Rte.  10. 


There  is  nothing  worthy  of  remark 
between  Mansoora  and  Damietta. 

Damietta  or  Damiat,  once  famous  as 
the  principal  emporium  on  this  side  of 
the  Delta,  has  sunk  in  importance,  in 
proportion  as  Alexandria  has  increased, 
and  now  only  carries  on  a  little  com- 
merce with  Syria  and  Greece.  Its  rice 
and  fisheries,  however,  enable  it  to 
enjoy  a  lucrative  trade  with  the  in- 
terior. It  was  once  famous  for  its 
manufacture  of  leather  and  striped 
cloths,  which  last,  when  imported  into 
Europe,  received  from  it  the  name  of 
dimity.  The  houses  are  well  built, 
though  inferior  to  those  of  Bosetta ; 
and  the  town  is  one  of  the  largest  in 
Egypt,  with  a  population  of  28,000 
souls. 

Damietta  is  known  in  the  history  of 
the  Crusaders  as  the  bulwark  of  Egypt 
on  that  side,  and  its  capture  was  always 
looked  upon  as  the  most  important  ob- 
ject in  their  expeditions  against  that 
country.    Aboolfeda  says  "  it  stood  on 


the  shore,  where  the  river  runs  into  the 
sea  ;  until  the  danger  to  which  it  was 
exposed,  from  the  Franks,  induced  the 
Egyptian  caliphs  to  change  its  position ; 
and  the  modern  town  was  founded 
higher  up  the  Nile,  about  5  m.  farther 
from  the  sea."  According  to  Abool- 
feda, the  old  Damietta  was  destroyed, 
and  the  inhabitants  were  transferred  to 
the  village  of  Mensheeyah,  which  was 
built  in  its  stead,  and  which  afterwards 
succeeded  to  the  importance  and  name 
of  the  ancient  town ;  and  Michaelis,  on 
the  authority  of  Niebuhr,  says  Men- 
sheeyah is  the  name  of  one  of  the 
squares,  or  places,  of  the  modern 
Damietta.  The  time  of  this  change  of 
position,  and  the  destruction  of  the 
old  town,  are  fixed  by  Aboolfeda  in 
the  year  of  the  Hegira  648  (a.d.  1251). 
The  old  Damietta  had  been  walled 
round  and  fortified  by  Motawukkel, 
the  tenth  of  the  Abbaside  caliphs 
(about  a.d.  850);  and  the  new  town 
was  built  by  Baybers,  the  fourth 
sultan  of  the  Baharite  Memlooks. 

The  ancient  name  of  the  original 
Damietta  was  Tamiathis,  and  the 
many  antique  columns  and  blocks 
found  in  the  present  town  have  pro- 
bably been  brought  from  its  ruins. 
They  are  principally  in  the  mosks ; 
and  on  a  slab  used  for  the  ablutions  of 
the  faithful,  in  the  mosk  of  Aboolata 
(a  short'  way  outside  the  town,  on  the 
E.),  is  a  Greek  inscription  with  the 
name  of  Tennesus. 

The  Boyhaz,  or  mouth  of  the  Nile 
where  it  joins  the  sea,  is  some  little 
distance  from  Damietta.  Damietta  is 
perhaps  the  best  head-quarters  for 
shooting  on  Lake  Menzaleh.  For 
description  of  Lake  Menzaleh  see 
Bte.  10. 

It  will  be  seen  by  a  reference  to 
Rte.  9,  (a)  and  (13),  that  there  are 
various  places  on  the  river  at  which 
the  dahabeeah  can  be  joined  by  rail. 


Egypt.       route  9. — caiko  to  damietta  by  railway.  - 


253 


ROUTE  9. 

CAIRO,  BY  RAIL,  TO  DAMIETTA, 

There  are  two  routes  to  choose  from : 
(a),  via  Zagazig  and  Mansoorah ;  (J£), 
via,  Tantah. 

Miles. 

(a)  Cairo  to  Zagazig  (see 

Rte.  7)    51| 

Zagazig  to  Mansoorah      . .  46f 
Talkah  (opp.  Mansoorah)  to 
Damietta   39 

137| 

The  railway  from  Cairo  to  Zagazig 
Las  been  already  described.  On 
arriving  at  Zagazig  there  is  a  delay 
of  an  hour  and  a  half  hefore  the  train 
starts  for  Mansoorah,  giving  time  for 
a  brief  visit  to  the  ruins  of  Bubastis. 

There  are  no  places  of  any  interest 
or  importance  on  the  line  from  Zagazig 
to  Mansoorah. 

Heheeyah  Stat.,  8  m.  Short  junction 
to  Tel  Phakoos,  the  ancient  Phacusa. 

Aboo  Kebeer  Stat.,  7  m.  A  short 
distance  before  reaching  this  station  on 
the  right  is 

Harbayt  or  Heurbayt..  the  ancient 
Pharbsethus,  and  the  capital  of  a  nome, 
to  which  it  gave  its  name,  between 
12  and  13  m.  to  the  N.E.  of  Bubastis. 
It  presents  nothing  to  repay  the  trou- 
ble of  a  visit,  and  is  of  far  less  extent 
than  the  capital  of  the  adjoining  nome. 
The  only  stone  remains  are  shafts  of 
red  granite  columns  of  Roman  time, 
and  fragments  of  fine  grey  granite, 
apparently  of  an  altar,  and  part  of  a 
statue ;  which,  with  mounds  and  crude- 
brick  ruins,  are  all  that  remain  of  the 
city.  It  stood  on  the  Tanitic  branch, 
and  was  a  town  of  some  consequence 
till  a  late  time,  and  an  episcopal  see 
under  the  Lower  Empire.    It  is  still 


occupied  in  part  by  the  modern  vil- 
lage, which  has  retained  the  ancient 
name. 

Harbayt  and  Tel  Phakoos  are  both 
situated  on  a  canal  that  runs  from 
Zagazig  to  San,  and  the  latter  place 
may  be  reached  in  a  boat  from  Tel 
Phakoos;  but  the  canal  is  navigable 
the  whole  way  only  in  the  winter 
months. 

El  Booka  Stat.,  3  m.  On  the  main 
branch  of  the  Moez  Canal  leading  to 
San.    Boats  may  be  hired  here. 

Aboo  Sliekook  Stat,  6|  m.  The  vil- 
lage is  about  i  m.  from  the  station, 
which  is  on  the  E.  bank  of  one  of  the 
large  canals  running  from  Zagazig  to 
San,  all  of  them  branches  of  the  main 
Moez  Canal.  The  Menzaleh  fishermen 
use  this  canal  principally  for  bringing 
up  their  fish  from  the  lake ;  at  Aboo 
Shekook  it  is  transferred  to  the  rail- 
way, and  sent  to  Cairo  and  other 
towns. 

Sembelknoein  Stat,  9  m.  Not  far 
off  to  the  S.  are  the  ruins  of  Tel-el- 
Tmei,  the  ancient  Thmuis  (see  Rte.  8). 

Mansoorah  Terminus  Stat.,  13J  m. 
For  description  of  Mansoorah,  see 
Rte.  8. 

The  traveller  who  arrives  at  Man- 
soorah by  rail,  and  wishes  to  visit  the 
ruins  of  Bebayt  el  Hagar  (see  Rte.  8), 
can  do  so  by  hiring  a  donkey  at  Man- 
soorah, and  riding  up  the  right  bank 
of  the  Nile  for  about  2  m.  till  the  first 
ferry  is  reached.  Cross  the  river  here 
to  a  village  on  the  opposite  side,  and 
ride  through  it,  and  along  the  Tantah 
and  Talkah  railway  for  about  3  m. ; 
then  turn  to  the  right,  and  a  mile 
farther  in  a  W.  direction  are  the 
mounds  of  the  old  town.  A  change  in 
the  roacl  may  be  made  coming  back, 
by  riding  straight  from  the  ruins  to 
the  river,  crossing  at  what  is  the 
second  ferry  above  Mansoorah,  and 
then  continuing  along  the  river-bank. 
This  is  perhaps  the  pleasanter  way  of 
the  two.  This  excursion  will  require 
about  6  or  7  hours. 

The  traveller  must  hire  a  ferry- 
boat for  crossing  the  river  from  Man- 
soorah to  Talkah. 

|    There  is  nothing  of  interest  between 


^254 


ROUTE  10. — CAIEO  TO  SAN. 


Sect.  II. 


Talkah  and  Damietta.  The  names  of 
the  intermediate  stations  will  be  found 
below. 


Miles. 

(/3)  Cairo  to  Tantah  (see 

Kte.  6)    54J 

Tantah  to  Talkah  . .  . .  33 
Talkah  to  Damietta  . .     . .  39 

126§ 

This  route  is  perhaps  more  con- 
venient than  (a),  as  it  saves  the  trouble 
of  crossing  the  river  between  Man- 
soorah  and  Talkah.  Cairo  to  Tantah 
has  been  already  described  in  Kte.  6. 
After  leaving  Tantah  the  train  stops 
at 

Mahallet  Rohh  Stat,  10  m.  (branch 
to  Dessook  and  Zifteh). 

Mahallet  el  Kebeer  Stat.,  6J  m. 
Semenhood  Stat.,  4|  m.  (see  Ete.  8). 
Talkah  Stat.,  12  m. 
Shirbeen  Stat..  15  m. 
Kafr  Terrash  Stat,  8  m. 
Damietta  Stat.,  16  m. 


ROUTE  10. 

CAIRO  TO  SAN,  THE  ANCIENT  TANIS, 
AND  LAKE  MENZALEH,  BY  KAIL  AND 
WATER. 

Miles. 

Cairo,  by  rail,  to  Zagazig 
(see  Rte.  7)   51f 

Zagazig  to  San,  partly  by 
rail  and  partly  by  water, 
about    50 

San  to  Matareeah,  on  Lake 
Menzaleh,  about    ..     ..  12 

113| 

This  excursion  should  be  made  not 
later  than  February,  as  after  that 
month  the  canals  are  low,  and  often 


dammed  up  a  few  miles  from  their 
mouth  to  keep  the  water  for  irrigation. 
Those  who  wish  to  be  comfortable  had 
better  take  tents,  beds,  &c,  with  them, 
as  the  boats  on  these  canals  have  no 
sleeping  accommodation,  are  very  dirty, 
and  stink  of  fish.  Some  provisions  too 
should  be  taken,  as  milk,  eggs,  and 
chickens  are  the  only  things  procurable 
at  the  villages  on  the  canals.  But  each 
traveller  will  make  such  arrangements 
as  desire  for  comfort  may  require. 

There  are  3  or  4  routes  to  choose 
from  in  going  from  Zagazig  to  San. 
1.  By  rail  to  Tel  Phakoos,  and  thence 
by  boat.  2.  By  rail  to  El  Booka, 
and  thence  by  boat :  and  3.  By  rail 
to  Aboo  Shekook.  and  thence  by 
boat.  All  these  stations  are  situated 
on  canals  leading  from  Zagazig  to 
San.  Formerly  it  was  possible  to  go 
the  whole  way  from  Zagazig  by  one  of 
these  canals,  but  now  there  are  bridges 
and  sluices  at  different  points  which 
prevent  the  passage  of  anything  but 
qnite  small  rowing-boats.  Inquiry 
had  better  be  made  at  Zugazig  as  to 
which  of  the  above  three  roads  should 
be  chosen,  as  some  alterations  in  the 
canals,  or  other  cause,  may  make  one 
preferable  to  the  other.  The  best  way 
for  those  who  intend  to  take  tents, 
&c,  is  to  send  a  servant  on  a  day 
or  two  before;  he  can  then  secure  a 
boat,  and  have  it  ready.  In  winter 
there  are  generally  plenty  coming  up 
from  the  lake.  They  are  large  and 
roomy,  but  dirty.  There  is  a  small 
attempt  at  shelter  in  the  bows,  where 
a  portion  is  covered  in  by  a  piece  of 
matting.  One  boat  will  carry  tents, 
servants,  donkeys,  baggage,  &c.  The 
hire  of  a  boat  to  San  from  any  one  of 
the  three  places  named  above  will  be 
from  16s.  to  1Z.,  which,  with  the  same 
amount  added  on  for  Government  tax, 
will  make  the  whole  cost  from  30s.  to 
21.;  and  the  same  for  a  boat  back 
from  San.  It  will  take  6  or  7  hours  to 
go,  and  10  or  12  to  come  back,  unless 
the  wind  is  particularly  favourable  or 
adverse.  There  is  plenty  of  wildfowl- 
shooting  during  the  winter  and  early 
spring  in  the  neighbourhood  of  San, 
but  the  birds  are  very  shy  and  difficult 
of  approach.    It  is  easier  to  get  at 


Egypt- 


ROUTE  10,  SAN  OR  TANIS. 


255 


tliem  in  Lake  Menzaleh,  where  in  a 
small  boat  you  may  often  sail  up  quite 
close  to  them.  In  some  parts  of  the 
lake  the  shooting  is  farmed  out,  and 
the  birds  are  taken  in  nets  in  con- 
siderable numbers ;  where  this  is  the 
case  no  shooting  is  allowed.  The  fish- 
ing is  also  farmed  out.  The  modern 
village  of  San,  on  the  E.  bank  of  the 
canal,  is  a  miserable  dreary  place.  The 
inhabitants  are  entirely  occupied  in 
fishing.  Twice  in  a  week,  on  Tues- 
days and  Fridays,  the  fish  are  sold 
by*  auction,  people  coming  with  their 
camels  and  donkeys  from  the  interior 
to  buy.  There  is  no  good  camping- 
ground  near  the  village.  The  best 
place  is  close  to  the  ruins,  the  only 
objection  being  that  it  is  some  little 
way  from  the  canal,  whence  you  must 
draw  your  water  supply ;  but  at  any 
rate  you  are  free  from  noise  and  dirt. 

The  city  of  San,  whose  ruins  occupy 
still  a  considerable  space  on  the  plain, 
was  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  con- 
siderable in  the  Delta.  Its  remote  an- 
tiquity is  indicated  by  the  passage  in 
the  Bible  (Numb.  xiii.  22),  which  says 
that  "Hebron  was  built  seven  years 
before  Zoan,"  Zoan  being  generally 
identified  with  San.  The  sanctuary 
of  the  great  temple  dates  back,  ac- 
cording to  M.  Mariette,  to  the  Vlth 
dynasty,  at  which  time  the  name  of 
the  town  is  conjectured  to  have  been 
Ha-awar  or  Pa-awar,  perhaps  the 
Avaris  of  Manetho.  The  names  of 
kings  of  the  XHth  and  XHIth  dynas- 
ties, Amenemha  I.,  Osirtasen  I.  and  II. 
and  others,  found  on  colossi  and  other 
monuments  discovered  at  San,  and  now 
in  the  Museum  at  Cairo,  prove  the  ex- 
istence and  importance  of  the  city  at 
that  epoch.  Soon  after  this  it  suffered 
with  the  rest  of  the  North  of  Egypt 
from  the  invasion  of  the  Shepherds  or 
Hyksos,  as  they  were  called  by  Mane- 
tho ;  but  it  rose  into  importance  again 
under  the  rule  of  the  kings  of  the 
XVIIth  dynasty,  the  descendants  of 
these  invading  Hyksos,  who,  as  the 
monuments  found  at  San,  and  now  in 
the  Cairo  Museum,  prove,  had  adopted 
Egyptian  customs,  manners,  and  re- 
ligion. It  is  probable,  says  M.  Ma- 
riette, whose  discoveries  at  Tanis  have 


thrown  great  light  on  this  epoch  of 
Egyptian  history,  that  it  was  during 
the  reign  of  one  of  these  pastor  kings 
reigning  at  Memphis  that  Joseph  was 
sold  into  Egypt,  and  the  story  told 
in  the  Bible  was  enacted.  The 
Pharaoh  whom  Joseph  served  was  not 
a  pure-born  Egyptian,  but  of  foreign 
origin  and  shepherd  descent  like  him- 
self ;  and  his  conduct  to  him  is  on  this 
supposition  the  more  easily  explained. 
Amosis  the  1st  kiug  of  the  XVIIIth 
dynasty,  of  pure  Theban  blood,  drove 
out  the  greater  part  of  the  Hyksos, 
and,  while  suffering  a  large  colony  of 
them  to  remain,  reduced  the  impor- 
tance of  what  had  been  their  border 
fortress — Zoan.  Under  the  XlXth 
dynasty  a  different  policy  was  pursued, 
and  the  monuments  show  us  Kameses 
II.  restoring  the  magnificence  of  the 
temples,  and  adopting  the  founder  of 
the  Hyksos  dynasty  as  an  ancestor. 
The  reign  of  his  son  and  successor 
Menephtah,  the  "  Pharaoh  who  knew 
not  Joseph,"  of  whom  a  statue  found 
at  San  is  now  in  the  Cairo  Museum,  is 
an  interesting  stage  in  the  history  of 
the  city,  for  we  read  in  Ps.  lxxviii.  12, 
43,  that  the  wonders  and  miracles 
done  by  Moses,  which  ended  in  the 
deliverance  of  the  Israelites,  were 
wrought  in  "  the  field  of  Zoan.'" 

Under  the  XXIst  dynasty  Zoan,  or, 
as  it  is  best  known  under  its  Greek 
name,  Tanis,  became  the  nominal 
capital  of  Egypt,  and  gave  its  name 
to  the  dynasty  which  Manetho  calls 
Tanite,  and  also  to  the  branch  of  the 
river  on  which  it  stood.  Yarious 
remains  prove  that  under  this  dynasty 
the  city  and  temples  were  restored 
and  beautified.  During  the  period 
extending  from  the  XXIInd  to  the 
XXVIth  dynasty  Tanis  was  a  city  of 
great  importance,  and  indeed  Mariette 
again  gives  the  name  of  Tanite  to  the 
XXIIlrd  dynasty.  That  towards  the 
end  of  this  period  (cir.  700  B.C.)  it  was 
considered  as  the  capital  city  of  the 
Delta  may  be  inferred  from  Is.  xix.  11, 
13,  where  "the  princes  of  Zoan"  and 
"  the  princes  ot'Xoph  "  (Memphis )  are 
spoken  of  as  though  those  two  cities 
were  the  principal  in  Egypt ;  and 
again  another  passage,  Is.  xxx.  4, 


256 


ROUTE  10. — CAIRO  TO  SAN. 


Sect.  IT. 


speaks  of  the  princes  (of  Egypt)  as 
being  "  at  Zoan."  Ezekiel,  on  the 
occasion  of  the  invasion  of  Egypt  by 
Nebuchadnezzar  (cir.  600  B.C.),  pro- 
phesies its  downfall,  and  says  that 
"fire"  shall  be  set  "in  Zoan."  The 
importance  of  Tanis  began  to  decline 
undar  the  XXVIth  dynasty,  and 
Amosis,  by  directing  the  whole  trade 
of  the  Mediterranean  to  Naucratis 
and  Sais,  ruined  the  towns  in  the 
eastern  half  of  the  Delta.  In  Strabo's 
time  it  was  still  a  large  town,  but 
according  to  Josephus  it  had  dwin- 
dled in  tue  age  of  Titus  to  an  insig- 
nificant place.  The  utter  ruin  and 
destruction  of  its  temples  is,  however, 
probably  due  to  the  fanatical  outburst 
against  the  pagan  monuments  that 
followed  the  edict  of  Theodosius. 

At  the  present  day  the  scene  of  de- 
solation, round  what  the  remaining 
ruins  are  sufficient  to  prove  to  have 
been  a  most  splendid  city,  is  complete. 
The  "  field  "  of  Zoan  is  now  a  barren 
waste  ;  a  canal  passes  through  it  with- 
out being  able  to  fertilize  the  soil  : 
"  fire  "  has  been  set  "  in  Zoan ; "  and 
one  of  the  principal  capitals  or  royal 
abodes  of  the  Pharaohs  is  now  the 
habitation  of  fishermen,  the  resort  of 
wild  beasts,  and  infested  with  reptiles 
and  malignant  fevers.  "  Many,"  says 
Mr.  Macgregor,  "  as  are  the  celebrated 
ruins  I  have  seen,  I  do  not  recollect 
any  that  impressed  me  so' deeply  with 
the  sense  of  fallen  and  deserted  mag- 
nificence." 

The  mounds  which  mark  the  site  of 
this  ancient  town  are  remarkable  for 
their  height  and  extent,  reaching  as 
they  do  upwards  of  a  mile  from  N.  to  S., 
and  nearly  f  of  a  mile  from  E.  to  W. 
The  area  in  which  the  sacred  enclosure 
of  the  temple  stood  is  about  1500  ft.  by 
1250,  surrounded  by  mounds  of  fallen 
houses,  as  at  Bubastis,  whose  in- 
creased elevation  above  t.ie  site  of  the 
temple  was  doubtless  attributable  to 
the  same  cause— the  frequent  change 
in  the  level  of  the  houses  to  protect 
them  from  the  inundation,  and  the 
unaltered  position  of  the  sacred  build- 
ings. The  enclosure  or  temenos  sur- 
rounding the  temple  is  1000  ft.  long 
by  about  700  broad,  not  placed  in  the 


centre  of  this  area,  but  one-third  more 
to  the  northward;  while  the  temple 
itself  lies  exactly  at  an  equal  distance 
from  the  northern  and  southern  line 
of  houses — one  of  the  numerous  in- 
stances of  Egyptian  symmetrophobia. 
The  enclosure  is  of  crude  brick ;  and 
a  short  way  to  the  E.  of  the  centre,  on 
its  northern  side,  is  a  gateway  of 
g 'unite  and  fine  gritstone  bearing  the 
name  of  Eameses  II. ;  to  whom  the 
tern  3e  was  indebted  for  its  numerous 
obelisks,  and  the  greater  part  of  the 
sculptures  that  adorned  it. 

From  the  wall  of  the  enclosure  to 
the  two  front  obelisks  is  100  ft. ;  150 
beyond  which,  going  towards  the  net os, 
are  fragments  of  columns,  and  proba- 
bly of  two  other  obelisks,  covering  an 
area  of  50  ft. ;  beyond  these,  at  a  dis- 
tance of  120  ft.,  are  several  fragments 
of  sculptured  walls,  two  other  obelisks, 
and  two  black  statues,  extending  over 
a  space  of  30  ft. ;  and  after  going  100  ft. 
further  you  come  to  two  other  obe- 
lisks ;  and  then  two  others  86  ft.  be- 
yond them;  and  again,  at  a  distance 
of  161  ft.,  two  other  large  obelisks, 
from  which  to  the  naos  front  is  150  ft. 

Though  in  a  very  ruinous  condition, 
the  fragments  of  walls,  columns,  and 
fallen  obelisks  sufficiently  attest  the 
former  splendour  of  this  building ; 
and  the  number  of  obelisks,  evidently 
10,  if  not  12,  is  unparalleled  in  any 
Egyptian  temple.  They  are  all  of  the 
time  of  Eameses  II. ;  some  with  only 
one,  others  with  two  lines  of  hierogly- 
phics. The  columns  had  the  papyrus- 
bud  capital ;  and  their  appearance,  as 
well  as  the  walls  bearing  the  figures  of 
deities,  seems  to  prove  that  some,  at 
least,  of  the  obelisks  stood  in  cour  ts  or 
vestibules,  forming  approaches  to  the 
naos.  The  obelisks  vary  in  size  :  some 
have  a  mean  diameter  of  about  5  ft., 
and  when  entire  may  have  been  from 
50  to  60  feet  high :  and  those  at  the 
lower  extremity  of  the  avenue,  farthest 
from  the  naos,  measured  about  33  ft. 
Some  of  the  obelisks  are  of  dark,  others 
of  light  red,  granite,  which  might 
appear  to  have  a  bad  effect,  if  we  did 
not  recollect  that  the  Egyptians 
painted  their  monuments,  sometimes 
even  when  of  °ranite. 


Egypt. 


ROUTE  10. — SAN  OR  TANIS. 


257 


The  sanctuary,  or  naos,  bears,  as  has 
been  sail,  the  name  of  a  king  of  the 
Vlth  dynasty.  The  other  principal 
names  "found  on  the  monumental  re- 
mains belonging  to,  or  forming  part  of, 
the  temple,  are  Osirtasen  I.,  II.,  and 
III..  Ranieses  II.,  Menephtah,  and 
Tirhakah.  Outside  the  enclosure  to 
t lie  E.  are  two  granite  columns  which 
formed  part  of  another  temple,  built 
like  the  former  entirely  of  granite. 
These  columns  are  2  ft.  X  in.  mean 
diameter,  and  nearly  23  ft.  high  with- 
out the  dado,  and  have  palm-cfipitals 
of  beautiful  style.  They  bear  the 
name  of  Ranieses  II.,  by  whom  the 
temple  was  built.  In  some  places  the 
name  of  Eameses  has  been  effaced  and 
that  of  Osorkon,  a  king  of  the  XXIInd 
dynasty,  substituted.  Nearly  J  a  mile 
from  the  great  temple,  in  the  direction 
of  S.E.  by  S.,  are  several  large  round 
blocks  of  granite,  placed  on  the  ground 
in  two  parallel  lines,  so  as  to  form  an 
avenue.  They  have  no  foundation, 
and  this  circumstance,  together  with 
the  complete  absence  of  any  vestiges 
of  the  plan  of  a  building  beyond  them, 
seems  to  preclude  the  possibility  of 
their  having  served  as  an  approa  -h  to 
another  temple.  A  fragment  of  basalt, 
bearing  the  name  of  a  Ptolemy,  has 
been  found  near  them. 

The  principal  divinities  worshipped 
at  Tanis  were  Phtah,  Ammon,  and 
the  god  Set,  or  Sutekh,  an  Asiatic 
divinity  introduced  by  the  Hyksos, 
but  subsequently  cL>tked  by  them 
with  the  attributes  of  the  Egyptian 
sun-god,  and  worshipped  under  the 
forms  Ra,  Armaehis,  Horns.  &c. 

The  excavations  of  M.  Mariette  at 
San  have  thrown  a  good  deal  of  light 
on  that  more  than  usually  obscure 
part  of  Egyptian  history,  known  as 
the  Period  of  the  Hyksos  or  Shepherds. 
Many  of  the  monuments  f  mud  by  him, 
and  now  in  the  Cairo  Museum,  seem 
to  show  that  however  disastrous  the 
first  invasion  of  these  Asiatics  may 
have  been,  they  subsequently  became 
peaceably  settled  in  the  country,  and 
adopted  the  Lmguage,  customs,  and 
religion  of  those  they  had  conquered. 
Statues  and  sphinxes,  unmistakably 
belonging  to  the  Hyksos  period,  have 


!  the  legends  on  them  written  in  the 
!  Egyptian  language,  and  the  name  of 
the  Hyksos  king  euclosed  in  an  oval, 
■  and  with  the  official  Egyptian  titles. 
In  the  features  of  the  magnificent 
sphinx  No.  869  in  the  Cairo  Museum, 
M.  Mariette  traces   a  great  resem- 
blance to  those  of  the  people  living  on 
the    borders   of  Lake  Menzaleh  at 
I  the  present  day :  round  angular  face, 
|  small  eyes,  fiat  nose,  supercilious  mouth, 
|  differing  entirely  from  the  Egyptian 
I  type,  and  showing  evident  signs  of  a 
j  Semitic  origin. 

The  triliugual  stone,  similar  in  cha- 
j  racter  to  tiie  Rosetta  Stone,  found  at 
|  San  in  1865,  is  now  in  the  Cairo  Mu- 
j  seuni  (see  Description  of  Cairo,  §  17). 

A  good  general  view  of  the  ruins 
!  and  the  surrounding  country  may  be 
!  obtained  from  the  highest  mound,  on 
j  which  is  a  sheykh's  tomb.    It  has 
!  been  thus  described  : — "  The  horizon  is 
j  nearly  a  straight  line  on  every  side ; 
i  and  looking  west,  the  tract  before  us 
I  is  a  black  rich  loam,  without  fences  or 
towns,  and  with  only  a  dozen  trees  in 
I  sight.    This  is  '  The  Field  of  Zoan.' 
i  Behind  is  a  glimmer  of  silver  light  oa 
the  far-away  shore  of  Lake  Menzaleh. 
Across  the  level  foreground  winds 
most  gracefully  the  Mushra  (canal  ?). 
But  between  that  winding  river  (canal)' 
and  the  mound  we  look  from,  there  is, 
lying  bare  and  gaunt,  in  stark  and 
silent  devastation,  one  of  the  grandest 
and  oldest  ruins  in  the  world.    It  is 
deep  in  the  middle  of  an  enclosing  am- 
phitheatre of  mounds,  all  of  them'abso- 
lutely  bare,  and  all  dark -red,  from  the 
j  millions  of  potsherds  that  defy  the 
j  winds  of  time  and  the  dew  and  the 
I  sun  alike  to  stir  them,  or  to  even  melt 
j  aw.ty  their  sharp-edged  fragments." — 

Macgregor. 
j  If  the  traveller  wishes,  he  may  extend 
this  excursion  by  continuing  down  the 
canal  to  Matareeah  on  Lake  Menzaleh, 
about  12  miles  farther  on.  The  coun- 
try is  low  and  marshy,  abounding  in 
reecls  and  stunted  tamarisk  -  bushes, 
among  which  boars  may  sometimes  be 
found,  and  the  abundance  of  various 
kinds  of  waterfowl  is  extraordinary. 
The  banks  are  very  low,  and  the 
whole  is  flooded  during  the  inunda- 


258 


EOUTE  10.  CAIRO  TO  SAN. 


Sect.  n. 


tion.  Here  are  the  pastures  for  cattle, 
which,  like  similar  lowlands  on  the 
borders  of  the  Lake  Brulos,  hence 
received,  in  ancient  times,  the  name 
of  Bucolia,  and  were  comprehended 
under  the  denomination  of  Elearchia, 
or  the  marsh  district.  They  were 
also  called  Bashmoor,  as  at  the  pre- 
sent day ;  and  the  same  name  was 
applied  to  a  dialect  of  the  Coptic, 
which  differed  both  from  the  Thebaic 
and  Memphitic,  and  was  spoken  in 
this  part  of  the  Delta. 

Aboolfeda  comprises  under  the 
name  of  Bashmoor  the  whole  of  the 
island  between  the  canal  of  Ashmoon 
(or  as  it  is  now  called,  of  Menzaleh) 
and  the  Damietta  branch,  and  con- 
siders Ashmoon  the  capital  of  this 
district. 

Matareeah  stands  upon  a  point  of 
land  projecting  into  the  lake,  and  is 
joined  to  another  village  called  El 
Ghuznah  by  a  dyke  or  causeway, 
only  six  feet  wide.  The  place  is  all 
fish ;  —  the  boats,  the  houses,  the 
streets,  the  baskets,  the  people's  hands, 
all  are  full  of  fish.  They  catch  fish, 
they  salt  fish,  they  live  on  fish  and 
by  fish ;  and  one  would  think  it  had 
been  founded  by  the  Ichthyophagi 
themselves. 

Lake  Menzaleh  is  the  largest  lake  in 
Egypt,  having  a  superficial  area  of 
about  500,000  acres.  Its  outline  is 
very  irregular,  especially  on  the 
southern  side.  The  northern  side  is 
separated  from  the  sea,  with  which  it 
communicates  through  several  open- 
ings called  Boghaz,  or  passes,  by 
narrow  banks  or  ridges  of  sand.  The 
depth  of  water  is  never  very  great, 
even  during  the  inundation,  and  in 
the  spring  and  summer  the  navigation 
along  the  channels  deep  enough  to 
float  a  boat  is  very  intricate  and 
difficult.  The  surface  is  dotted  with 
numerous  islets,  which  more  or  less 
disappear  when  the  water  is  high,  and 
increase  wonderfully  in  size  and  num- 
ber when  it  is  low ;  but  they  are  most 
of  them  little  better  than  sandy  mud- 
banks.  Two  of  the  principal  islands 
are  Toona  and  Tennes.    Toona  is  due 


E.  of  Matareeah ;  it  has  a  small  vil- 
lage called  Sheykh  Abdallah,  where 
there  are  few  old  ruins.  The  most 
interesting  island  to  an  antiquary  is 
that  of  Tennes,  the  ancient  Tennesus. 
The  remains  there  are  of  Boman  time, 
and  consist  of  baths,  tombs,  and  sub- 
structions. The  tombs  are  vaulted 
and  painted,  mostly  red  on  a  white 
ground.  There  are  also  earthenware 
pipes,  stamped  with  a  letter  or  mark, 
either  of  the  owner  or  the  maker. 
These  islands  are  very  convenient  for 
the  sportsman  to  pitch  his  tent  on  for 
the  night,  instead  of  remaining  on 
board  his  boat ;  but  care  must  be  taken 
to  choose  a  dry  spot,  as  far  as  possible 
away  from  the  lake  exhalations,  which 
are  very  apt  to  bring  on  fever  in  the 
late  spring  and  summer. 

As  has  been  said,  wildfowl  literally 
swarm  upon  the  lake.  "  We  had  been 
told  of  the  enormous  flocks  of  wild- 
fowl to  be  seen  on  this  lake,  and 
especially  in  winter.  I  had  seen 
thousands,  myriads  of  these,  and 
wondered  at  the  multitude  in  the  air. 
But  I  never  expected  to  see  birds  so 
numerous  and  so  close  together  that 
their  compact  mass  formed  living 
islands  upon  the  water ;  and  when  the 
wind  now  took  me  swiftly  to  these, 
and  a  whole  island  rose  up  with  a 
loud  and  thrilling  din  to  become  a 
feathered  cloud  in  the  air,  the  impres- 
sion was  one  of  vastness  and  innumer- 
able teeming  life,  which  it  is  entirely 
impossible  to  convey  in  words.  The 
larger  geese  and  pelicans  and  swans 
floated  like  ships  at  anchor.  The  long- 
legged  flamingoes  and  other  waders 
traced  out  the  shape  of  the  shallows 
by  their  standing  in  the  water.  Smaller 
ducks  were  scattered  in  regiments  of 
skirmishers  about  the  grand  army,  but 
every  battalion  of  the  gabbling  shriek- 
ing host  seemed  to  be  disciplined, 

orderly,  and  distinct   To  the 

bird-fancier,  or  the  scientific  ornitho- 
logist, one  might  well  suppose  that 
a  month  on  Lake  Menzaleh  would  be 
the  very  least  he  could  give." — /. 
Macgregur. 

The  following  are  the  names  given 
to  some  of  the  birds  by  the  natives  of 
Lake  Menzaleh  :  coot,  goohr ;  heron, 


Egypt.      route  11. — cairo  to  the  natron  lakes,  etc.  259 


balashon ;  spoonbill,  midwds;  pelican, 
begga;  flamingo,  bashardos.  The  Nile 
name  of  this  last  bird,  gemel  el 
bahr,  "  water-camel,"  is  much  more 
expressive. 

It  has  already  been  mentioned  that 
the  fishing,  and  in  some  places  the 
shooting,  on  the  lake  is  farmed  out  by 
the  Government.  The  fishing  is  let 
for  an  annual  rental  of  60,OOOZ.  It 
gives  employment  to  3000  or  4000 
persons,  and  some  400  boats  of  various 
kinds  are  used  in  it. 

Lake  Menzaleh  may  be  visited  from 
Matareeah,  Port  Said  (see  Ete.  7), 
Menzaleh  (see  Rte.  8),  or  Damietta 
(see  Rte.  8) ;  but  the  sportsman  or  bird- 
collector  will  probably  find  Damietta 
the  most  convenient,  as  he  will  be 
able  to  take  all  his  stores  and  appli- 
ances straight  there  from  Cairo  in  a 
dahabeeah,  together  with  the  small 
English  boat,  which  is  indispensable 
to  much  success  in  shooting ;  and  he 
will  then  have  the  dahabeeah  as 
head-quarters  to  which  he  can  return 
whenever  the  occasion  requires. 

Menzaleh  can  be  reached  from  Ma- 
tareeah either  by  the  lake,  and  then 
4  miles  up  the  Bahr  Sogheiyer  (see 
Rte.  8 j,  or  by  land,  across  a  barren 
nitrous  marsh. 


ROUTE  11. 

CAIKO  TO  THE  NATRON  LAKES  AND 
MONASTERIES. 

Miles. 

Cairo,  by  water,  to  Teraneh 

(see  Rte.  5)    50J 

Teraneh  to  Zakook    ..     ..  36| 

87 

The  usual  route  from  the  Nile  to 
the  valley  of  the  Natron  Lakes,  or 
Wady    Natroon,    is   from  Teraneh. 


The  journey  to  Zakeek,  or  Zakook,  the 
most  northerly  inhabited  spot  in  the 
Natron  valley,  occupies  about  12  hours 
on  camels. 

The  road,  on  quitting  the  Nile,  at 
the  distance  of  about  1J  mile  from 
Teraneh,  passes  over  the  ruins  of  an 
ancient  town,  which  have  of  late  years 
been  turned  up  in  every  direction  for 
the  purpose  of  collecting  the  nitre 
that  abounds  in  all  similar  mounds 
throughout  Egypt.  These  ruins  are 
of  great  extent,  and  apparently,  from 
the  burnt  bricks  and  small  decom- 
posed copper  coins  occasionally  found 
amidst  them,  of  Roman  time.  Some 
columns,  one  of  which  is  about  2J  ft. 
in  diameter,  have  also  been  met  with  ; 
but  no  object  of  value  has  presented 
itself  to  indicate  a  place  of  much  con- 
sequence ;  and  it  is  therefore  probable 
that  its  size  was  rather  owing  to  its 
having  been  the  abode  of  the  many 
persons  employed  in  bringing  the 
natron  to  the  Nile  than  to  the  import- 
ance it  possessed  as  an  Egyptian 
town.  This  opinion  is  in  some  degree 
confirmed  by  the  appearance  of  a 
large  road  leading  to  it  from  the  S. 
end  of  the  Natron  valley,  which  is  still 
used  by  those  who  go  from  that  part 
of  the  country  to  the  Convent  of  St. 
Macarius.  Though  Teraneh  has  suc- 
ceeded to,  and  derived  its  name  from 
Terenuthis,  it  is  probable  that  these 
mounds  occupy  the  site  of  the  ancient 
town,  and  that  its  successor  was  built 
more  to  the  E.,  in  consequence  of  a 
change  in  the  course  of  the  river. 
Momemphis'and  Menelaiurbs  also  stood 
in  the  vicinity  of  Terenuthis ;  and  the 
ancient  road  to  Nitriotis  is  said  by 
Strabo  to  have  left  the  Nile  not  far 
from  those  places. 

The  village  of  Zakook  occupies  the 
site  of  an  ancient  glass-house.  This 
is  still  visible  beneath,  and  close 
to  the  house  built  many  years  ago 
by  some  Europeans,  who  there  esta- 
blished works  for  drying  the  natron, 
and  who  then  founded  the  village. 
The  glass-house  is  probably  of  Roman 
time.  It  is  built  of  stone,  and  the 
scoria  of  common  green  glass,  and 
pieces  of  the  fused  matter  attached  to 
the  stones,  sufficiently  indicate  its  site, 


2G0  ROUTE  11. — CAIEO  TO  THE  NATRON  LAKES,  ETC.       Sect.  II. 


as  their  rounded  summits  suggest  the 
form  of  three  distinct  ovens. 

The  natron  is  found  both  in  the 
plain  and  in  two  or  three  of  the  lakes. 
There  are  8  lakes  which  contain  water 
all  the  year,  and  are  called  Mellahat. 
The  largest  and  most  southerly,  Mella- 
hat-om-Keesheh,  produces  only  mu- 
riate of  soda,  or  common  salt.  Next 
to  this  in  size  is  Mellahat-ej-Jaar,  also 
a  salt  lake ;  the  El  Goonfedeeyah  and 
Mellahat  -  el  -  Hamra,  or  Dowar  -  el  - 
Hainra  (from  its  round  form),  both  of 
which  contain  natron  ;  then  the  larger 
Mellahat-ej-Joon,  a  salt  lake ;  then  er- 
Easooneeyah,  another  salt  lake ;  and 
last  El  Khortai,  and  the  lesser  Joon, 
which  two  produce  natron,  and  are 
much  inferior  in  size  to  the  preceding. 
There  are  also  two  ponds  (birlteh), 
the  Birket-esh  -Shookayfeh,  and  the 
Birket-er-Rumaed,  which  contain  water 
the  greater  part  of  the  year,  but  are 
dry  in  summer ;  and  a  few  other  pools 
not  worthy  of  notice,  some  of  which 
yield  natron  of  indifferent  quality. 
In  those  lakes  which  contain  nation, 
or  the  subcarbonate,  as  well  as  the 
muriate,  of  soda,  the  two  salts  crystal- 
lize separately :  the  latter  above  in  a 
layer  of  about  18  in.,  and  the  natron 
below,  varying  in  thickness,  according 
to  the  form  or.  depth  of  the  bed  of  the 
lake,  the  thinnest  being  about  27  in. 
All  the  lakes  contain  salt,  though  few 
have  natron. 

The  water  in  the  lakes  varies  much 
in  height  at  different  seasons  of  the 
year.  They  begin  to  increase  about 
the  end  of  December,  and  continue  to 
rise  till  the  early  part  of  March,  when 
they  gradually  decrease,  and  in  May 
all  the  pools  and  even  the  two  larger 
Birkehs  are  perfectly  dry.  The  abun- 
dance of  water  in  winter  renders  them 
less  salt  than  in  the  subsequent  months, 
and  even  the  height  of  the  Mellahat 
diminishes  greatly  in  summer,  leav- 
ing the  dry  part  covered  with  an  in- 
crustation of  muriate  or  of  subcarbo- 
nate of  soda,  according  to  the  nature 
of  the  salt  they  contain.  The  differ- 
ence between  the  bed  of  the  Birkehs 
and  of  the  salt  and  natron  lakes  is 
that  the  former,  when  the  water  has  j 
evaporated,  is  mud,  and  the  two  latter  j 


a  firm  incrustation ;  and  it  is  at  this 
time  that  the  natron  called  Soltdnee  is 
collected. 

The  natron  consists^  of  two  kinds — 
the  white  and  the  Soltdnee ;  the  latter 
taken  from  the  bed  of  the  lakes  as  the 
water  retires,  and  the  former  from 
the  low  grounds  that  surround  them, 
which  are  not  covered  by  water. 
This  is  the  best  quality.  It  is  pre- 
pared for  use  at  the  village  by  first 
washing  and  dissolving  it  in  water, 
and  then  exposing  it  to  the  sun  in  an 
open  court,  from  which  it  is  removed 
to  the  oven,  and  placed  over  the  fire  in 
a  trough,  till  all  the  moisture  is  ex- 
tracted. It  is  then  put  into  a  dry 
place,  and  sent  to  the  Nile  for  ex- 
portation to  Europe ;  but  the  Soltdnee 
is  taken,  in  the  state  in  which  it  is 
found,  direct  to  Cairo.  In  measuring 
the  specific  gravity  of  the  water,  that 
of  the  lakes  containing  nation  and 
salt  is  found  to  mark  35  keerat  (carats) 
in  summer,  immediately  before  it  diies 
up;  in  January  and  February,  about 
24 ;  the  well-water  of  the  village  being 
1,  and  that  of  the  Nile  0. 

The  Wady  Natroon  is  not  the  only 
district  in  which  natron  is  produced. 
It  is  found  in  the  valley  of  Eileithyias, 
now  El  Kab,  in  Upper  Egypt,  where 
it  crystallizes  on  the  borders  of  some 
small  ponds  to  the  eastward  of  the 
ancient  town.  The  shores  of  the  lake 
Mceris  are  also  said  to  yield  it,  as  well 
as  u  the  vicinity  of  Alexandria,  ne  ar 
the  lake  Mareotis,  and  the  Isthmus  of 
Suez."  Some  is  also  brought  by  the 
caravans  from  Darfoor.  It  is  much 
sought  to  give  a  pungency  to  snuff. 

There  are  several  springs  of  fresh 
water  in  the  Natron  valley,  the  purest 
of  which  are  at  the  convents  (or  mo- 
nasteries) to  the  S. ;  that  of  Dayr 
Baramoos  being  slightly  salt.  The 
water  rises  from  and  reposes  on  a  bed 
of  clay,  close  to  Zakook,  and  at  the 
base  of  the  hills  to  the  westward ;  and 
it  probably  percolates  beneath  the 
mountains  which  separate  the  Wady 
Natroon  from  the  Nile,  and,  being 
carried  over  the  clay  which  consti- 
tutes the  base  of  the  Libyan  chain, 
finds  an  exit  in  these  low  valleys, 
forming   springs  of  fresh  water  in 


Egypt.        BOTJTE   11. — WADY  NATROON  AND  MONASTERIES. 


261 


places  where  the  soil  is  free  from  all  \ 
saline  matter,   and  salt  -  springs  or! 
ponds  of  natron  when    the  earth,  j 
through  which  it  passes  from  the  clay 
to  the  surface,  presents  thit  foreign 
substance  deposited  of  old  in   the  \ 
neighbouring  strata.    The  same  is  the  j 
case  in  many  parts  of  Egypt,  and  it 
may   be  stated  in  support  of  this 
opinion  that  the  water  of  all  the  salt 
wTells  becomes  much  sweeter  when  a 
quantity  has  been  quickly  taken  out ; 
proving  the  water  itself  to  be  ori- 
ginally fresh,  and  rendered  salt  by 
contact  with  earth  containing  saline 
matter. 

It  seems  singular  that  the  lakes 
should  rise  so  long  after  the  high  I 
Nile,  a  period  of  nearly  3  months ; 
and  this  can  only  be  explained  by  the  : 
slowness  of  the  water's  passage  through  \ 
the  strata  of  the  mountains  inter- 1 
vening  between  the  river  and  this  j 
distant  valley ;  which,  judging  from 
the  time  the  Nile  water  takes  to  ooze 
through   the  alluvial  deposit  of  its 
banks  to  the  edge  of  the  desert,  fre- 
quently not  more  than  a  mile  or  two 
off,  appears  to  be  proportionate  to  the 
increase  of  distance.    The  dip  of  the 
strata  that  border  the  Natron  valley 
is  towards  ihe  N.E.,  whence  it  is  that 
the  descents  to  it  and  the  adjacent 
Wady  Fargh  are  more  rapid  to  the 
west  than  to  the  east ;  and  this  is 
consistent  with  the  lower  level  of  the 
former  valley. 

The  Wady  Natroon  boasts  a  very 
small  population;  the  village  of  Za- 
kook  and  the  four  monasteries  con- 
taining altogether  not  more  than  300 
inhabitants.  The  names  of  the  four 
monasteries  are  Dayr  Suriani,  Aboo 
Macar,  or  St.  Macarius,  Amba  Bishoi, 
and  Dayr  Baramods.  The  inmates  are 
Copts,  though  Dayr  Baramods  is  said 
to  be  of  Greek,  as  the  Suriani  of 
Syrian,  origin.  They  offer  little  to 
interest  a  stranger,  and  are  inferior  in 
size  and  importance  to  those  of  St. 
Antony  and  St.  Paul,  in  the  eastern 
desert,  to  which  they  also  yield  in 
point  of  antiquity.  They  are.  how- 
ever, quite  as  well  built;  and  some 
portions  of  them,   particularly  the 


churches  in  the  tower  of  St.  Macarius, 
are,  perhaps,  superior  in  point  of  con- 
struction. Indeed,  the  slender  marble 
columns  that  adorn  its  upper  church 
are  very  elegant,  and  many  of  the 
arches  in  the  lower  part  of  the  con- 
vent are  far  better  than  we  should 
expect  to  find  in  these  secluded  re- 
gions. 

Each  community  is  governed  by  a 
superior ;  some  of  the  monks  are  pri.  sts, 
with  the  title  of  father  (Aboona),  and 
the  rest  lay -brethren. 

The  chief  interest  of  these  convents 
lay  in  the  valuable  MSS.  which  they 
wTere  supposed  to  possess.  The  Duke 
of  Northumberland  and  M.  Linant- 
Bey  first  discovered  a  vault  in  the 
Dayr  Suriani  full  of  the  remains  of 
the  old  Syriac  library.  Some  of  the 
MSS.  in  this  vault  were  brought  away 
by  Lord  De  la  Zouche  in  1833.  The 
remainder  were  procured  by  Dr. 
Tattam  and  others  at  different  inter- 
vals, and  now  form  a  collection  of 
about  1000  volumes  in  the  British 
Museum.  The  oldest,  which  contains, 
among  other  things,  some  works  of 
Eusebius,  is  conjectured  to  have  been 
written  about  a.d.  411. 

Each  monastery  does  or  ought  to 
possess  a  ketdb  sillemee,  or  vocabulary, 
in  which  each  Coptic  word  is  placed 
opposite  its  equivalent  in  Arabic  ;  not 
arranged  alphabetically,  but  under 
various  heads,  as  parts  of  the  human 
body,  vegetables,  utensils,  &c,  as  well 
as  the  names  of  towns  in  Egypt. 
These  last  have  been  of  great  use  in 
fixing  the  position  of  many  ancient 
places.  It  is,  however,  to  be  regretted 
that  some  of  the  names  are  far  from 
certain,  owing  to  the  ignorant  pre- 
sumption of  the  copyists,  who  have 
often  introduced  the  name  they  sup- 
posed the  town  to  have  had,  with  or 
in  lieu  of  that  in  the  MS.  they  were 
employed  to  copy ;  e.  </.,  in  the  voca- 
bulary at  Dayr  Macarius,  Babylon  is 
said  to  be  the  same  as  On  (the  ancient 
Heliopolis),  and  the  Matareeah  of  the 
Arabs. 

The  Natron  convents  or  monasteries 
are  all  surrounded  by  a  lofty  wall, 
with  an  entrance  on  one  side  so  low 
that  you  are  obliged  to  stoop  down  on 


262 


ROUTE  11.  CAIRO  TO  THE  NATRON  LAKES,  ETC.        Sect.  II. 


entering ;  and  on  the  outside  are  two  j 
large  millstones,  generally  of  granite, 
which  in  case  of  danger  are  rolled  I 
together  into  the  passage  after  the  door 
has  been  closed,  in  order  that  the 
Arabs  shall  neither  burn  it  nor  break 
it  open  ;  the  stones  being  too  heavy 
and  fitting  too  closely  to  be  moved 
from  without,  and  intervening  between 
the  enemy  and  the  door.  Those  who 
have  rolled  them  into  the  passage  are 
afterwards  drawn  up  by  a  rope  t.  irough 
a  trap-door  above ;  and  the  want  of 
provisions  soon  obliges  the  Arabs  to 
raise  the  unprofitable  siege,  which,  not 
having  been  provoked  by  any  outrage 
committed  by  the  monks,  seldom  leaves 
in  the  recollection  of  the  aggressors 
any  rancorous  feelings ;  and  it  rarely 
happens  that  they  ill-treat  those  whom 
they  happen  to  meet  on  their  way  to 
the  Nile.  Notwithstanding  the  lowness 
of  these  doorways,  the  cattle  that  turn 
the  water-wheels  for  irrigating  the 
gardens,  and  the  mills  for  grinding 
the  corn,  are  made  to  pass  through  on 
their  knees. 

As  soon  as  the  bell  has  announced 
the  arrival  of  a  stranger,  proper  in- 
quiries and  observations  are  made  to 
ascertain  that  there  is  no  danger  in 
opening  the  door  for  his  reception; 
and  no  Arabs  are  admitted,  unless,  by 
forming  his  escort,  they  have  some 
one  responsible  for  their  conduct. 
On  entering,  you  turn  to  the  right 
and  left,  through  a  labyrinth  of  pas- 
sages and  small  courts,  and  at  last 
arrive  at  the  abode  of  the  superior 
and  the  principal  monks.  This  part 
consists  of  numerous  small  rooms, 
each  with  a  door  serving  as  an  en- 
trance for  the  inmate  and  his  share  of 
light,  which  is  fastened  up  during  his 
absence  at  prayers  or  other  avocations 
with  a  wooden  lock,  whose  key  might 
serve  as  an  ordinary  bludgeon.  In 
some  parts  of  the  world  the  bearer  of 
such  an  instrument  about  his  person 
might  run  a  risk  of  arrest  for  carrying 
a  dangerous  weapon;  and  it  is  by  no 
means  certain  that  an  Oriental  ink- 
stand would  not  render  him  liable  to 
a  similar  accusation. 

A  garden  with  a  few  palms,  some 
olive,  nebh    (Khamnus   Nabeca — the 


J  lotos-tree  of  the  Lotophagi  \  and  other 
fruit-trees,  occupies  the  centre  of  the 
j  principal  court :  and  here  is  frequently 
one  of  the  churches  ; — for  these  monas- 
teries contain  more  than  one.  and  the 
tower  or  keep  of  St.  Macarius  has  no 
less  than  three  within  it,  one  over  the 
other ;  as  if  additional  services  were 
required  when  the  danger  was  great, 
the  tower  being  the  Jast  place  of 
refuge  when  the  entrance  has  been 
forced,  or  the  walls  sc  ded.  Ketreating 
to  this,  they  pull  up  the  wooden  draw- 
bridge that  separates  it  from  the  rest 
of  the  building  :  a  well  of  water  and  a 
supply  of  provisions  always  deposited 
there,  and  never  allowed  to  decrease 
below  a  certain  quantity,  secures  them 
against  the  risk  of  want  of  food ;  and 
the  time  occupied  in  the  siege,  ere  the 
Arabs  could  effect  an  entrance,  would 
always  be  sufficient  to  enable  them  to 
remove  everything  eatable,  or  other- 
wise valuable,  from  below,  and  render 
the  occupation  of  the  body  of  the 
place  totally  unprofitable  to  the  in- 
truders. 

Every  civility  is  shown  to  the 
stranger  during  his  stay  at  any  of  the 
convents.  Dayr  Suriani  is  reported  to 
have  the  best  guest-chamber  ;  but  all 
accounts  agree  in  noticing  the  presence 
of  numerous  insects  of  prey,  so  that 
the  tent  is  to  be  preferred  as  a  sleeping- 
place  to  the  convent. 

The  Dayr  Suriani  was  built  by  one 
Honnes  ("John"),  a  holy  personage, 
who;e  tree  is  still  seen  about  a  couple 
of  miles  to  the  southward,  near  the 
ruins  of  two  other  convents.  It  is 
supposed  to  resemble  Noah's  ark  in 
form,  though  in  no  other  respects; 
for  here,  as  at  other  Coptic  monaste- 
ries, the  admission  of  women  is  strictly 
prohibited,  to  the  great  discomfiture 
of  any  ladies  who  may  happen  to 
visit  thpse  regions.  But  though  stern 
and  inflexible,  like  other  monks,  re- 
specting the  admission  of  women,  and 
in  refusing  to  all  but  the  unmarried 
the  privileges  of  a  monastic  life,  they 
do  not  exclude  a  widower,  on  his  re- 
nouncing lor  ever  the  thoughts  of 
matrimony.  The  rules  of  the  Coptic 
Church  are  even  so  indulgent  as  to 
allow  a  priest,  who  has  ,not  taken 


Egypt. 


ROUTE  11.  MONASTERIES  OF  NATROON. 


263 


monastic  vows,  to  marry  once ;  but 
the  death  of  this  his  only  wife  con- 
demns him  to  future  celibacy,  though 
it  should  happen  a  few  weeks  after 
the  celebration  of  the  marriage  rites. 
They  take  the  same  view  of  the  com- 
mand in  1  Tim.  iii.  2-12,  as  the 
Greeks. 

The  title  of  the  superior  of  a  mo- 
nastery is  Kummus.  He  is  next  in 
rank  to  a  bishop.  The  head  of  the 
Coptic,  like  the  Greek  and  other 
Eastern  churches  is  the  patriarch,  who 
answers  to  the  pope  of  Rome,  and  is 
elected  to  this  high  office  from  among 
the  fathers  of  St.  Antony,  or  some 
other  monastery.  Next  to  him  is  the 
mitrdn  (Metropolitan),  who,  appointed 
by  the  Egyptian  patriarch,  is  sent  to 
Abyssinia  to  superintend  that  offset 
of  the  Coptic  Church.  In  former 
times,  when  the  patriarch  lived  in 
Alexandria,  there  was  a  mitrdn  at 
Cairo;  but  his  removal  to  the  capital 
has  rendered  this  office  unnecessary ; 
and  the  principal  dignitary  now  hold- 
ing that  title  is  the  chief  of  the  Abys- 
sinian Christians ;  who  at  his  death  is 
succeeded  by  another  from  Cairo,  sent 
in  chains  to  his  see,  as  if  to  demon- 
strate with  full  effect  the  truth  of 
"  nolo  episcopari." 

Egypt,  which  once  swarmed  with 
monks,  and  was  not  less  prolific  in 
nuns,  has  now  only  7  monasteries, 
and  is  entirely  destitute  of  nunneries, 
whose  inmates  might  not  perhaps  feel 
safe  in  a  country  in  the  hands  of  the 
Moslems.  These  7  are  the  two  in 
the  eastern  desert  of  St.  Antony  and 
St.  Paul,  the  4  of  the  Natron  valley, 
and  one  at  Gebel  Koskam,  in  Upper 
Egypt.  To  these  the  name  monastery 
properly  belongs;  and  convent  might 
be  applied  to  those  where  women  are 
admitted  as  well  as  men,  as  in  the 
numerous  Dayrs  on  the  Nile.  The 
Dayr  el  Adra  on  Gebel  et  Tayr,  those 
of  Bibbeh,  Boosh,  Negadeh,  Aboo 
Honnes  near  Antiuoe,  3  in  the  capi- 
tal, and  2  at  Old  Cairo,  Amba  Sa- 
moeel  and  Dayr  el  Hammam  in  the 
Fyoum,  those  of  Alexandria,  Girgeh, 
Abydus.  Ekhmim,  Mellawee,  Esne, 
Sook,  Feesheh  near  Menoof,  "the  red 


and  white  monasteries "  near  Soohag, 
as  well  as  others  in  different  parts  of 
Egypt,  no  longer  have  the  character  of 
monasteries,  the  priests  being  seculars, 
and  the  inmates  of  both  sexes.  They 
bear,  however,  the  name  of  monaste- 
ries, and  are  looked  upon  with  peculiar 
respect;  the  churches  are  visited  as 
possessing  peculiar  sanctity,  and  one 
called  Sitte  Gamian,  near  Damietta, 
has  the  honour  of  an  annual  pilgrim- 
age, which  is  attended  by  the  devout 
from  all  parts  of  the  country.  Tra- 
dition states  then  former  number  in 
Egypt  and  its  deserts  to  have  been 
3b6 — a  favourite  amount  in  traditions 
of  the  country,  which  has  been  given 
to  the  villages  of  the  Fyoom,  as  well 
as  to  the  windows  of  the  temple  of 
Dendera. 

The  district  of  Nitria,  or  Nitriotis, 
is  sometimes  known  as  the  desert  of 
St.  Macarius,  whose  monastery  still 
remains  there,  a  short  distance  to  the 
S.  of  the  Natron  lakes,  from  which  it 
is  separated  by  a  few  low  hills.  Here 
too  are  the  ruins  of  3  other  similar 
buildings,  once  the  abode  of  monks ; 
and  about  ^  m-  to  the  E.  are  mounds 
of  pottery,  that  indicate  the  site  of  an 
ancient  town.  The  remains  of  pagan 
date  are  rare  in  this  valley :  even  the 
small  stone  ruin  2|  m.  to  the  S.W.  of 
Dayr  Suriani  is  of  Christian  time : 
and  it  is  difficult  to  fix  the  position  of 
the  2  towns  of  Nitriotis,  the  only  an- 
cient remains  being  the  glass-house  of 
Zakook.  and  the  heaps  of  pottery  just 
mentioned.  The  former,  perhaps, 
marks  the  site  of  Nitria,  and  the  latter 
Sciathis,  whence  this  district  received 
the  appellation  of  Sciathia,  or  Sciathica 
regio,  in  Coptic  Skiet. 

Strabo  says  it  contained  tico  pits 
(lakes)  of  nitre  (natron),  the  inhabit- 
ants worshipped  Serapis,  and  it  was 
the  only  district  of  Egypt  where  sheep 
were  sacrificed ;  though  Herodotus 
tells  us  the  Mendesians  had  also  the 
custom  of  immolating  them  to  the 
deity  of  their  city.  The  Coptic  name 
of  the  town  of  Nitria  was  Phanihosem, 
that  of  the  district  Pmam-pihosem. 
Hosem  means  "  natron." 

Other  ruined  convents  may  be  seen 
about  2  m.  to  the  S.  of  the  Dayr 


264  ROUTE  11.  CAIEO  TO  THE  NATRON  LAKES,  ETC.     Sect.  II. 


Suriani;  and  the  vestiges  of  a  few 
others  may  be  traced  here  and  there 
in  the  Natron  valley  ;  but  it  would  be 
difficult  now  to  discover  the  sites  of 
the  50  mentioned  by  Gibbon,  or  even 
half  that  number.  The  modern  monks 
are  little  interested  about  the  ruined 
abodes  of  their  predecessors  :  they 
are  ignorant  even  of  the  history  of 
their  church;  and  it  would  be  difficult 
to  find  any  one  to  point  out  the  con- 
vent where  the  ambitious  Cyril  passed 
some  years  under  the  restraint  of  a 
monastic  life. 

The  productions  of  the  Wady  Na- 
troon  are  few,  and  from  its  dreary  ap- 
pearance it  might  be  supposed  to 
boast  of  nothing  but  the  salt  and 
natron  for  which  it  is  indebted  to 
its  barrenness  and  its  name.  Two 
other  articles,  however,  of  some  im- 
portance are  grown  there,  and  ex- 
ported thence  to  the  Nile, — the  rushes 
(soomdr),  and  bulrushes  (beerdee).,  used 
for  making  the  well-known  mats  of 
Egypt,  that  tend  so  much  to  the  com- 
fort of  the  Cairenes.  Of  the  former 
the  best  kind  are  made,  called  Me- 
noofee, from  the  town  where  they  ;sre 
manufactured :  of  the  latter  an  infe- 
rior quality,  most  commonly  used  at 
Cairo  ;  the  Menoofee  being  principally 
confined  to  the  houses  of  the  rich. 
But  it  is  not  to  the  Natron  valley  that 
the  Menoofee  mats  are  indebted  for 
the  best  rushes ;  those  of  El  Maghra 
or  Wadee  es  Soomar  ("  the  valley  of 
rushes  ")  are  greatly  superior,  and  are 
brought  across  the  desert  expressly  for 
this  manufacture.  Wadee  el  Maghra 
is  on  the  road  to  Se'ewah  from  the 
Nile,  and  is  3  days  from  the  Natron 
lakes.  The  name  beerdee,  or  burdee, 
is  also  applied  to  the  papyrus ;  but 
that  of  the  Natron  lakes  is  a  common 
bulrush,  or  typha. 

The  aspect  of  the  Natron  valley  is 
no  less  gloomy  from  the  sands  that 
have  invaded  it,  than  from  the  cha- 
racter of  the  few  plants  it  produces. 
No  trees,  no  esculent  vegetables,  re- 
lieve the  monotony  of  the  scene,  or 
reward  the  labour  of  him  who  attempts 
to  rear  them ;  the  palm,  which  seems 
to  belong  to  every  district  of  Egypt 


where  water  can  be  found,  is  here  a 
stunted  bush,  and  no  attempt  has 
been  successful  to  enable  it  to  attain 
the  height  or  character  of  a  tree.  The 
few  that  are  found  between  Zakook 
and  Dayr  Baramods,  and  to  the  E. 
of  Dayr  Macarius,  seem  only  to  rise 
above  the  earth  to  bear  witness  to  the 
barrenness  of  the  salt  and  sandy  soil 
which  condemns  them  to  associate 
with  its  other  stunted  productions. 
These,  too,  which  are  of  the  most 
humble  species  common  to  sandy  dis- 
tricts, are  smaller  than  in  other  de- 
serts ;  even  the  tamarisk  is  rare  here, 
and  nothing  appears  to  flourish  except 
mesembryanthemum  and  bulrushes. 
These  last  grow  both  in  the  water  and 
at  a  distance  from  the  lakes,  amidst 
the  sand-hills  of  1he  plain.  In  the 
water  they  reach  the  height  of  10  ft. 

The  animals  that  frequent  this  dis- 
trict are  the  gazelle,  bukkar-el-wdhsh 
("  wild  cow  ")  or  antelope  defassa,  the 
jerboa,  fox,  and  others  common  to  the 
Libyan  desert ;  and  some  travellers 
mention  the  stag. 

Waterfowl  abound ;  ducks  are  in 
great  numbers,  and  water-hens,  jack 
snipes,  sandpipers,  and  other  birds 
common  to  the  lakes  and  ponds  of 
Fgypt,  frequent  the  shores  of  the 
Natron  lakes. 

The  length  of  the  Wady  Natrodn 
is  about  22  m.,  its  breadth,  reckoning 
from  the  slope  of  the  low  hills  that 
surround  it,  5J  in  the  broadest  part  ; 
though  the  actual  level  plain  is  not 
more  than  2,  and  is  here  and  there 
studded  with  isolated  hills  and  banks 
of  rock  covered  with  sand.  The  ascent 
from  it  towards  the  Bahr-el-Fargh  is 
very  gradual,  but  the  descent  to  this 
last  is  rapid,  more  so  even  than  on  the 
eastern  side  of  the  Natron  valley  ;  the 
Bahr-el-Fargh  is,  however,  less  deep 
than  its  eastern  neighbour,  though 
it  surpasses  it  both  in  length  and 
breadth.  The  hills"  that  separate  the 
two  valleys,  as  well  as  the  low  banks 
that  form  the  undulating  ground  of 
the  Bahr-el-Fargh,  are  covered  with 
rounded  silicious  pebbles,  with  here 
and  there  pieces  of  petrified  wood  and 
coarse  gritstone,  lying  amidst  loose 


Egypt 


EOUTE  12.  CAIRO 


TO  THE  SEEW AH. 


225 


sand,  the  rocks  below  being  a  coarse 
sandstone.  These  agatised  woods  are 
the  same  as  those  that  are  found  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  Nile,  at  the  back 
of  the  Mokattam  range  behind  Cairo, 
in  what  is  called  "  the  petrified  forest." 
(See  Cairo,  Exc.  iii.)  The  pebbles 
and  woods  have  probably  been  once 
imbedded  in  a  friable  layer  of  sand- 
stone, which,  having  been  decomposed 
and  carried  off  by  the  wind,  has  left 
these  heavier  bodies  upon  the  surface 
of  the  stratum  next  beneath  it,  while 
its  lighter  particles  have  contributed 
not  a  little  to  increase  the  quantity  of 
sand  in  these  districts  :  and  indeed 
the  rock  immediately  below  is  of  a 
textme  little  more  compact  than  that 
which  has  been  thus  removed. 

The  Bahr-el-Fargh.  —  The  Bahr- 
el-Fargh,  or,  as  it  is  sometimes  called, 
Bahr-bela-ma,  runs  towards  the  Wady 
es  Soomar  (or  El  Maghra),  on  the  road 
to  See wah  on  one  side,  and  to  the 
back  of  the  mountains  on  the  W.  of 
the  Birket  el  Korn  in  the  Fyodm  on 
the  other ;  another  branch  diverging 
towards  the  E.,  and  communicating 
with  the  valley  of  the  Nile  a  little 
below  Abooroash,  about  5  or  6  m.  N. 
of  the  pyramids  of  Geezeh.  The  hills 
that  border  it  are  of  irregular  form, 
and  its  bed  is  varied  by  numerous 
elevated  ridges,  depriving  it  of  all 
the  character  of  a  river  which  many 
suppose  it  originally  to  have  been. 
Some  have  even  claimed  it  for  the 
Nile,  as  an  old  bed  of  that  river,  see- 
ing in  the  petrified  wood  within  its  bed 
and  on  the  adjacent  hills  the  remains 
of  boats  that  navigated  this  ancient 
channel.  But  instances  of  similar 
hollow  valleys  are  not  wanting  in 
the  Oases  and  other  parts  of  the  lime- 
stone regions,  both  in  the  western  and 
eastern  deserts. 


EOUTE  12. 

CAIRO  TO  THE  SEEWAH,  OR  OASIS  OF 
AMMON. 

Days  . 

Cairo,  by  water,  to  Teraneh  (see 

Bte.  5,  Sect.  I.,  and  last  Boute)  1 
Natron  Valley  (good  water),  37  m.  1 
El  Maghra,  or  Wady  es  Soomar 

(brackish  water)    2  J 

El  Ebah.  or  Libba  (salt  water) . .  f 
El  Gara  (good  water)       . .     . .  3 
Town  of  Se'ewah  (good  water)  . .  2 

lOf 

From  El  Ebah  the  salt  water  is 
taken  to  Alexandria,  and  used  as 
medicine. 

a.  The  most  usual  and  perhaps  the 
best  route  to  the  Oasis  of  Ammon  is 
from  Cairo  by  Teraneh  (as  above); 
but  there  is  one  from  Alexandria  by 
Baratoon  (b) ;  another  from  Teraneh 
by  Baratoon  (c) ;  and  a  third  from  the 
Fyodm  by  the  Little  Oasis  id). 

b.  The  road  from  Alexandria  goes 
by  the  sea-coast  as  far  as  Baratoon, 
the  ancient  Parse tonium,  and  then 
turns  S.  to  the  Se'ewah.  It  was  the 
road  taken  by  Alexander.  Browne 
went  by  it  in  1792,  and  reached 
Se'ewah  in  15  days.  At  Baratoon 
are  some  ruins  of  Parsetoniuni,  which 
Strabo  describes  as  a  city,  with  a  large 
port,  measuring  40  stadia  across.  By 
some  it  was  called  Ammonia. 

c.  That  from  Teraneh  goes  to 
Hanimam,  and  thence  by  Baratoon 
to  the  Seewah;  but  it  is  a  long 
round,  and  there  is  no  good  water 
except  at  Hammam. 

d.  For  the  road  from  the  Fyodm  to 
the  Little  Oasis,  see  Kte.  16. 

From  that  Oasis  to  the  Se'ewah  they 
reckon  7  days,  making  only  a  total 
of  10  days  from  the  Fyodm;  but  the 
journey  from  the  Nile  may  be  calcu- 

N 


266 


ROUTE  12.  CAIRO 


TO  THE  SEEWAH. 


Sect.  II. 


lated  at  11|  or  12  days,  which  is  the 
distance  given  by  Pliny  from  Mem- 
phis. In  going  from  El  Kasr,  or  from 
Bowitti  in  the  Little  Oasis,  they 
reckon  4  days  to  Suttra,  a  small  irri- 
gated spot,  with  salt  water,  bnt  without 
any  palms;  then  1J  day  to  Ar'rag, 
where  are  palms  and  springs  of  good 
water ;  to  the  N.  of  which,  and  sepa- 
rated from  it  by  a  hill,  is  Bahrayn,  a 
valley  with  palms  and  water.  This 
is  out  of  the  road.  From  Ar'rag  to 
Mertesek  is  one  day.  It  has  a  few 
palms,  and  water  under  the  sand. 
Thence  to  Seewah  is  one  day. 

The  Arabic  name  of  the  "  Oasis  of 
Aramon"  SiwaTi,  or  See-waTi,  is  doubt- 
less taken  from  the  ancient  Egyptian. 
It  consists  of  two  parts,  the  eastern 
and  western  districts,  the  former  the 
most  fertile,  and  abounding  in  date- 
trees.  According  to  Browne  it  is  6  m. 
in  length,  and  from  4 \  to  5  in  breadth  ; 
but  i'rom  the  irregular  form  of  all 
these  valleys  it  is  difficult  to  'fix  the 
exact  size  of  any  one  of  them;  and 
this  measurement  of  6  m.  can  only 
include  the  eastern  part  about  the 
town  of  Siwah.  Between  2  and  3  m. 
to  the  E.  of  Seewah  is  the  temple 
of  Amun,  now  called  Om  Baydah, 
"  Mother  White ;"  and  near  it  is  what 
is  supposed  to  be  the  Fountain  of  the 
Sun,  which  measures  about  80  ft.  by 
55,  and  is  formed  by  springs.  The 
water  appears  to  be  warmer  in  the 
night  than  the  day,  and  is  12°  heavier 
in  specific  gravity  than  that  of  the 
Nile. 

The  ruins  at  Om  Baydah  are  not  of 
very  great  extent,  but  sufficient  re- 
mains to  show  the  style  of  building, 
and  many  of  the  sculp tures  still  re- 
main. 

Anmn-Neph,  or  Amun,  with  the 
attributes  of  the  ram-headed  god,  as 
might  be  expected,  is  the  principal 
deity.  The  figures  of  other  divinities 
are  also  preserved,  and  the  many  hiero- 
glyphics that  remain  on  the  walls  and 
fallen  stones  make  us  regret  that  these 
records  of  so  remarkable  a  monument 
should  not  have  been  all  copied.  These 
remains,  in  a  place  possessing  such  his- 
torical associations  as  the  "  Oasis  of 


Amnion,"  certainly  offer  as  great  an 
interest  as  any  in  Egypt ;  and,  judging 
from  the  destruction  of  temples  in  other 
parts  of  the  country,  we  can  scarcely 
hope  for  the  continued  preservation  of 
these  ruins.  Baron  Minutoli  has  given 
many  curious  details  and  views  of  this 
temple,  which  has  .since  been  visited 
and  described  by  Caillaud  and  other 
travellers. 

Near  the  temple  is  the  supposed 
Fountain  of  the  Sun  above  mentioned. 

Little  less  than  f  of  a  mile  from  Om 
Baydah,  and  about  2  m.  E.S.E.  by  E. 
from  the  town  of  Se'ewah,  is  a  hill 
called  Dar  Aboo  Beree'k,  in  which  are 
some  ancient  excavations,  apparently 
tombs,  and  a  little  higher  up  the  hill 
are  some  Greek  inscriptions  on  the 
rock. 

Kasr  Gashast  or  Gasham,  to  the  E. 
of  Se'ewah,  on  the  way  to  Zaytoon,  is  a 
ruined -temple  of  Boman  time  ;  and  at 
Zaytoon,  which  is  about  8  m.  on  the 
road  from  Seewah  to  Gara,  are  the  re- 
mains of  two  temples  and  other  build- 
ings of  Koman-Egyptian  date. 

Between  Zaytoon  and  Gara,  at 
Mawe,  is  a  Boman  temple  in  a  marsh, 
and  at  Gara  are  some  tombs  without 
inscriptions. 

There  are  many  other  sepulchral 
excavations  in  the  rock  in  the  vicinity 
of  Seewah ;  and  Gebel  el  Mot,  or  "  the 
hill  of  death,"  about  f  of  a  mile  from 
that  town,  contains  numerous  tombs, 
one  of  which  appears  to  be  of  an 
Egyptian  age. 

Kasr  Koom,  ''the  Greek"  (or  Boman) 
palace,  is  a  small  Doric  temple  of  Bo- 
man time,  once  surrounded  by  a  sacred 
enclosure.  To  the  N.  are  some  tombs 
in  the  face  of  the  hill,  below  which  are 
the  remains  of  brick  arches,  and  near 
the  village  the  vestiges  of  an  ancient 
town.  It  is  about  5  in.  to  the  west- 
ward of  Seewah,  and  a  short  distance 
to  the  northward  of  El  Kamyseh, 
where  there  are  other  tombs,  and  the 
remains  of  a  stone  edifice.  The  ruins 
of  Amoodayn,  "  the  two  columns,"  are 
a  little  more  than  J  a  mile  to  the  S.W. 
of  El  Kamyseh.  They  are  of  little 
importance,  and  of  late  time.  There 
are  also  some  ruins  at  Gharb-Amun, 


Egypt 


ROUTE  12.  '. 


-THE  SEEWAH. 


267 


in  the  western  district,  on  the  way 
to  the  lake  called  Birket  Arasheeyah. 
Though  the  lake  has  no  ruins  on  its 
banks,  it  is  remarkable  for  the  reve- 
rence or  air  of  mystery  with  which  it 
is  treated  by  the  modern  inhabitants 
of  the  Oasis.  In  it  is  an  island,  to 
which,  till  lately,  access  was  strictly 
forbidden  to  all  strangers ;  and  the 
crudulous  tried  to  persuade  others,  as 
well  as  themselves,  that  the  sword, 
crown,  and  seal  of  Solomon  were  pre- 
served there  as  a  charm  for  the  pro- 
tection of  the  Oasis.  Linant-Bey,  M. 
Drovetti,  and  others  who  have  visited 
it,  say  that  it  contains  nothing. 

The  productions  of  the  Se'ewah  are 
very  similar  to  those  of  the  Little 
Oasis,  but  the  dates  are  of  very  supe- 
rior quality,  and  highly  esteemed. 
Thev  are  of  six  kinds :  1.  The  Soltanee ; 
2.  The  Saidee;  3.  The  Erahee;  4. 
The  Kaibee;  5.  The  Ghazalee;  6. 
The  Boghm — Ghazalee.  The  Frahee, 
a  small  white  date  when  dry,  are  the 
most  esteemed. 

The  people  of  Se'ewah  are  hospitable, 
but  suspicious,  and  savage  in  their 
habits  and  feelings.  Strict  in  the  out- 
ward forms  of  religion,  even  beyond 
those  of  the  Little  Oasis,  they  are  into- 
lerant and  bigoted  in  the  extreme ;  and, 
like  all  people  who  make  a  great  out- 
ward display  of  religion,  are  more  par- 
ticular about  the  observance  of  a  mere 
form,  or  the  exact  hour  of  prayer,  than 
the  life  of  a  human  being. 

They  have  a  form  of  government  as 
well  as  a  language  peculiar  to  them- 
selves, which  is  in  the  hands  of  several 
sheykhs,  some  of  whom  hold  the  office 
for  life,  and  others  for  10  years.  They 
are  called  elders  or  senators,  and  are 
always  consulted  by  the  sheykhs  of  the 
villages  on  all  matters  of  importance. 
They  dispense  justice  and  maintain 
order  in  the  province ;  and  the  armed 
population  is  bound  to  obey  their  com- 
mands for  the  defence  of  the  town  and 
villages  against  the  Arabs  or  other 
enemies. 

The  Bayt-el-mal,  "  House  of  Pro- 
perty," is  a  depot  of  all  property  of 
persons  dying  without  heirs,  of  fme3 
levied  for  various  offences  against  the 


state,  as  not  going  to  prayers  at  the 
stated  times,  and  other  crimes  and 
mischmeanours.  The  sums  thus  col- 
lected are  employed  in  charitable  pur- 
poses, repairing  motks,  entertaining 
strangers,  or  in  whatever  manner  the 
Diwan  may  think  proper. 

They  have  a  curious  custom  in  re- 
ceiving strangers :  as  soon  as  any  one 
arrives,  the  sheykh  el  Khabbar, 
"  sheykh  of  the  news,"  presents  himself, 
and,  after  the  usual  tokens  of  welcome, 
proceeds  to  question  him  respecting 
any  sort  of  intelligence  he  may  be  able 
to  give.  As  soon  as  it  has  been  ob- 
tained from  him,  the  sheykh  relates  it 
all  to  the  people;  and  so  tenacious  is 
he  of  his  privilege  that,  even  if  they 
had  all  heard  it  at  the  time  from  the 
mouth  of  the  stranger,  they  are  obliged 
to  listen  to  it  again  from  this  authorised 
reporter. 

They  understand  Arabic ;  but  have 
a  peculiar  language  of  their  own.  The 
following  are  a  few  words : — 

Tegmirt,  a  horse. 
Dalghrumt,  camel. 
Zeetan,  donkey. 
Shaha,  goat. 
Bagawen,  dates. 
Esdin,  wheat. 
Tineefayn,  lentils. 
Boos  (Arabic),  rice. 

Though  the  sheykhs  pretend  to  great 
authority  over  the  people,  they  are 
unable  to  prevent  numerous  feuds  and 
quarrels  that  take  place  between  dif- 
ferent villages,  and  even  between  two 
gens  (families)  in  the  same  town. 
These  generally  lead  to  an  appeal  to 
arms,  and  fierce  encounters  ensue,  often 
causing  the  death  of  many  persons  on 
both  sides,  until  stopped  by  the  inter- 
ference of  the  fehkes  (priests).  Each 
party  then  buries  its  dead,  and  open 
war  is  deferred  till  further  notice. 

The  town  of  Se'ewah  is  divided  into 
an  upper  and  lower  district.  It  is  de- 
fended by  a  citadel  built  on  a  rock, 
and  surrounded  by  strong  walls— a 
perfect  protection  against  the  Arabs, 
and  formidable  even  to  better  armed 
assailants.  The  streets  are  irregular 
and  narrow,  and  from  the  height 
of  the  houses,  unusually  dark;  and 
N  2 


268 


ROUTE  13.  CAIEO  TO  GAZA. 


Sect.  II. 


some  are  covered  with,  arches,  over 
which  part  of  the  dwelling-rooms  are 
built. 

Married  people  alone  are  allowed  to 
inhabit  the  upper  town,  to  which  no 
strangers  are  admitted.  Nor  is  a  na- 
tive bachelor  tolerated  there  :  he  is 
obliged  to  live  in  the  lower  town,  and 
is  thought  unworthy  to  reside  in  the 
same  quarter  as  his  married  friends 
until  he  has  taken  a  wife.  He  then 
returns  to  the  family-house,  and  builds 
a  suite  of  rooms  above  his  father's ; 
over  his  again  the  second  married  son 
establishes  himself,  and  the  stories  in- 
crease in  proportion  to  the  size  of  the 
family.  This  suffices  to  account  for 
the  height  of  many  of  the  houses  at 
Se'ewah.  A  peculiar  regulation  seems 
also  to  have  been  observed  there  in 
ancient  times ;  and  Q.  Curtius  says  the 
first  circuit  contains  the  old  palace  of 
the  kings  (sheykhs) ;  in  the  next  are 
their  wives  and  children,  as  well  as 
the  oracle  of  the  god ;  and  the  last  is 
the  abode  of  the  guards  and  soldiery. 

The  Seewah  was  first  brought  under 
the  rule  of  Mohammed  Ali,  and  at- 
tached to  Egypt,  in  1820.  It  was  then 
invaded  and  taken  by  Hassan  Bey 
Shamashirgee,  who  during  his  lifetime 
received  the  revenues,  as  well  as  those 
of  the  Little  Oasis  and  Farafreh, 
which  he  also  annexed  to  Egypt. 
Ed  Dakhleh  then  belonged  to  Ibrahim 
Pasha;  but  the  Great  Oasis  always 
paid  its  taxes  to  the  government  trea- 
sury. 

Kestless  and  dissatisfied  with  the 
loss  of  their  independence,  the  people 
of  Seewah  have  since  that  time  more 
than  once  rejected  the  authority  of  the 
Turks,  and  declared  open  rebellion. 
But  their  attempts  to  recover  their 
freedom  in  1829  and  1835  were  soon 
frustrated  by  the  presence  of  some 
Turkish  troops,  a  body  of  Arabs,  and 
a  few  guns ;  and  a  later  rebellion  has 
proved  their  inability  to  rescue  their 
lands  from  the  grasp  of  Egypt. 

The  principal  commerce  and  source 
of  revenue,  as  already  stated,  is  derived 
from  dates.  The  people  have  few 
manufactures  beyond  those  things  re- 


quired for  their  own  use ;  but  their 
skill  in  making  wicker-baskets  ought 
not  to  pass  unnoticed,  in  which  they  far 
excel  the  people  of  the  other  Oases. 

Intending  travellers  to  the  Seewah 
had  better  provide  themselves  before- 
hand with  letters  and  good  guides. 


EOUTE  13. 

CAIEO  TO  SYEIA,  BY  THE  "  SHOET 
DESEET." 

Miles. 


Cairo  by  Heliopolis,  or  Mate- 

reeah,  to  the  Birket  el  Hag . .  10^ 
To  separation  from  the  Maazee 

road  to  Suez   10 

To  ascent  of  hills  of  Urn  Gum- 

mal    10 

To  the  Wady  Canal       ..     ..  30 

Salaheeyah    20 

Kantarah    20 

Kateeyah    30 

El  Areesh    65 

To  Gaza  (Ghuzzeh)   52 J 


248 

This  route  was  at  one  time  a  good 
deal  followed  as  the  easiest  and  short- 
est road  from  Cairo  to  Syria,  and  was 
called  the  "  Short  Desert "  route,  to 
distinguish  it  from  the  "  Long  Desert " 
route  by  Sinai  and  Petra.  Now,  how- 
ever, that  there  are  such  facilities  for 
getting  from  Alexandria  and  Port 
Said  to  Jaffa,  it  is  hardly  worth  while 
to  undertake  a  long  and  tedious  jour- 
ney on  camels  or  donkeys  through  a 
country  which  contains  hardly  any- 
thing of  interest.  Even  those  who 
tniglit  be  disposed  to  undertake  it  for 
the  sake  of  a  little  experience  of  desert 


Egypt. 


ROUTE  13.  PELUSIUM. 


269 


travelling  would  probably  avail  them- 
selves of  the  railway  as  far  as  Ismailia, 
and  the  Suez  Canal  thence  to  Kan- 
tarah  (see  Rte.  7),  sending  on  their 
camels,  tents,  &c,  to  meet  them  there, 
and  employing  the  time  that  these 
would  occupy  to  reach  Kantarah  in 
paying  a  visit  to  Suez  and  the  Canal : 
or  the  start  might  be  made  from 
Ismailia. 

The  road  passes  a  short  way  to  the 
S.  of  Heliopolis  and  of  the  Birket  el 
Hag,  over  the  plain  where  Toman  Bey 
was  defeated  by  Sultan  Selim.  After 
leaving  the  Maazee  road  you  turn 
round  the  eastern  corner  of  the  large 
sand-hills  of  TJndtham.  Um-Gummal 
is  high  land,  and  from  the  summit  the 
pyramids  are  seen  to  the  W.,  and  Gebel 
Attakah,  near  Suez,  to  the  E.  The 
prefix  "  Z7m"  is  remakable  for  its 
antiquity.  It  is  found  before  the 
names  of  several  mountain  ranges  in 
this  desert,  and  an  ancient  African 
word  implying  greatness  or  excellence, 
as  in  Ama  Zula  among  the  Kaffirs, 
and  in  Berber  names  in  N.  Africa. 
It  is  not  related  to  the  Arabic  Urn  or 
Om,  "  mother."  About  5  m.  further 
you  cross  the  Wady  Jaffra,  which  runs 
down  to  Belbays,  about  9  m.  to  the  1. 
For  a  description  of  the  country  of 
this  district  and  of  the  Wady  Canal 
see  Rte.  7. 

Salaheeyah  was  probably  either 
Tacasarta  or  Sile  of  the  Itinerary  of 
Antoninus.  One  of  the  roads  is  more 
direct  than  this,  and  leaves  Salaheeyah 
considerably  to  the  1.  Several  mounds 
of  ancient  towns  are  seen  in  the  dis- 
tance; and  Tel  Defenneh,  which  is 
nearly  in  a  direct  line  between  Sala- 
heeyah and  Pelusium,  marks  the  site  of 
Daphne,  the  Tehaphnehes  or  Tahpan- 
hes  of  the  Bible,  which  was  a  fortified 
outpost  of  Pelusium,  and  distant  from 
it  16  Roman  miles.  At  Tahpanhes  the 
Egyptian  king  is  said  by  Jeremiah  to 
have  had  a  palace  (Jeremiah  xliii.  9). 

Pelusium  lies  considerably  to  the  1. 
of  the  road.  The  remains  there  consist 
of  mounds  and  a  few  broken  columns. 
It  is  difficult  of  access,  and  is  only 
approachable  during  the  high  Nile,  or 


when  the  summer's  sun  has  dried  the 
mud  that  is  left  there  by  the  inun- 
dation. It  stands  near  the  sea-shore. 
It  is  now  called  Teeneh  (Tineh), 
which  seems  to  indicate  the  muddy 
nature  of  the  soil  in  the  vicinity,  for 
which  some  suppose  it  was  indebted 
to  its  ancient  appellation,  Pelusium, 
tttjAos  being  the  Greek  for  "mud." 
Its  ancient  name  probably  resembled 
the  Peremoun  or  Pheromi  of  the  Copts, 
and  the  latter  is  the  origin  of  the 
Farama  of  the  Arabs,  by  which  it  is 
still  known ;  though  Savaiy  states 
that  "  Farama  was  founded  to  the  E. 
of  Pelusium,  which  was  a  ruin  in  the 
13th  centy." 

Pelusium  in  former  times  was  a 
place  of  great  consequence.  It  was 
strongly  fortified,  being  the  bulwark 
of  the  Egpptian  frontier  on  the  eastern 
side,  and  was  considered  the  "  Key  " 
or,  as  Ezekiel  calls  it,  the  "  Strength 
of  Egypt."  It  was  called  in  Scripture 
"Sin"  (Ezek.  xxx.  15,  16).  Near 
this  the  unfortunate  Pompey  met  his 
death,  basely  murdered  by  order  of 
Ptolemy  and  his  minister  Photinus, 
whose  protection  he  had  claimed  B.C.  48. 

The  young  king  was  engaged  in  a 
war  with  his  sister  Cleopatra,  whom 
he  had  just  before  expelled  the  king- 
dom ;  and  the  two  armies  were  en- 
camped opposite  each  other  in  the 
vicinity  of  Pelusium,  when  the  galley 
of  Pompey  arrived ;  and  Achillas, 
who  afterwards  figured  so  conspicu- 
ously in  the  Alexandrian  war  against 
Ca3sar,  aided  by  L.  Septimius  and 
Sabinus,  Romans  in  the  Egyptian  ser- 
vice, "under  pretence  of  taking  him 
ashore,  invited  him  into  a  boat,  and 
treacherously  slew  him."  A  mound 
of  sand  on  the  coast,  about  4  hrs.  to 
the  west  of  Pelusium,  called  by  the 
Arabs  the  Roman  hill,  is  said  to  re- 
cord the  spot  of  Pompey's  death.  His 
body  was  indeed  burnt  on  the  sea- 
shore by  his  freedman  Philip,  and 
Csesar  is  said  to  have  raised  a  monu- 
ment to  his  memory,  which  was  after- 
wards repaired  by  Adrian,  and  visited 
by  Severus.  But  "  the  ashes  of  Pom- 
pey were  taken  to  his  widow,  Cornelia, 
who  buried  them  at  his  villa  near 
Alba,"  though  Lucan  would  seem  to 


270 


ROUTE  13.  CAIEO  TO  GAZA. 


Sect.  II. 


say  that  they  were  still  in  Egypt  in 
his  time.  Be  this  as  it  may,  the  tomb 
might  still  remain;  but  Pliny  places 
it  to  the  east  of  Pelusium,  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Mons  Casius.  The  "  Roman 
hill "  cannot  therefore  be  the  "  tu- 
mulus" of  Pompey;  and  the  tomb 
which  Aboolfeda,  on  the  authority  of 
Ebn  Haukel,  gives  to  Galen,  may  per- 
haps be  transferred  to  Pompey.  Cer- 
tain it  is  that  the  physician  of  Aurelius 
was  not  buried  in  Egypt,  but  in 
his  native  place  Pergamus ;  and  the 
distance  from  Pelusium,  mentioned  by 
Pliny,  seems  too  great  for  the  position 
of  Pompey 's  tomb. 

On  the  coast  to  the  E.  of  Pelusium 
Pliny  mentions  "  Chabrise  Castra, 
Casius  Mons,  the  sanctuary  of  Jupiter 
Casius,  the  tumulus  of  Pompey,  and 
Ostracina,"  which  were  on  the  Lake 
Sirbonis.  Ostracina  is  now  Ostraki, 
and  is  about  28  m.  W.  of  El  Areesh. 

Magdolum  is  supposed  to  have  been 
about  half-way  between  Tacasarta  and 
Penta  Schoenon,  which  last  may  have 
been  at  the  modern  Kateeyah. 

Ebn  Said  says  that  the  sea  of  Kol- 
zim  (Arabian  Gulf)  is  so  close  to  the 
Mediterranean  in  this  part,  that  Amer 
ebn  el  As  had  intended  cutting  a 
canal  through  the  Isthmus,  at  the 
spot  called  the  Crocodile's  Tail,  but 
was  prevented  by  Omar,  who  feared 
lest  the  Greek  pirates  should  plunder 
the  pilgrims  of  Mecca. 

El  Areesh  (Arish)  has  succeeded  to 
the  ancient  Rhinocolura,  which  was  a 
place  of  exile  in  the  time  of  the  Pha- 
raohs, and  was  so  called  from  the 
malefactors  having  their  "noses  cut 
off,"  instead  of  being  punished  by 
death.  "At  one  season  of  the  year 
numerous  quails  visited  the  district, 
which  they  caught  in  long  nets  made 
with  split  reeds  ; "  and  these  birds  are 
often  met  with  throughout  this  part 
of  the  desert,  as  in  the  days  of  Acti- 
sanes.  Wady  el  Areesh  is  supposed 
to  be  the  torrent  or  "  river  of  Egypt," 
which  was  the  ancient  boundary  on 
the  side  of  Syria.  There  is  water  in 
it  after  rain.  The  road  continues 
very  near  the  sea-coast,  the  whole 
way  from  El  Areesh  to  Gaza.  Rather 


more  than  half-way  from  El  Areesh  is 
Befall,  the  ancient  Rhaphia,  off  the 
road  to  the  westward.  It  is  referred 
to  by  Josephus  as  the  first  station  in 
Syria  at  which  Titus  rested  when  on 
his  way  to  besiege  Jerusalem.  Khan 
Yodnes  has  been  supposed  to  occupy  the 
site  of  Jenysus ;  but  the  idea  has  pro- 
bably arisen  from  an  accidental  resem- 
blance of  name,  since  Jenysus,  being 
only  three  days'  journey  from  Mons 
Casius,  would  seem  to  have  been  nearer 
Egypt.  Some  interpret  the  name  as 
meaning  "  the  resting-place  of  Jonas," 
and  as  fixing  the  place  where  the 
prophet  was  thrown  up  by  the  whale. 
But  the  usual  Arabic  tradition  places 
that  occurrence  between  Sidon  and 
Beyroot,  and  the  prophet  would  be 
styled  Nebbee  Yodnes. 

Gaza,  now  called  Ghuzzeh,  is  a 
town  of  some  10,000  inhabitants, 
situated  on  a  low  flat  hill  about  '6 
miles  from  the  sea.  It  was  formerly, 
as  its  Hebrew  and  Arabic  names  imply, 
a  "  strongly  fortified  place,"  but  it  is 
now  quite  open.  It  is  a  very  old  city, 
and  played  a  great  part  in  Biblical 
history.  Its  position,  as  the  last  town 
in  the  S.W.  of  Palestine  and  on  the 
frontier  of  Egypt,  made  it  an  important 
military  position ;  but  since  the  con- 
quest of  Egypt  and  Syria  by  the 
Moslems  it  has  had  no  history.  For 
a  full  description  of  Gaza,  see  Hand- 
book of  Syria.  There  is  a  telegraph 
station  at  Gaza,  and  some  English 
clerks. 


•.<?• 


Egypt- 


ROUTE  14. — CAIEO 


TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 


271 


EOUTE  14. 

CAIRO  TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 

a.  Preliminary  Hints,  b.  Cairo  to 
Suez.  c.  Inhabitants  of  the  Penin- 
sula of  Sinai,  d.  Geography  and 
natural  features,  e.  Natural  His- 
tory and  Climate.  /.  Ruins,  g. 
Eoute  of  the  Israelites  from  Egypt 
to  Mt.  Sinai,  h.  Route  from  Ain 
Moosa  to  Jebel  Moosa  (Mt.  Sinai) 
and  the  Convent  of  St.  Catharine ; 
(a)  via  Wady  Mukatteb  and  Feiran ; 
(/8 ),  via  Sarabit  el  Kkadim.  i.  De- 
scription of  Convent,  h.  Ascent  of 
Jebel  Moosa  and  Ras  Sufsafeh. 
I.  Ascent  of  Jebel  Katareena.  m. 
Other  excursions,  n.  Continuation 
of  the  journey  by  the  Long  Desert, 
via  Akabah  and  Petra,  or  via  Nahkl, 
to  Palestine. 

a.  Preliminary  Hints. — From  Cairo 
to  Mount  Sinai  is  one  of  the  stages  in 
what  is  called  the  "  Long  Desert " 
route  from  Egypt  to  Syria ;  but  as  many 
travellers  pay  a  visit  to  Mt.  Sinai,  and 
then  return  to  Egypt  without  going 
further,  it  will  be,  perhaps,  more 
convenient  to  describe  it  separately. 
The  best  months  for  desert  travelling 
are  February,  March,  and  April. 
Earlier  than  February  the  nights  are 
very  cold,  and  snow  is  not  uncommon 
in  the  Sinai  hills.  Later  than  April 
the  days  are  very  hot. 

The  preparations  for  this  journey 
are  usually  made  at  Cairo,  as  most  of 
the  sheykhs  of  the  Towarah  Arabs, 
who  act  as  guides,  and  from  whom 
camels  are  hired,  are  to  be  found 
in  the  early  spring  at  the  Egyptian 
capital  waiting  for  a  job,  and  the 
dragomen  like  to  employ  men  they 
know,  and  have  the  terms  of  the  con- 
tract settled,  including  the  camels, 
at  Cairo.  But  unless  the  traveller  is 
anxious  to  spend  a  few  days  in  cross- 
ing the  desert  from  Cairo  to  Suez,  in- 
stead of  going  to  the  latter  place  by  rail- 


way in  one  day,  and  if  he  does  not  mind 
giving  himself  a  little  extra  trouble, 
he  will  save  a  good  deal  of  expense  by 
telegraphing  or  writing  to  the  manager 
of  the  Suez  Hotel  a  few  days  before 
he  intends  leaving  Cairo,  and  request- 
ing him  to  have  some  camels  and 
guides  ready  by  a  certain  date.  If 
there  should  be  none  at  Suez,  three  or 
four  days  will  suffice  to  bring  in  any 
number  from  the  desert.  The  contract 
with  the  dragoman  can  then  be  made  at 
Cairo  to  include  everything  but  camels, 
which  the  traveller  will  make  his  own 
bargain  for  at  Suez,  and  tents,  stores, 
&c,  can  be  sent  to  Suez  by  rail.  Per- 
haps the  best  plan  of  all  is  to  engage 
the  sheykh  at  Cairo,  with  the  under- 
standing that  his  camels  will  only  be 
paid  for  from  Suez  :  only  by  no  means 
be  persuaded  to  go  to  Tor  on  the  Red 
Sea  by  water  from  Suez,  as  when  once 
there,  the  Arabs  will  ask  what  they 
like.  It  is  impossible  to  lay  down  any 
fixed  sum  for  the  hire  of  camels,  but  it 
may  be  assumed  roughly  that  while 
from  6  to  8  shillings  a  day  will  be 
asked  at  Cairo,  they  may  be  obtained 
for  from  3  to  4  shillings  at  Suez.  If  the 
traveller  puts  himself  entirely  into  the 
hands  of  a  dragoman,  and  engages  to 
pay  him  so  much  a  day  for  everything, 
of  course  he  need  not  trouble  himself 
about  the  camel-hire. 

The  charges  of  dragomen  vary  so 
from  year  to  year,  that  it  is  difficult  to 
estimate  the  expense  of  this  journey, 
but  a  party  of  4  persons  ought  not  to 
pay  more  than  30  shillings  a  day  each 
for  everything  except  wine;  this  pro- 
portion being  lessened  or  increased 
according  to  the  size  of  the  party. 
Formerly  people  were  content  to 
travel  without  beds  and  a  hundred 
other  little  luxuries  which  are  now 
considered  indispensable ;  and  in- 
deed it  would  be  difficult  now  to  find 
a  good  dragoman  who  would  con- 
sent to  undertake  the  job,  unless  it 
was  to  be  carried  out  in  the  way  he 
considers  necessary,  and  for  which  he 
charges  accordingly.  It  should  be 
distinctly  understood,  when  the  con- 
tract is  made  with  the  dragoman  to 
supply  everything,  that  the  traveller  is 
never  to  be  troubled  by  the  Arabs 


272 


EOUTE  14.  CAIRO 


TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 


Sect.  II. 


with  any  sort  of  application  for  money 
or  anything  else;  the  dragoman  is 
responsible  for  everything :  but  at  the 
end  of  the  journey,  if  satisfaction  has 
been  given,  a  small  backsheesh  may  be 
distributed.  The  contract  with  the 
dragoman  should  be  properly  signed 
at  the  Consulate,  where,  if  it  is  wished, 
a  form  of  agreement  can  be  obtained, 
in  which  alterations  can  be  made  to 
suit  any  particular  requirements.  If 
the  traveller  hires  the  camels  himself, 
he  will  have  to  make  a  separate  con- 
tract with  the  sheykh  who  supplies 
them,  either  at  Cairo  or  Suez.  The 
journey  to  Sinai  and  back  from  Suez 
will  take  from  a  fortnight  to  3  weeks, 
according  to  the  time  spent  on  the 
road  and  at  the  convent. 

The  following  hints  for  the  journey 
may  be  useful,  even  to  those  who  in- 
trust everything  to  a  dragoman,  as 
they  will  find  it  advisable  every  now 
and  then  to  superintend  his  prepara- 
tions. A  party  of  4  should  have  2  large 
tents,  one  for  feeding  and  sitting  in, 
and  one  for  sleeping  in,  and  one  smaller 
one  for  the  kitchen  and  servants. 
When  the  party  consists  of  only  2,  or 
even  3,  one  tent  for  day  and  night 
might  be  sufficient.  Beds  (iron  that 
fold  up),  tables,  chairs,  and  all  the 
inside  appurtenances  of  a  tent  should 
be  examined,  and  seen  to  be  strong  and 
sound.  The  tents  should  be  provided 
with  extra  ropes,  as  well  as  a  double 
supply  of  pegs  and  mallets.  All  water 
for  drinking  should  be  carried  in 
barrels  kept  strictly  locked,  and  the 
Arabs  never  allowed  to  draw  from 
them.  In  addition  to  this,  each  person 
should  have  a  small  water-skin,  called 
a  zemzemeeyah,  to  hang  at  his  saddle  ; 
these,  if  new,  should  be  filled  and 
emptied  several  times,  to  get  rid  of  the 
disagreable  taste  they  give  to  the 
water.  Water  for  washing  may  be 
carried  in  a  goat-skin  called  girbeh ; 
but  the  following  description  will 
show  the  traveller  who  does  not  care 
about  roughing  it  too  much,  that  he 
had  better  not  be  dependent  on  the 
girbeh,  and  the  water  that  is  generally 
to  be  met  with  in  the  Peninsula.  "  To 
the  traveller  in  these  thirsty  limestone 
deserts,  his  dependence  upon  brackish 


and  unpalatable  water  for  his  only 
supply  is  one  of  his  greatest  hardships. 
To  be  constantly  imbibing  a  fairly 
powerful  solution  of  Epsom  salts  is  an 
amusement  one  soon  grows  tired  of. 
We  used  to  try  all  sorts  of  plans  to  dis- 
guise the  flavour, — lime-juice,  brandy, 
strong  tea,  or  Arab  coffee  as  thick  as 
cream ;  but  neither  these,  nor  boiling, 
nor  filtering,  nor  anything  we  could  do, 
were  really  of  much  avail.  Then  again, 
the  system  of  carrying  it  in  girbelis,  or 
prepared  goat-skins,  though  externally 
convenient  in  some  respects,  does  not 
improve  its  flavour  or  the  relish  with 
which  you  drink  it.  The  appearance 
of  a  filled  girbeh  is  very  much  that  of 
a  small  black  pig  which  has  met  with 
a  watery  grave ;  so  that,  what  with 
the  naturally  villainous  taste  of  the 
water,  its  strong  purgative  properties, 
the  little  extra  goatish  flavour  im- 
parted to  it  by  the  girbeh,  and  the 
notion  of  the  drowned  pig,  you  have 
to  become  pretty  well  hardened  before 
you  can  be  said  to  enjoy  it." — Capt. 
H.  8.  Palmer. 

With  regard  to  provisions,  travellers 
will  provide  themselves  according  to 
their  wants  and  tastes;  but  it  must 
be  remembered  that  absolutely  nothing 
can  be  bought  after  leaving  Suez,  ex- 
cept sheep,  which  may  sometimes  be 
had  from  the  Bedaween  near  Sinai. 
In  addition,  therefore,  to  any  pre- 
served meats  and  other  things,  it 
is  necessary  to  take  a  stock  of  live 
fowls,  turkeys,  and  pigeons  for  the 
whole  journey.  Fresh  bread  may  be 
baked  at  Sinai.  Good  tea  will  be 
found  a  very  grateful  and  refreshing 
drink  after  a  hot  day's  ride.  One  of 
the  best  pick-me-ups  after  a  hot  and 
wearying  day's  ride  is  a  tumbler  of 
tea  a  la  Russe,  with  a  slice  of  lemon, 
some  sugar,  and  a  spoonful  of  brandy. 
Milk  can  only  be  procured  regularly 
if  there  happens  to  be  among  the 
camels  one  with  a  newly  dropped 
young  one  :  it  is  better,  therefore,  to 
take  some  preserved  milk, — Aylesbury, 
Lion  Brand,  is  the  best.  A  supply  of 
oranges  is  a  pleasant  luxury,  and  will 
be  much  appreciated  at  the  mid-day 
meal.  Water  should  never  be  drunk 
alone,  but  always  mixed  with  a  little 


Egypt 


ROUTE  14. — DESERT  TRAVELLING. 


273 


brandy :  indeed,  on  the  score  both  of 
health  and  convenience  of  carriage, 
weak  brandy-and-water  is  the  best 
beverage  on  a  desert  journey;  but  it 
is  one,  no  doubt,  which  many  people 
do  not  like,  and  they  will  prefer  to  take 
claret, — though,  as  3  bottles  of  claret 
will  hardly  go  as  far  as  one  of  brandy, 
an  extra  camel  will  be  required  for  its 
transport.  An  extra  supply  of  coffee 
and  Sooree  tobacco,  to  give  to  the 
Arabs  occasionally,  will  be  found 
useful. 

There  ought  to  be  but  little  need 
of  medicine  in  the  pure  air  of  the 
desert ;  but  if  the  traveller  is  provided, 
as  he  probably  is,  with  a  small  medi- 
cine chest,  he  had  better  take  it  with 
him.  A  little  rose  -  water  is  often 
pleasant  to  the  eyes  after  a  hot  day's 
march  in  the  sun;  and  eau-de-luce  or, 
still  better,  ammonia,  is  a  good  thing 
for  bites  and  stings. 

A  flannel  shirt  and  a  suit  of  tweed  of 
moderate  texture,  not  too  thin,  forms 
the  best  clothing.  It  is  a  great  mis- 
take to  wear  very  thin  clothing,  as  tiie 
direct  rays  of  the  sun  are  felt  through 
it  in  the  day  time,  and  the  evenings 
are  often  quite  cold.  A  rug  and  great 
coat  should  be  taken:  an  extra  covering 
is  often  required  at  night,  and  they 
are  useful  in  adding  to  the  comfort  of 
the  seat  on  the  camel.  The  head 
must  be  well  protected  from  the  sun  : 
a  pith  helmet,  or  a  white  or  grey  felt 
hat  well  wrapped  round  with  a  pug- 
gery  are  perhaps  the  best  coverings  ; 
but  especial  care  should  be  taken  that 
the  nape  of  the  neck  is  well  protected. 
It  is  a  good  thing  to  cut  the  hair  pretty 
short,  and  always  wear  underneath 
the  helmet  or  hat  one  of  the  white 
cotton  caps  (tagheeyeh)  worn  by  the 
natives  under  the  tarboosh.  A  tar- 
boosh itself  will  be  found  useful  for 
wear  in  the  tent  at  night.  Those  who 
intend  to  do  much  walking  and  climb- 
ing among  the  Sinaitic  hills  must 
have  at  least  one,  if  not  two,  pair  of 
very  stout  strong  boots,  as  the  granite 
rocks  destroy  leather  in  an  incredibly 
short  space  of  time.  A  loose  white 
burnoose,  or  abbayeh,  to  wear  while 
camel -riding,  is  a  great  protection  from 
both  heat  and  dust.    Though  it  will 


seldom  be  wanted  in  the  desert,  it  is 
well  to  take  a  macintosh  sheet,  or 
American  oilcloth,  for  damp  ground. 
The  ordinary  Arab  saddle-bags  will 
be  found  very  useful  for  carrying 
things  in  daily  use.  The  best  port- 
manteau is  a  tin  travelling  bath  of 
moderate  size,  with  an  inside  that 
takes  out,  and  a  wicker  covering :  and 
this  arrangement  allows  the  luxury  of  a 
bath,  when  water  is  to  be  had,  without 
carrying  extra  luggage.  All  india- 
rubber  baths  have  the  disadvantage 
of  not  being  able  to  be  repaired  any- 
where if  they  get  out  of  order. 

Much  of  the  comfort  in  a  desert 
journey  depends  on  having  a  good 
camel  and  a  comfortable  seat.  The 
camel  should  be  chosen  and  tried 
beforehand  ;  and  the  quieter  he  is,  and 
the  easier  his  paces,  the  better.  A 
trotting  dromedary  (heggeen)  nobody 
requires  who  is  going  to  keep  pace 
with  tents  and  baggage,  but  an  animal 
less  rough  in  its  walk  than  the  ordi- 
nary baggage-camel  is  a  desideratum. 
Much  careful  preparation  should  be 
given  to  the  seat.  Some  will  prefer  a 
regular  dromedary-saddle,  with  the 
addition  of  stirrups  to  rest  the  legs. 
The  more  ordinary  method  is,  first  to 
sling  the  saddle-bags  across  the  com- 
mon camel  pack-saddle,  and  then  to 
pile  on  the  top  as  many  wraps  and 
rugs  as  you  may  have,  so  as  to  form 
as  soft  and  wide  a  seat  as  possible, 
taking  care  to  strap  them  firmly  down 
in  order  to  prevent  their  slipping. 
You  may  then  sit  in  any  position  you 
please, — sideways,  or  astride,  or  lady- 
fashion.  Stirrups  may  be  hung  on 
either  from  the  peak  in  the  front  of 
the  saddle,  or  from  the  side,  to  give 
a  rest  to  the  foot.  The  following  plan 
is  recommended  by  one  who  has  had 
some  experience  in  camel  riding: — 
"  Place  a  light  box  or  package  on 
either  side  of  the  pack-saddle,  suffi- 
ciently closely  corded  to  form  one 
wide  horizontal  surface.  On  this  lay  a 
carpet,  mattress,  blanket,  and  wraps, 
thus  forming  a  delicious  couch  or  seat, 
and  giving  the  option  of  lying  down, 
or  sitting  either  side-saddle  or  cross- 
legged.  Sheets,  pillow,  rug,  &c,  may 
be  rolled  up  and  strapped  to  the  back 
n  3 


274 


ROUTE  14.  CAIEO 


TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 


Sect.  II. 


of  the  saddle,  and  form  an  excellent 
support  to  the  back  or  elbow."  The 
object  of  the  light  box  or  package  is 
to  a  certain  extent  answered  by  a  pair 
of  well  stuffed  saddle-bags.  A  proper 
supply  of  rope  nets  (shebbekeli)  for 
packing  the  baggage  on  the  camels  is 
essential ;  otherwise  the  loads  are  con- 
tinually coming  to  pieces  and  falling : 
moreover  the  nets  act  as  a  protection 
against  projecting  pieces  of  rock  in  a 
narrow  defile. 

Two  more  observations  personal  to 
the  traveller  in  the  desert  may  be 
added.  If  strong  and  able,  he  should 
walk  as  much  as  possible.  The  Arabian 
desert  has  not,  like  the  African,  a 
surface  of  deep  sand ;  but  offers  to 
the  pedestrian,  as  a  rule,  a  crisp, 
gravelly  foothold,  very  pleasant  to 
walk  on.  The  pace  of  the  camels 
— 2  J  miles  an  hour— can  always  be 
exceeded  by  the  walker,  and  this 
affords  him  the  opportunity,  when 
there  is  no  fear  of  losing  the  way,  and 
the  road  is  everywhere  secure,  as  it  is 
between  Suez  and  Sinai,  of  examining 
the  country  a  little  more  in  detail 
than  is  possible  from  a  camel's  back. 
Another  great  relief  to  the  uncon- 
trollable feeling  of  ennui  and  sense  of 
monotony,  which  comes  over  most  peo- 
ple during  a  long  day's  ride  on  a  camel's 
back  under  a  broiling  sun,  is  reading. 
The  scenery  may  be  impressive  and 
full  of  interest  of  all  kinds,  and  your 
companions  may  be  kindred  in  spirit 
and  pleasant  to  talk  to,  but  never- 
theless a  book  is  an  agreeable  change. 
Not  a  stiff  book  either,  treating  of  the 
place  and  its  history,  but  a  novel  or 
some  such  light  reading.  Stanley, 
Eobinson,  Miss  '  Martineau,  Lord 
Lindsay,  and  as  many  other  "local" 
books  as  can  be  found  room  for, 
should  of  course  be  taken  and  read 
daily,  and  no  one  needs  to  be  re- 
minded that  there  is  no  book  so  real 
in  its  descriptions,  and  so  local  in  its 
colouring,  as  the  Bible ;  but  a  stock 
of  light  literature  in  the  Tauchnitz 
edition,  which  can  be  thrown  away  as 
read,  will  be  found  by  many  persons 
most  useful  in  helping  to  pass  away 
an  hour,  when  mind  and  body  are  too 
wearied  for  any  exerlion. 


b.  Cairo  to  Suez. — By  rail.  See 
Kte.  7. 

Should  the  traveller  wish  to  spend 
4  uninteresting  days  in  crossing  the 
desert  between  Cairo  and  Suez,  there 
are  several  roads  for  him  to  follow. 

1.  The  Derb  el  Maazee,  from  Cairo, 
passes  by  Heliopolis  and  the  Birket 
el  Hag ;  10  m.  beyond  which  last 
the  road  to  Syria  branches  off  to 
the  1.,  after  passing  the  high  sand- 
hills of  Undtham. 

2.  Derb  el  Hag,  "  Boad  of  the  Pil- 
grims," is  the  same  as  the  last,  until 
after  it  passes  the  Birket  el  Hag, 
when  it  turns  to  the  rt.  by  a  stone 
ruin  called  ®es  Sibeel  ("  the  Foun- 
tain "),  and  the  other  continues  below 
the  Undtham  hills  to  the  1. 

3.  Derb  el  Hamra  (the  old  Indian 
Mail  route)  passes  to  the  S.  of  the  red 
mountain,  and  joins  the  Derb  el  Hag 
about  27  m.  from  Cairo. 

4.  Derb  et  Towdrah  (like  the  3  last, 
from  Cairo)  joins  the  Hamra  about 
6  m.  from  the  Wady  Gendelee. 

5.  Derb  et  Tarabeen,  from  El  Bussa- 
teen,  a  village  3  m.  above  Old  Cairo, 
ascends  the  Mokattam  range  by  the 
Bahr-bela-ma,  and  joins  the  Towarah 
road  25  m.  from  Cairo,  and  the  same 
distance  from  El  Bussateen.  It  falls 
into  the  Derb  el  Hag  at  El  Muggreh, 
58f  m.  from  Cairo. 

No.  3  would  be  the  one  most  pro- 
bably chosen.  The  following  are  the 
distances : — 

Miles. 


Cairo  to  Kalaiat  Eaian     . .     . .  9 

Wady  Halazdnee    8 

Derb  el  Hag  joins  this  road  from 

the  N   10 

Cross  Wady  Gendelee,  and  then 

Wady  Jaffra   10 

Om  esh  Sharameet    3 

Kobbet  et  Takrdoree  . .     . .    «r.  4 

Plain  of  El  Muggreh       ..     ..  10 

ElMuktala   10 

Fort  of  Agerdod   6 

Beer  Suez  (wells)    8 

To  Suez    4 


82 

Between  Kalaiat  Eaian  and  Wady 
Halazdnee  is  much  petrified  wood. 
The  Wady  Halazdnee,  or  the  "  Valley 


Egypt. 


EOULE  14. — PENINSULA  OF  SINAI. 


275 


of  Snails,"  is  so  called  from  their 
abounding  there,  as  indeed  through- 
out this  part  of  the  desert.  But  they 
are  not  found  to  the  S.  of  lat.  29°  20'. 

The  small  Acacia-tree,  called  Dar 
el  Hamra,  "  the  red  abode,"  or  Om  esh 
Sharameet,  "  the  Mother  of  Bags,"  is 
the  spot  where  the  pilgrims  rest  on 
their  way  to  Agerood;  and  near  this 
was  the  principal  station  ( No.  4 )  of  the 
passengers  by  the  overland  route.  It 
is,  however,  no  longer  called  "  Dar  el 
Hdmra,"  but  "  Dar  el  Bayda"  " the 
White  Abode,"  Abbas  Pasha  having 
built  a  palace  there,  and  preferring  an 
epithet  of  better  omen. 

Kobbet  et  Takrooree  is  a  tomb  built 
by  the  friends  of  an  African  stranger 
who  died  there,  and  a  little  beyond  it 
is  Beer  el  Batter,  a  "well"  only  in 
name. 

No  fresh  water  is  met  with  on  the 
Suez  road,  except  after  abundant  rains 
in  the  Wady  Gendelee,  \  a  mile  to  the 
1.  of  the  road,  and  also  in  the  Wady 
Jaffra,  into  which  the  Gendelee  runs 
not  far  from  where  the  road  crosses 
it.  Near  Beer  el  Batter,  the  limestone 
rocks  reappear,  and  the  petrified  wood 
ceases  with  the  sandstone. 

The  plain  of  El  Muggreh  is  the 
highest  part  of  the  road.  To  the  east- 
ward of  it  all  the  valleys  now  towards 
the  sea,  and  to  the  westward  towards 
the  Nile ;  and  here  the  Derb  et  Tara- 
be'en  joins  the  "  road  of  the  pilgrims." 
About  8  m.  further,  and  about  2  m. 
short  of  El  Muktala,  is  the  course  of 
an  ancient  road,  the  stones  cleared  off 
and  ranged  on  either  side,  indications 
of  which  are  seen  long  before  to  the 
westward  in  the  heaps  of  stones  placed 
at  intervals  as  road-marks. 

The  ancients  probably  followed  the 
same  line  as  the  pilgrims  at  the  pre- 
sent day,  by  the  Derb  el  Hag ;  though 
another  road  seems  to  have  led  in  a 
southerly  direction  from  Heliopolis, 
and  either  to  have  fallen  into  it  to 
the  W.  of  the  Wady  Halazdnee,  or 
to  have  gone  in  a  different  line 
through  the  desert  to  the  S. 

A  little  beyond  this  the  Maazee 
road  joins  the  Derb  el  Hag,  and  they 
continue  together  to  El  Muktala  and 
Agerood,  where,  as  already  shown. 


the  road  of  the  pilgrims  runs  off  to 
the  eastward,  and  the  others  go  in  a 
southerly  direction  to  Suez. 

The  main  road  passes  by  the  defile 
of  El  Muktala  ;  most  of  the  roads  hav- 
ing been  once  more  united  into  one,  a 
short  distance  before  reaching  it.  The 
course  thus  far  from  Cairo  is  nearly  E. ; 
it  then  takes  a  southerly  direction  to 
Suez ;  but  the.  Derb  el  Hag  again  strikes 
off  to  the  eastward  from  the  fort  of  Age- 
rood,  and  crosses  the  peninsula  of  Sinai. 
Agerood  is  a  Turkish  fort ;  and  at 
Beer  Suez  is  a  well  of  brackish  water. 

For  Suez  to  Ain  Moosa,  with  descrip- 
tions of  the  two  places,  see  Rte.  7. 

At  the  "Wells  of  Moses"  the 
journey  into  the  Peninsula  may  be  said 
to  have  begun,  and  it  may  be  useful, 
before  proceeding  further,  to  give  a 
short  account  of  its  inhabitants  and 
principal  features.  The  information 
on  these  and  all  other  points  con- 
nected with  the  Peninsula  of  Sinai  is 
taken  chiefly  from  the  '  Account  of 
the  Ordnance  Survey  of  the  Peninsula 
of  Sinai.' 

c.  Inhabitants  of  the  Peninsula  of 
Sinai. — The  collective  name  for  the 
Bedaween  inhabiting  the  Peninsula  of 
Sinai,  is  the  Towdrah  (sins;.  Turee),  or 
Arabs  of  Tor,  the  ancient  name  of  the 
Peninsula.  They  are  subdivided  into 
several  tribes,  of  which  the  principal 
are 

1.  The  Sowalha,  the  most  impor- 
tant, with  two  powerful  and  inde- 
pendent subdivisions — ■ 

a.  The  Walad  Saeed. 

b.  The  Korasheh. 

2.  The  Aleikat. 

3.  The  Emzeineh. 

4.  The  Walad  Shaheen. 

5.  The  Jibaleeyah.  These  last  are 
called  Sebaya  ed  Dayr,  or  "  Serfs  of 
the  Convent,"  and  are  looked  down 
upon  by  the  other  tribes  as  not  of 
pure  Arab  descent. 

The  Walad  Saeed  and  the  Aleikat 
are  the  recognised  ghvfurah,  or 
"  guards "  of  the  Convent  of  St. 
Catherine,  and  with  the  Jibaleeyah 
possess  the  right  of  conducting  pil- 
grims to  or  from  Tor  or  Suez ;  but 
camels  may  be  hired  from  any  of  the 


276 


KOUTE  14.  CAIRO 


TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 


Sect.  II. 


Towarah  tribes.  In  addition  to  the 
Towarah  there  are,  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  Peninsula,  the  Terabeen, 
the  Tiyahah,  and  the  Haiwat. 

The  total  population  of  the  Towarah 
tribes  may  be  estimated  at  about  5000. 
They  are  a  peaceful,  harmless  people, 
but  hardy,  and,  though  poor,  dig- 
nified. Their  camels  are  their  chief 
support,  and  they  gain  a  scanty  liveli- 
hood by  conductiug  the  traffic  between 
Suez,  Sinai,  and  Tor.  In  the  more 
fertile  districts,  such  as  the  Feiran, 
tobacco  is  grown,  and  the  fruit  of  the 
date-bearing  palm  is  an  important 
article  of  food.  Their  few  flocks  of 
sheep  and  goats  are  chiefly  useful  for 
the  wool  and  hair  they  supply :  it  is 
seldom  that  any  are  slaughtered. 
Another  article  of  commerce  is  the 
ram,  the  traditional  manna,  a  sweet 
gummy  substance  that  exudes  from 
the  tarfah,  or  tamarisk-tree.  It  con- 
tinues to  drop  about  two  months,  com- 
mencing in  the  autumn.  The  name  is 
similar  to  the  Hebrew  word  given  in 
the  Bible,  and  some  think  it  was 
given  to  the  food  in  consequence  of 
the  uncertainty  of  the  Israelites  about 
the  unknown  substance,  "  they  wist 
not  what  it  was,"  min  signifying 
"what"  in  Hebrew  and  in  Arabic. 
The  dress  of  the  Towarah  consists  of 
a  nominally  white  shirt,  with  long 
open  sleeves,  fastened  round  the  waist 
with  a  leathern  girdle,  and  over  this 
an  abbayeh,  or  long  cloak  of  camel's 
hair.  Instead  of  the  typical  head- 
dress of  the  Bedaween — the  kefeeyah, 
a  gaily  striped  handkerchief,  fastened 
with  a  fillet  of  camel's  hair — they  wear 
fez  and  turban.  The  women  are  gene- 
rally closely  veiled,  and  wrapped  in  a 
loose  blue  frock,  with  a  blue  mantle 
over  it.  Though  they  seldom  perform 
the  orthodox  and  ostentatious  Moham- 
medan prayer  ceremonial,  they  fre- 
quently during  the  day,  without  any 
outward  sign  of  worship,  recite  some 
petition. 

It  would  require  too  much  space  to 
describe  the  peculiar  manners  and  cus- 
toms common  among  these  or  among 
other  desert  tribes  ;  but  some  of  their 
traditions,  connected  with  the  Israel- 
ites and  Moses,  are  worth  a  short  I 


mention.  Their  legend  of  the  passage 
of  the  Ked  Sea  agrees  substantially 
with  the  story  of  the  Bible,  but  the 
locale  is  placed  at  Hammam  Pharoon, 
some  way  down  the  Gulf  of  Suez, 
where  the  sulphurous  hot-baths  are 
supposed  to  have  been  caused  by  Pha- 
raoh's struggling  to  extricate  himself 
from  the  waves.  The  memory  of 
Moses  is  preserved  in  the  names  of 
several  places,  such  as  "  the  Wells  of 
Moses,"  at  Suez  and  at  Gebel  Moosa ; 
"the  Seat  of  Moses,"  at  Hammam 
Pharoon,  where  he  watched  the  drown- 
ing of  the  Egyptians,  at  El  Wateeyah, 
in  the  Wady  ed  Dayr,  and  on  Jebel 
Moosa,  where  there  is  the  impression 
of  a  human  head  and  back,  said  to 
have  been  made  by  Moses,  when  he 
shrunk  back  as  the  glory  of  the  Lord 
passed  by.  Other  mementoes  also 
exist  in  the  rocks  said  to  have  been 
struck  by  him,  as  at  Wady  Berrah, 
near  the  Convent,  where  there  is  a 
divided  rock  called  Hajar  el  Laghwch, 
"  the  Speaking  Stone,"  said  to  have 
been  severed  by  Moses ;  at  the  Wady 
el  Lejah  is  another  called  Hajar  el 
Magareen,  "the  Bock  of  the  United 
Ones  :"  and  in  the  Wady  Feiran  is 
a  rock  called  Hesy  el  Khattateen,  said 
by  the  Bedaween  to  be  the  identical 
one  from  which  water  issued  when 
struck  by  Moses.  Other  memories  of 
the  Israelites  linger  in  the  names 
Shdeib  (Jethro),  Imran  (Amram), 
Moneijah  (The  Conference).  The 
various  primitive  tombs  and  dwellings, 
and  every  ruin  of  which  the  purpose 
is  unknown  to  the  Bedaween,  are 
called  by  them  nawdmees,  "  mosquito 
houses,"  because,  they  say,  that  when 
the  Israelites  "  rebelled  against  God 
and  against  Moses,"  the  Lord  sent  a 
plague  of  mosquitoes  to  torment  them, 
and  these  edifices  were  erected  as  a 
refuge  from  the  tiny  persecutors. 

d.  Geography  and  Natural  Features. 
— The  Peninsula  of  Sinai  is  in  shape 
a  triangle,  of  which  the  base,  a  line 
drawn  from  Suez  to  Akabah,  is  150  m. 
long,  the  western  side  186  m.,  and  the 
eastern  133  in.,  the  point  at  which 
the  two  sides  meet  being  Bas  Moham- 
med.    The  area   contained  within 


Egypt. 


ROUTE  14.— GEOLOGY  OF  SINAI. 


277 


these  limits  is  about  11,500  square 
miles.  Within  this  triangle,  having 
the  same  base-line,  and  with  its  vertex 
also  towards  the  south,  is  a  crescent 
formed  by  the  southern  portion  of  the 
great  table-land  known  as  the  Badiet- 
et-Tih,  or  Wilderness  of  the  Wan- 
derings. It  is  separated  from  the  rest 
of  the  Peninsula  by  a  steep  and  lofty 
limestone  ridge,  forming  a  curved 
frontier,  of  which  the  highest  point  is 
Jebel  Emreikeh,  situated  about  mid- 
way between  the  two  arms  of  the  Red 
Sea.  There  are  thus  two  distinct 
tracts  of  country,  the  comparatively 
level  desert  of  the  Tib.  on  the  south, 
and  the  rugged  mountains  of  Tor  on 
the  north.  The  latter  may  be  con- 
sidered as  more  emphatically  the 
Peninsula  of  Sinai ;  by  the  Arabs  it 
is  known  under  the  names  Tor  Sinai, 
Jebel  Tor  Sinai,  and  Jebel  et  Tor. 
The  watershed  of  this  mountainous 
region  runs  north  and  south,  the  val- 
leys trending  westward  into  the  Gulf 
of  Suez,  and  eastward  into  the  Gulf  of 
Akabah.  The  central  point  in  the 
system  is  Jebel  Katareena,  8,550  ft., 
the  highest  mountain  in  the  Penin- 
sula. 

There  are  three  chief  geological  sub- 
divisions. 1.  The  sandstone  district. 
This  occupies  a  comparatively  small 
portion  of  the  Peninsula.  The  main 
part  of  it  is  in  the  north,  and  runs 
conterminous  with  the  line  of  the  Tih 
escarpment.  In  it  are  the  only  plains 
of  deep  heavy  sand  met  with  in  the 
Peninsula.  One  of  these,  the  Debbet 
er  Ramleh,  covers  a  space  of  about  130 
square  miles,  or  one-eighth  of  the 
whole  sandstone  area.  There  are 
smaller  tracts  to  the  east.  The  chief 
features  of  this  district  are  sandstone 
peaks,  table-topped  ranges  and  pla- 
teaux intersected  by  valleys,  and  un- 
dulating plains.  It  is  the  richest  in 
objects  of  archaeological  interest.  In 
it  are  found  in  great  numbers  the 
famous  "  Sinaitic  rock-inscriptions," 
the  sandstone  rocks  of  Wady  Mu- 
katteb  being  covered  with  these 
graffiti.  At  Ma^harah  and  at  Sarabit- 
el-Khadim  are  the  old  Egyptian  tur- 
quoise and  copper  mines,  with  hiero- 
glyphic tablets  of  gieat  age.    2.  The 


Plutonic  and  Metamorphic  Eocks. 
These  compose  the  largest  and  most 
striking  district  of  the  Peninsula,  and 
indeed  give  its  distinctive  character  to 
the  whole  region.  They  extend  in  a 
triangular  mass  of  mountains  from  the 
margin  of  the  sandstone  belt  to  the  apex 
of  the  Peninsula  at  Eas  Mohammed, 
and  include  the  well-known  peaks  of 
Jebel  Serbal,  Jebel  Moosa,  and  Jebel 
Katareena.  The  rocks  are  composed 
chiefly  of  granites  and  syenites,  and 
varieties  of  gneiss  and  mica-schist. 
The  whole  region  is  a  chaos  of  moun- 
tains, a  bewildering  network  of  rocky 
valleys  and  glens,  with  but  a  few  open 
spaces.  The  granite  district  is  the 
grandest  and  the  most  striking,  contain- 
ing, as  it  does,  the  massive  single  pile  of 
Serbal,  and  the  magnificent  lofty  ridge, 
in  the  heart  of  which  are  Jebel  Moosa 
and  the  monastery  of  St.  Catharine, 
and  the  towering  peak  of  Jebel  Kata- 
reena. 3.  The  Cretaceous  and  Tertiary 
Eocks.  This  district  is  comprised  in 
the  long  narrow  strip  which  skirts  the 
sea-board  from  Suez  to  Eas  Moham- 
med. It  is  less  mountainous  than 
either  the  sandstone  or  granitic  region, 
and  the  scenery  is  without  interest. 
The  beach  which  lines  the  sea-margin 
on  the  W.,  often  spreads  out  into 
large  plains,  of  which  the  chief  is  El 
Gaah,  but  on  the  E.  the  granite  hills 
descend  almost  to  the  shore-line. 

The  general  aspect  of  the  country  is 
one  of  utter  barrenness  and  desolation, 
but  there  are  a  few  green  spots  in  the 
upland  basins,  and  in  some  of  the  nar- 
row passes  and  rocky  glens.  The 
chief  oasis  is  at  Wady  Feinin  ;  and  in 
the  spring-time  many  of  the  valleys 
have  streams  running  down  them, 
whose  stores  are  replenished  by  occa- 
sional showers  and  heavy  dews.  These 
valleys,  or  "  wadies,"  form  the  high- 
ways of  the  Peninsula,  and  the  homes 
of  the  Bedaween.  Wady,  the  par- 
ticipial agent  of  the  verb  wadee  to 
"  send  out,"  "  go  out,"  and  hence  "  to 
flow,"  may  be  taken  as  implying  a  rent 
or  depression,  down  which  water  flows. 
Dean  Stanley  has  described  it  as  ''a 
hollow,  a  valley,  a  depression — more 
or  less  deep,  or  wide,  or  long — worn 
or  washed  by  the  mountain  torrents  or 


278 


ROUTE  14. — CAIRO 


TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 


Sect.  II. 


winter  rains  for  a  few  months  or  weeks 
in  the  year."  Perhaps  the  best 
English  words  to  express  it  are  "  val- 
ley," or  c<  watercourse."  As  a  rule 
these  wadies  are  dry,  or  have  water 
only  on  rare  occasions,  hut  it  is  easy 
to  account  for  the  traces  they  present 
of  the  passage  of  large  volumes  or 
water,  by  the  sudden  storms  which,  at 
rare  intervals,  break  over  some  part 
of  the  Peninsula.  The  prodigious 
quantity  of  rain  discharged  during 
one  of  these  storms  produces  a  flood 
which  tears  along  the  wadies  like  a 
raging  torrent.  One  of  these  floods,  or 
"  seils "  as  they  are  called,  was  wit- 
nessed by  the  Eev.  P.  W.  Holland  in 
1867,  when  the  Wady  Feiran,  a  valley 
300  yards  broad,  was  for  hours  the  bed. 
of  a  resistless  torrent  from  eight  to  ten 
feet  deep. 

e.  Natural  History  and  Climate. — 
Notwithstanding  the  desert  soil,  there 
are  few  parts  of  the  Peninsula  which 
do  not  show  some  signs  of  vegetation. 
The  valleys  and  the  plains  are  sparsely 
clothed  with  many  varieties  of  almost 
sapless  herbs  and  shrubs,  some  of 
which  manage  to  exist  even  on  the 
rugged  hill-sides.  In  addition  to  these 
there  are  some  trees  and  large  shrubs, 
such  as  the  tarfah,  or  tamarisk,  already 
referred  to  as  yielding  the  "  manna," 
the  retem,  or  broom,  the  "  juniper  tree  " 
of  the  Bible,  and  the  seyal,  or  acacia, 
the  "shittah  tree"  of  the  Bible. 
There  are  many  signs  of  the  vege- 
tation having  been  formerly  increased 
by  cultivation,  and  the  gardens  of  the 
Monastery  of  St.  Catharine,  and  in 
the  valleys  round  Jebel  Moosa  are 
still  kept  up  and  tended  by  the  monks 
with  considerable  care.  These  gar- 
dens, oases,  and  dry  herbage  have, 
however,  but  little  effect  on  the  gene- 
ral scenery  of  the  country,  and  miti- 
gate in  no  appreciable  degree  its  arid 
and  desolate  character.  The  beauty 
of  the  landscape  is  derived  from  the 
effects  of  light  and  air,  and  the  colours 
and  outline  of  the  rocks. 

Animal  life  exists  to  no  very  great 
extent  in  the  Peninsula.  Among  the 
mammals  may  bementioned  the  spotted 
hyena  (dhaba'),  whose  tracks  are  often 


seen  in  the  wadies ;  the  ibex  (beddn), 
the  "  wild  goat "  of  the  Bible,  to  be 
found  among  the  higher  mountains, 
but  very  shy  and  wild;  the  dorcas 
gazelle  {ghazdla)  frequents  the  plains 
between  tiie  mountains  and  the  sea  on 
the  east,  and  is  very  difficult  of  ap- 
proach;  the  Sinaitic  hare  (arneb),  in 
the  upland  plains ;  the  coney  (wabur, 
jutah),  in  the  mountains ;  the  jackal 
(ta'dleb);  the  female  fox  (aboo  el 
hoseiri) ;  the  porcupine  mouse,  and 
others;  the  leopard  (nimr)  is  seen 
occasionally  in  the  mountains.  The 
only  birds  that  the  sportsman  will  find, 
and  those  but  very  seldom,  are  the 
Greek  partridge  (shinndr),  in  the  higher 
mountains ;  Haj's  partridge  (hajjah), 
more  numerous  and  more  generally 
distributed  than  the  Greek,  it  seldom 
takes  flight,  but  runs  at  a  great  pace, 
and  is  difficult  to  get  near ;  the  sand- 
grouse  (gattdli),  common  in  the  Tih 
desert,  but  not  easy  to  shoot ;  and  the 
quail  (summdri),  very  rare.  A  few 
duck  and  teal,  and  other  waterfowl, 
may  sometimes  be  seen  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  the  Bed  Sea.  The  otner 
birds  are  chiefly  chats,  finches,  and 
warblers. 

_  The  climate  of  the  Peninsula,  espe- 
cially of  the  mountain  parts,  is  very 
healthy.  The  old  hermits,  to  whom 
tradition  assigns  an  almost  fabulous 
longevity,  believed  that  man  needed 
in  the  desert  "  hardly  to  eat,  drink,  or 
sleep,  for  the  act  of  breathing  will  give 
life  enough."  One  of  its  most  remark- 
able features  is  its  intense  dryness, 
observations  with  wet-  and  dry -bulb 
thermometers  showing  a  difference  of 
20°,  and  even  30°.  In  winter  it  is  very 
cold  in  the  mountains,  and  snow  often 
falls,  though  it  is  never  seen  lower 
than  4000  feet.  The  heat  in  summer 
is  proportionately  intense,  especially 
in  the  limestone  districts;  and  the 
khamseen  winds,  which  occur  gene- 
rally in  the  spring,  render  the  usually 
clear  atmosphere  stifling  and  oppres- 
sive. There  is  a  great  difference 
between  the  temperature  of  the  day 
and  the  night,  especially  in  winter, 
the  thermometer  sometimes  falling 
below  freezing-point  at  night,  to  go  up 
as  high  as  70°  in  the  shade  during  the 


Egypt. 


ROUTE  14.  ROUTE  OF  THE  ISRAELITES. 


279 


day.  This  change  is  not  so  great  in 
the  plains.  The  prevailing  winds  are 
from  the  north  and  east.  As  a  rule, 
the  air  is  very  still,  with  only  a  gentle 
cooling  breeze,  but  now  and  then 
heavy  gales  suddenly  spring  up.  The 
rainfall  is  very  slight,  unless  there 
occurs  one  of  those  storms  already 
alluded  to.  Slight  shocks  of  earth- 
quake are  said  to  be  occasionally  felt. 
Heavy  dews  are  common  in  the  winter. 

/.  Ruins. — The  archaeology  of  the 
Sinaitic  Peninsula  is  of  considerable 
interest.  The  ruins  may  be  divided 
into  four  classes.  1.  Primitive  re- 
mains, such  as  stone  circles,  tombs, 
store-houses,  the  nawamees  or  mosquito 
houses  before  referred  to,  archaic 
sculpturings,  &c,  which  may  be  re- 
ferred to  the  early  inhabitants  of  the 
country,  perhaps  the  "  Amalekites"  of 
the  Bible.  2.  Egyptian  remains,  sucli 
as  those  of  Magharah  and  Sarabit  el 
Khadim.  3.  Monastic  ruins,  con- 
sisting of  buildings  erected  by  monks 
and  hermits  from  the  4th  to  the  7th 
centuries  a.d.  And  4.  Post-monastic, 
consisting  of  the  few  ruins  which  have 
a  Mohammedan  origin.  Such  ancient 
remains  as  occur  on  the  routes  to  Sinai 
will  be  noticed  in  then-  place. 

g.  Route  of  the  Israelites  from  Egypt 
to  Mount  Sinai. — But  one  more  subject 
requires  perhaps  to  be  referred  to  be- 
fore starting  on  the  journey,  and  that 
is,  the  route  followed  by  the  Israelites. 
Then*  starting-place  in  Egypt  is  said 
to  have  been  Barneses  (Ex.  xii.  37; 
Num.  xxxiii.  3,  5).    The  position  of 
this  town  cannot  be  said  to  have  been 
absolutely  determined,  but  it  is  pro- 
bable that  it  was  at  a  place  close  to 
the  Fresh- Water  Canal  between  Zag- 
azig  and  Ismailia,  which  has  been 
named  Eameses  by  the  French.  This 
would  place  it  in  the  centre  of  the  j 
Land  of  Goshen,  and  on  the  border  of , 
the  large  irrigation  canal  which  pre-  j 
ceded    the    navigable    one.  From 
Eameses  they  marched  three  days  to  ! 
Pi-hahiroth,  over  against  or  before  j 
Baal-zephon    (Ex.    xiv.  2  ;  Num. 
xxxiii.  7),  the  intermediate  stations 
being  Succoth  and  Etham.  These  two 


places  have  not  been  identified,  but 
from  Etham  being  spoken  of  as  "  in 
the  edge  of  the  wilderness,"  it  may  be 
concluded  that  it  was  just  beyond  the 
limit  of  cultivable  land,  and  somewhere 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  present 
Bitter  Lakes.  The  sites  of  Pi-hahiroth 
and  Baal-zephon  are  also  unknown; 
but  perhaps  the  most  reasonable  of 
all  the  many  conjectures  is  that  which 
places  them  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Shaloof  on  the  Suez  Canal.  The  argu- 
ments in  favour  of  this  view,  and  of 
making  the  site  of  the  Passage  some 
miles  to  the  north  of  Suez  are  these. 

The  distance  from  Eameses  to  Sha- 
loof is  about  55  miles,  a  good  three 
days'  journey  for  a  large  multitude, 
including  women  and  children,  even 
making  allowance  for  the  necessity 
which  existed  for  escaping  the 
Egyptians.  The  Eed  Sea,  which  then 
extended  to  the  head  of  the  modem 
Bitter  Lakes,  if  not  to  Lake  Timsah, 
was  at  this  point  narrow  and  com- 
paratively shallow  ;  and  as,  according 
to  the  Bible  (Ex.  xiv.),  the  whole  host 
passed  over  in  one  night,  the  point  of 
crossing  must  have  been  narrow.  A 
strong  east,  or  rather,  as  the  Septua- 
gint  has  it,  south  wind,  would  soon 
have  rendered  the  spot  fordable  at  low 
tide,  this  natural  phenomenon  being 
miraculously  exaggerated  ;  and  as  the 
tide  rose  and  the  wind  increased  to  a 
hurricane,  and  one  of  those  frightful 
storms  set  in  which  many  travellers 
have  experienced  in  these  parts,  and 
to  which  the  Psalmist  refers  (Ps. 
lxxvii.  15-20),  the  Egyptians,  caught 
in  mid -channel,  were  overwhelmed 
and  drowned.  Many  are  in  favour  of 
placing  the  scene  of  the  passage 
further  south,  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Suez ;  while  others,  on  the  strength 
of  a  Bedawee  tradition,  maintain  that 
the  Israelites  crossed  from  the  foot  of 
Bas  Attakah  below  Suez  to  Ain 
Moosa,  a  distance  of  more  than  five 
miles.  This  last  hypothesis  supposes 
the  starting-place  to  have  been  oppo- 
site Memphis,  and  the  route  to  have 
lain  along  the  valley  which  leads 
thence  to  the  Eed  Sea. 

The  next  stage  in  the  journey  of  the 
Israelites  after  crossing  the  Eed  Sea  is, 


280 


KOUTE  14.  CAIRO  TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 


Sect.  II. 


according  to  the  Bible,  Marah,  which 
they  reached  after  "three  days'  jour- 
ney in  the  wilderness."  If  the  crossing 
took  place,  as  it  has  been  assumed  it 
did,  at  Shaloof,  then  Marah,  where  the 
waters  were  bitter,  may  be  identified 
with  Ain  Moosa,  about  18  miles  from 
Shaloof.  But  if  the  scene  of  the  pas- 
sage be  fixed  at  Suez,  then  the  site  of 
Marah  may  be  fixed,  at  Ain  Hawarah, 
47  miles  from  Ain  Moosa ;  or  perhaps, 
with  more  probability,  somewhere  in 
the  Wady  Amarah,  41  miles  from  Ain 
Moosa. 

From  Marah  they  came  to  Elim, 
where  "were  twelve  wells  of  water 
and  threescore  and  ten  palm-trees " 
(Ex.  xv.  27).  The  site  of  Elim  may  be 
placed  either  in  Wady  Ghurundel  or 
Wady  Useit,  according  as  the  position 
of  Marah  is  fixed  at  Wady  Amarah  or 
at  Ain  Hawarah. 

The  next  encampment  was  "  by  the 
Bed  Sea"  (Num.  xxxiii.  10),  some- 
where no  doubt  ou  the  broad  level 
plain  at  the  mouth  of  Wady  Taiyibeh. 

The  "  Wilderness  of  Sin "  is  the 
next  stage  in  the  journey,  and  this  is 
supposed  to  correspond  with  the  open 
plain  called  El  Markhah,  extending 
by  the  sea  from  Jebel  el  Markhah  to 
the  entrance  to  Wady  Feiran. 

The  next  two  places  mentioned  in 
Numbers  are  Dophkah  and  Alush, 
which  cannot  be  identified;  but  as 
they  lay  between  the  Wilderness 
of  Sin  and  Bephidim,  they  must  be 
looked  for  somewhere  in  the  Wady 
Feiran.  There  are  four  roads  leading 
from  El  Markhah  to  Jebel  Moosa, 
and  some  writers  have  advocated  the 
claims  of  one  or  other  of  these  to  have 
been  that  taken  by  the  Israelites ;  but 
everything  seems  in  favour  of  the 
Wady  Feiran  having  been  the  one 
chosen.  It  is  a  much  easier  road  than 
any  of  the  others,  and  it  was  likely  to 
have  been  chosen  in  preference  to  the 
other  easy  one  by  Seih  Sidreh  and 
Wady  Mukatteb,  as  avoiding  the 
Egyptian  settlements  at  Magharah. 

Ancient  tradition,  and  most  modern 
authors,  agree  in  placing  Bephidim 
at  Feiran.  Its  position  answers  to  all 
the  requirements  of  the  account  of  the 
battle  with  the  Amalekites  (Ex.  xvii. 


8-16) ;  and  the  rock  which  Moses 
there  struck  to  procure  water  being 
called  "the  Bock  of  Horeb"  presents 
no  difficulty,  as  "  Horeb  "  is  a  general 
term  applied  to  the  whole  granite 
district  of  the  Peninsula,  and  not  to 
any  one  particular  peak  or  mountain. 
This  is  the  view  taken  by  Lepsius, 
Stanley,  and  all  the  members  of  the 
Ordnance  Survey,  except  Mr.  Holland, 
who  follows  Burckhardt  and  Bobinson 
in  placing  Bephidim  at  El  Wateeyah, 
a  narrow  pass  leading  through  the 
granite  wall  which  encloses  the  central 
group  of  Sinaitic  mountains :  but  the 
only  serious  arguments  in  its  favour 
are,  that  it  is  within  an  easy  day's 
journey  of  Jebel  Moosa,  a  condition 
which  some  think  is  required  by  the 
Biblical  narrative,  and  that  Moham- 
medan tradition  points  out  a  rock 
there  called  "  the  Seat  of  the  prophet 
Moses."  Various  other  traditions,  how- 
ever, say  as  much  or  more  for  Feiran, 
and  the  account  in  Exodus  xix.  2  does 
not  seem  necessarily  to  imply  that  only 
one  day  elapsed  between  leaving  Bephi- 
dim and  camping  "  before  the  mount." 

From  Feiran  the  main  body  of  the 
Israelites,  with  their  flocks  and  herds, 
probably  passed  up  the  Wady  esh 
Sheykh,  while  Moses  and  the  Elders 
went  by  the  Wady  Solaf  and  the  Nugb 
Hawa;  the  final  camping-ground,  at 
which  took  place  the  giving  of  the 
Law,  being  the  plain  of  Er  Bahah  at 
the  foot  of  the  peak  of  Jebel  Moosa 
called  Bas  Sufsafeh.  It  would  take 
too  long  here  to  examine  at  length  the 
claims  of  the  different  mountains  that 
have  been  put  forward  to  represent 
"  Mount  Sinai,"  "  the  Mount  of  the 
Giving  of  the  Law."  They  are  five 
in  number, — Jebel  el  'Ejmah,  Jebel 
Umm  'Alawee,  Jebel  Katareena,  Jebel 
Serbal,  and  Jebel  Moosa.  The  last 
two  have  had  the  most  advocates :  but 
all  recent  research  and  discovery  seems 
to  disallow  the  claim  of  any  but  Jebel 
Moosa.  Its  peak  of  Bas  Sufsafeh  alone 
seems  to  meet  all  the  requirements  of 
the  case,  viz.,  a  well-defined  precipi- 
tous mountain  summit,  overlooking  a 
large  open  space,  on  which  a  vast  host 
like  that  of  the  Israelites  could  encamp, 
and  find  sustenance  for  their  flocks 


Egypt 


ROUTE  14.  AIN  MOOSA  TO  JEBEL  MOOSA. 


281 


and  herds.  It  does  not  come  within  ' 
the  scope  of  the  present  route  to  trace  i 
the  road  followed  by  the  Israelites 
further  than  Mount  Sinai;  and,  indeed,  I 
the  materials  for  the  identification  of 
any  of  their  subsequent  resting-places  ; 
are  so  slight,  that  hardly  one  site  can  \ 
be  fixed  with  any  certainty. 

h.  Routes  from  Ain  Moosa  to  Jebel 
Moosa  Mi  -v.  nt  Sinai),  and  the  Convent  of 
St.  Catharine. — There  are  several  roads  ! 
by  which  Mount  Sinai  may  be  reached 
from  Ain  Moosa ;  but  it  will  be  sufii- 1 
cient  here  to  describe  the  two  which 
are  most  usually  followed  by  travellers, 
the  one  in  going  to,  and  the  other  in 
returning  from  Mount  Sinai,  merely 
indicating  the  names  and  distances 
along  the  other  roads.  And  of  these 
two  principal  roads  the  first  and  the  last 
parts  coincide,  the  difference  in  direc- 
tion occurring  between  Wady  Shebei- 
keh  and  the  mouth  of  Nugb  Hawa. 

Route  (a)  via,  Wady  Hukatteb  and 
Feirdn. 

Miles. 

Ain  Moosa  [Marah]  to  Wady 

Sadur    21 

Wady  Amarah  [Marah]  ..     ..  20 

Ain  Hawarah  [Marah]    . .     . .  6 

Wady  Ghmundel  [Elim]  . .     . .  7 

Wadv  Useit  [Elim]   6 

Wady  Ethal    7 

Wady  Shebeikeh  (mouth  of)  . .  4 
Wady  Taiyibeh  (mouth  of)  [En- 
campment by  the  Sea] . .     . .  4 

Jebel  el  Markhah    7 

Seih  Bab'a   6 

Wady  Shellal  (mouth  of;  2 

Nugb  Buderah   4 

Wady  Igne  (mouth  of,  leading 

to  Magharah)    5 

Wady  Mukatteb    5 

Wady  Feiran    4 

Feirdn    (El    Maharrad)  [Ee- 

phidim]   14 

Wady  esh  Sheykh  (mouth  of)  6 
Wady    Solaf    head   of)  and 

mouth  of  Xugb  Hawa  . .     . .  15 

Nugb  Hawa  (summit  of )  . .     . .  5 
Jebel  Moosa  and  Monastery  of 

St.  Catherine   5 


153 


Route  (0)  via  Sardbit  el  Khddim. 

Miles. 

Ain  Moosa  to  Wady  Shebeikeh 

(see  (a))    71 

Sarboot  el  Jemel    7 

Wady  Suwig  (mouth  of)  ..  ..  13 
Saraoit  el  Kbadim  (foot  of)  ..  6 
Debebat  Sheykh  Ahmed  . .  7 

Erweis  el  Ebeirig    21 

Wady  Solaf  (head    of)  and 

mouth  of  Nugb  Hawa  . .  12 
Jebel   Moosa,   &c,  via  Nugb 

Hawa  see  (a) )    10 

147 

If  the  traveller  does  not  intend  re- 
turning to  Cairo,  but  means  to  con- 
tinue on  across  the  desert  to  Hebron, 
he  had  better,  unless  Egyptian  anti- 
quities are  especially  his  object,  choose 
Ete.  a  as  affording  the  most  general 
objects  of  interest. 

Route  (a). 

On  leaving  Ain  Moosa  the  tra- 
veller turns  his  back  on  civilisation, 
and  enters  on  the  wide  desert.  And 
nothing  can  well  be  more  dreary 
and  monotonous  than  the  first  day's 
journey.  At  first  the  plain  is  a  little 
broken,  but  after  a  few  miles,  at  Wady 
ed  Dehseh,  a  flat  desolate  expanse  is 
entered  on,  unrelieved  by  any  feature. 
The  march  is  toilsome  enough,  even  if 
the  weather  be  clear  and  fine  ;  but  if, 
as  is  frequently  the  case,  a  khamseen 
wind  gets  up,  making  the  atmosphere 
oven-like  in  its  heat  and  oppressive- 
ness, and  enveloping  everything  in  a 
shroud  of  sand,  then  indeed  the  first 
day's  journey  in  the  desert  is  any- 
thing but  a  pleasant  and  encourag- 
ing experience,  and  the  "  flesh- 
pots"  of  Egypt  will  be  looked  back 
upon  with  regret.  So  many  travellers 
mention  having  met  with  a  khamseen 
wind  and  sand-storm  in  this  part  of 
the  desert,  that  it  seems  as  if  it  were 
a  phenomenon  peculiar  to  this  special 
region.  Dean  Stanley  says,  "  Soon 
Eed  Sea  and  all  were  lost  in  a  sand- 
storm, which  lasted  the  whole  day. 
Imagine  all  distant  objects  entirely 
lost  to  view, — the  sheets  of  sand  fleet- 
ing along  the  surface  of  the  desert  like 
streams  of  water  ;  the  whole  air  filled, 


282 


ROUTE  14.  CAIRO 


TO  MOUNT  SINAI.  Sect.  II. 


though  invisibly,  with  a  tempest  of 
sand,  driving  in  your  face  like  sleet. 
Imagine  the  caravan  toiling  against 
this, — the  Bedouins,  each  with  his 
shawl  thrown  completely  over  his 
head,  half  of  the  riders  sitting  back- 
wards, the  camels,  meantime,  thus 
virtually  left  without  guidance,  though 
from  time  to  time  throwing  their  long 
necks  sideways  to  avoid  the  blast,  yet 
moving  straight  onwards  with  a  pain- 
ful sense  of  duty  truly  edifying  to 
behold  ....  Through  the  tempest, 
this  roaring  and  driving  tempest, 
which  sometimes  made  me  think  that 
this  must  be  the  real  meaning  of '  a 
howling  wilderness,'  we  rode  on  the 
whole  day." 

From  Wady  ed  Dehseh  three  roads 
lead  to  the  springs  of  Wady  Ghur- 
undel.  The  westernmost  passes  along 
the  coast  to  Jebel  Hammam  Pharoon, 
and  then  turns  up  Wady  Ghurundel  : 
the  easternmost,  which  branches  off  a 
little  north  of  Wady  ed  Dehseh,  runs 
in  the  direction  of  Jebel  Bagah  in  the 
Tih,  and  then  passes  near  the  outskirts 
of  the  Tih  ran#e  to  the  upper  part  of 
Wady  Ghurundel  :  and  the  central 
and  shortest,  which,  as  the  one  usually 
followed,  will  be  described. 

The  sandy  bed  of  Wady  Sadur 
(21  miles)  is  generally  chosen  as  the 
first  camping-place  after  leaving  Ain 
Moosa.  A  few  stunted  tamarisks  and 
other  shrubs  are  dotted  about,  and  at 
the  head  of  the  wady  is  the  isolated 
peak  of  Jebel  Bisher.  The  Taset 
Sadur  (the  Cup  of  Sadur),  another 
similar  peak,  lies  ten  miles  further 
inland.  In  this  neighbourhood  are  the 
head-quarters  of  the  Terabeen  Arabs. 
The  most  marked  feature  after  leav- 
ing Wady  Sadur  is  Wady  War  dan  (8 
miles),  a  broad  depression  strewn  with 
boulders.  From  this  point  there  is  an 
effective  view  of  the  Tih  and  Er  Kahah 
cliffs,  and  the  bold  outlines  of  Jebel 
Bisher  occupying  the  gap  between 
them.  Gazelle  may  sometimes  be  seen 
in  this  neighbourhood. 

Wady  Amdrah  (14  miles\  which  may 
have  been  the  site  of  "  Marah,"  is  the 
next  halting-place  for  the  night;  or 
the  camp  may  be  pitched  near  the 


Hagar  efjlekliab  (3  miles)  ("  the  Stone 
of  the  Eider  "),  a  group  of  low  rocks 
whose  shade  affords  a  tempting  rest- 
ing-place. The  country  after  passing 
Wady  Amarah  is  not  quite  so  mono- 
tonous. The  plain  undulates,  and  is 
diversified  by  hills  and  plateaux  glit- 
tering in  many  places  with  crystals  of 
gypsum  ;  on  the  left  spurs  come  down 
from  the  Tih,  and  low  ranges  of  hills 
run  down  on  the  right  to  the  sea,  whose 
blue  and  sparkling  waters  may  now  and 
then  be  caught  glimpses  of ;  in  front 
rise  the  high  dark  outlines  of  Jebel 
Hammam  Pharoon.  We  are  near  the 
end  of  the  "  Wilderness  of  Shur,"  in 
which  the  Israelites  "  went  three  days 
and  found  no  water."  Ain  Hawdrah 
(3  miles)  is  also  considered  to  havo 
claims  to  be  identified  with  "  Marah." 
It  is  an  insignificant  spring,  situated 
on  an  eminence,  and  overshadowed  by 
one  or  two  desert  palms.  The  water 
is  nasty  and  bitter,  like  that  of  all  the 
other  springs  in  the  limestone  district. 
Passing  on  the  way  the  Engee  el  Fool 
("the  Bean-field"),  a  small  basin  which 
collects  sufficient  moisture  from  the 
neighbouring  hills  to  support  a  little 
Arab  cultivation,  we  reach  Wady 
Ghurundel  (5  miles),  a  broad  well- 
defined  valley,  at  this  point  about  600 
yards  wide,  and  running  between 
chalky  cliffs  60  to  80  feet  high.  There 
is  plenty  of  desert  herbage,  and  small 
clusters  of  stunted  palms  are  frequent. 
In  this  valley  grows  plentifully  the 
ghurleud,  a  plant  with  a  small  red 
berry,  which  some  suppose  to  have 
been  the  "tree"  used  by  Moses  to 
sweeten  the  waters  at  Marah.  This 
plant,  however,  has  no  such  properties. 

The  Springs  of  Wady  Ghurundel  (2 
miles)  form  usually  the  third  halting- 
place  of  the  traveller,  as  here  the  stock 
of  water  can  be  renewed,  and  the 
camels  refresh  themselves  after  the  2J 
days'  march  from  Ain  Moosa.  In 
spring  time  the  supply  of  water  is 
abundant,  and  bursts  forth  in  several 
places,  but  it  is  insipid  and  not  over 
clean.  In  the  cliffs  on  the  left, 
above  the  springs,  are  some  old  tombs. 
Wady  Ghurundel  has  been  fixed  upon 
as  one  of  the  most  probable  sites 


Efjypt. 


ROUTE  14. — JBBEL 


HAMMAM  PEAEOON. 


283 


for  "  Elim " ;  and  the  oasis  which 
meets  the  eye  of  the  traveller,  if  he 
should  make  an  excursion  down  the 
wady  to  Jebel  Hammam  Pharoon,  will 
answer  to  the  requirements  of  the 
spot.  The  valley  narrows  a  short 
distance  below  the  springs,  the  cliffs 
rise  in  height,  and  a  running  stream 
gives  life  to  thickets  of  palms  and 
tamarisks,  and  beds  of  reeds  and  bul- 
rushes, abounding  in  waterfowl  and 
other  birds,  and  through  which  the 
water  gurgles,  with  brooks,  and  pools, 
and  tiny  waterfalls.  The  water  ends 
about  a  mile  from  the  mouth  of  the 
wady,  which  issues  upon  the  sea-plain, 
a  gently-sloping  alluvial  tract  of  sand 
and  gravel  about  §  mile  broad. 

Four  miles  along  this  plain  to  the 
S.W.  is  Jebel  Hammdm  Pharoon  (the 
Mountain  of  Pharaoh's  Hot-bath),  a 
splendid  cliff  of  crystalline  limestone 
about  1570  feet  high.  The  hot  springs 
gush  out  of  passages  in  the  rocks  in 
the  northern  end,  and  out  of  the  sand. 
The  two  principal  springs  are  the 
hottest,  with  a  temperature  of  about 
160 D.  The  water  has  an  unpleasant 
taste  and  a  sulphurous  smell,  and  is 
by  the  Bedaween  credited  with  marvel- 
lous medicinal  properties.  The  name 
is  derived  from  a  Bedaween  legend 
which  places  the  destruction  of  Pha- 
raoh and  his  host  at  this  spot,  and 
attributes  the  heat  and  sulphurous 
smell  of  the  water  to  their  troubled 
spirits  lying  beneath  the  waves.  The 
bluffs  of  Jebel  Hamman  Pharoon,  and 
the  neighbouring  peak  of  Jebel  Useit, 
present  a  continuous  and  abrupt  front 
to  the  sea,  five  miles  long,  and  im- 
passable. 

Eeturning  to  the  main  route  we  pass, 
soon  after  leaving  Wady  Ghurundel, 
on  to  the  high  rolling  plain  of  El  Gar- 
gal.  The  scenery  here  is  picturesque  : 
in  front  rises  the  triple  peak  of  Sar7 
boot  el  Jemel,  while  the  outlines  of 
Jebel  Serbal  and  Jebel  el  Benat  can 
be  faintly  seen  to  the  S.E. ;  on  the  left 
are  the  spurs  of  the  Tih,  and  on  the 
right  the  ridges  of  Jebel  Hammam 
Pharoon  and  Jebel  Useit.  Wady 
Useit  (6  miles)  is  the  first  broad  valley 
crossed.  It  is  sparsely  covered  with, 
vegetation,  and  just  above  the  crossing 


place  are  some  brackish  wells,  with 
a  few  palms.  This  place  is  another 
candidate  for  being  the  site  of  "  Elim." 
Wady  Ethal  (7  miles)  is  the  next 
feature :  it  is  about  J  a  mile  wide,  and 
has  the  usual  desert  vegetation.  Both 
these  wadies  issue  through  narrow 
gorges,  between  high  limestone  cliffs, 
on  to  the  sea-plain.  A  short  distance 
beyond  Wady  Ethal  is  a  heap  of  stones 
called  'Oreis  et  Temman  (•"  the  Bride 
of  Temman"),  so  called  from  a  female 
devotee  who  used  to  sit  and  beg  at 
this  spot,  and  was  buried  there.  The 
mouth  of  Wady  ShebeiJcah  (the  Valley 
of  the  Net)  (4  miles)  is  reached  after  a 
labyrinthine  course  through  chalky 
hillocks  and  ridges,  vertical  cliffs,  and 
great  quarry-like  recesses.  At  this 
point  branches  off  Koute  (/3),  to  be 
hereafter  described. 

The  present  route  turns  southward 
down  Wady  Taiyibeh  (the  "  Pleasant" 
or  "Fruitful  Valley  ").  After  2£  miles 
down  this  valley,  between  walls  of 
limestone  rock  from  whose  dazzling 
face  there  is  a  terrible  glare,  a  cluster 
of  stunted  palms  and  tamarisks  is 
reached,  amongst  which  bubble  up  a 
few  springs  of  brackish  water ;  and  a 
short  distance  further  on  are  one  or  two 
more  springs,  and  a  few  more  palms  and 
tamarisks.  Yet  another  mile  or  so  be- 
tween hot  vertical  cliffs,  with  the  bright 
green  caper-plant  clinging  to  their 
faces,  and  then,  passing  on  the  left  a 
fine  bluff  of  lava  and  conglomerates, 
arranged  in  bright  bands  of  red,  black, 
and  brown,  we  reach  the  mouth  of 
Wady  Taiyibeh  (4  miles),  and  come 
out  upon  the  coast-plain  of  El  Mur- 
keiyeh.  On  this  plain,  somewhere 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Wady  Tai- 
yibeh, is  placed  the  site  of  "the 
Encampment  by  the  Sea,"  and  some- 
where about  the  same  spot  the  tra- 
veller will  pitch  his  next  encamp- 
ment after  leaving  Wady  Ghurundel. 

A  hot  and  weary  march  follows  over 
the  plains  of  El  Murkheiyeh  and  El 
Markhah.  A  short  distance  down  the 
coast  is  the  low  headland  called  Bas 
Aboo  Zeneemeh.  The  tomb  of  the 
saint  from  whom  it  is  named  is  to  the 
right  of  the  road,  and  is  hung  round 
with  a  miscellaneous  collection  of  of- 


284 


ROUTE  14.  CAIRO  TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 


Sect.  IT. 


ferings.  Further  on,  the  road  crosses 
a  low  promontory  of  limestone  rocks, 
which  at  one  point  rise  and  approach 
the  sea  so  closely,  that  the  passage  at 
high  tide  is  not  more  than  from  30  to 
40  ft.  wide.  We  now  reach  the  bold 
white  cliffs  of  Jebel  el  MarJchah  (7 
miles),  and  crossing  the  promontory 
which  juts  out  from  it  enter  the  plain 
of  El  Mdrkhdhj  a  wretched  desolate 
expanse  of  flints  and  sand,  almost 
without  vegetation.  For  about  two 
hours  the  road  traverses  this  plain  in 
a  S.E.  direction,  and  a  weary  trudge 
it  is.  The  sun  is  scorchmgly  hot,  and 
blazes  down  upon  the  traveller  from  a 
sky  whose  blue  expanse  is  unchequered 
by  a  single  cloud.  On  the  right  the 
waters  of  the  gulf,  of  an  Oven  deeper 
azure,  seem  to  simmer  in  a  mirror-like 
motionless  expanse,  that  is  hardly 
broken  by  a  ripple  even  where  they 
reach  the  shore.  The  soil  around  is 
dry,  baked,  and  glowing.  Fortunate 
is  he  who  does  not  have  to  encounter 
a  khamseen  wind  to  add  to  the  ex- 
hausting heat,  but  meets  rather  with 
the  fresh  sea-breeze,  which  generally 
rises  in  the  afternoon,  and  changes  the 
character  of  the  scene. 

At  last  the  entrance  of  Seih  BaVa 
(6  miles)  is  reached.  Ten  miles  further 
down  the  plain  is  the  mouth  of  the 
Wady  Feiran,  up  which,  according  to 
the  most  probable  conjecture,  the 
Israelites  marched.  We  therefore  here 
quit  for  a  time  their  track,  and  ad- 
vance up  the  Seih  Bab'a,  a  narrow 
valley  between  hills  of  limestone,  which 
soon  widens  out  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Wady  Shelldl  (2  miles).  Up  this  valley 
lies  the  road,  between  sandstone  and 
limestone  rocks  of  fantastic  form  and 
colours.  The  scenery  begins  to  be 
very  fine,  and  to  afford  a  sample  of 
the  grander  features  of  the  Sinaitic 
country.  The  path  rises  rapidly  over 
a  rugged  tract  of  ground,  and  then 
comes  suddenly  to  the  foot  of  Nugb 
JBuderah  (4  miles),  an  abrupt  cliff  of 
variegated  sandstone,  about  100  ft. 
high.  Up  its  face  winds  a  steep  path, 
here  and  there  supported  by  a  rubble 
wall,  and  quite  practicable,  thanks  to 
the  care  bestowed  on  it  by  the  late 


Major  Macdonald,  who  lived  at  Ma- 
gharah,  for  baggage-camels.    At  the 
summit  is  a  very  small  plain,  from 
which  the  road  leads  through  a  nar- 
|  row  winding  pass,  shut  in  by  beauti- 
j  fully  coloured  rocks,  into  the  Wady 
j  Nugb  Buderah  (2|  miles),  and  then 
I  turns  to  the  left  up  the  Seih  Sidreh 
|  (1  mile).    Here  is  obtained  the  first 
j  glimpse  of  the  red  granite  of  the  Penin- 
|  sula.    At  first  it  is  only  seen  on  the 
I  left  bank  of  Seih  Sidreh,  then  it  ap- 
j  pears  on  the  right,  after  which  it  ends, 
and  the  gorge  sweeping  round  a  cliff 
of  sandstone  issues  on  a  broad  valley. 
At  the  upper  end  of  the  gorge  comes 
in  on  the  left  a  small  valley,  Wady 
Igne  (lj  mile). 

If  the  camp  should  be  pitched  for  the 
night  somewhere  near  this  spot,  the 
traveller  may  think  it  worth  while  to 
devote  a  few  hours  to  visiting  the  old 
Egyptian  turquoise  mines  of  Maghdrah, 
which  are  not  far  distant.    Half  a  mile 
from  its  mouth  the  Wady  Igne  divides, 
and  a  few  yards  up  its  northern  branch, 
called  Wady  Genaiyeli,  are  the  tur- 
quoise mines,  situated  at  from  150  to 
200  feet  above  the  valley,  in  some 
sandstone  cliffs  on  the  western  side. 
At  the  fork  of  the  valley  is  a  conical 
hill,  strewed  with  the  ruins  of  build- 
ings occupied  by  the  captive  miners 
and  their  guards;  and  at  the  foot  of 
the  hill  are  the  remains  of  the  house 
occupied  by  the  late  Major  Macdonald, 
j  who  worked  the  mines  for  some  time, 
j  From  the  ruins  a  bank  of  loose  stones 
;  runs  down  into  the  valley  and  up  again 
!  to  the  mines,  a  causeway  apparently 
j  for  the  passage  of  the  miners,  intended 
to  save  the  labour  of  climbing  up  and 
I  down  the  steep  banks.   From  the  house 
j  a  camel-road  leads  up  the  valley  to  a 
1  good  spring  of  water  three  miles  dis- 
I  tant.    Maghdrah  signifies  a  "  mine  " 
j  or  "  cave,"  and  is  a  term  applied,  not 
|  to  one  particular  spot,  but  to  the  whole 
district  in  which  the  mines  are  situated. 
Besides  the  workings   at  this  spot, 
others  may  be  seen  in  the  Seih  Sidreh, 
near  the  mouth  of  Wady  Igne,  and  in 
Wady  Umm  Theniaim,  which  enters 
Seih  Sidreh  about  a  mile  lower  down. 

According  to  the  hieroglyphic  tablets 
at  Maghdrah,  the  first  Egyptian  mo- 


Egypt. 


EOUTE  14.  MAGHAKAH  WADY  MUKATTEB. 


285 


narch  who  invaded  the  Peninsula  was 
Senefroo,  the  first  king  of  the  IVth 
dynasty,  who  put  up  a  tablet  record- 
ing his  conquest  of  the  country,  and 
discovery  of  the  mines.  Cheops,  or 
Shoofoo,  the  builder  of  the  Great 
Pyramid,  also  has  a  tablet  close  to  the 
entrance  of  the  cave.  There  are  re- 
cords of  various  other  monarchs  of  the 
Vth  and  Vlth  dynasties,  who  either 
continued  or  re-established  the  works. 
From  the  Vlth  to  the  Xllth  dynasty 
they  appear  to  have  been  abandoned. 
In  the  2nd  year  of  Amenemha  III.  of 
the  Xllth  dynasty  an  expedition  ap- 
pears to  have  been  sent  to  reconquer 
the  place,  and  there  are  various  tab- 
lets of  this  monarch's  reign  referring 
to  the  working  of  the  mines.  The 
name  of  his  successor  Amenemha  IV. 
also  appears  among  the  inscriptions. 
A  gap  in  the  records  again  occurs 
until  the  XVIIIth  dynasty,  when  there 
is  an  inscription  recording  an  expe- 
dition to  the  mine  during  the  joint 
reigns  of  Hatasoo  and  Thothmes  III. 
From  that  time  Magharah  was,  aban- 
boned  by  the  Egyptians.  We  gather 
from  these  records  that  the  Egyptians 
worked  the  mines  at  intervals  during  a 
period  of  from  1000  to  2000  years,  and 
that  it  is  more  than  3000  years  since 
they  ceased  working  at  them.  The  ma- 
terial which  they  sought  to  obtain  at 
the  mines  is  always  called  mafka  in 
the  hieroglyphics,  and  is  no  doubt  the 
turquoise  of  inferior  quality,  which 
may  still  be  obtained.  The  presiding 
goddess,  of  both  the  region  and  the 
stone  which  it  produced,  was  Athor,  who 
is  constantly  mentioned  in  the  inscrip- 
tions, and  with  whom  are  associated 
Thoth  and  Sept.  It  is  a  curious  fact 
that  among  the  debris  of  the  mines 
are  several  specimens  of  a  fresh-water 
shell  now  found  in  the  Nile,  the 
Spatha  Chaziana  (Lea),  with  the  nacre 
quite  fresh.  Unless  these  were  brought 
from  the  Nile,  which  is  hardly  pro- 
bable, we  must  suppose  that  at  one 
time  there  was  sufficient  water  at 
Magharah  for  them  to  live  in. 

Leaving  the  point  where  the  Wady 
Igne  joins  the  Seih  Sidreh,  we  con- 
tinue along  the  latter  till  its  junction 
with  the  Wddy  Mukattcb  (the  "  Writ- 


ten Valley  ")  (5  miles),  a  broad  shallow 
watercourse,  with  terraced  cliffs,  piled 
up  at  the  base  with  crumbling  blocks 
and  fragments.  It  derives  its  name 
from  the  so-called  Sinaitic  inscriptions 
with  which  its  rocks  abound.  These 
inscriptions  are  to  be  found  in  more  or 
less  abundance  all  the  way  from  Wady 
I^ne  to  the  head  of  Wady  Mukatteb, 
but  the  greater  number  of  them  occur 
in  clusters  in  the  space  of  about  a  mile 
at  the  lower  end  of  this  wady.  They 
are  generally  found  in  the  lowrer  strata 
of  sandstone.  At  one  time  supposed 
to  be  of  great  antiquity,  they  are  now 
proved  to  be  the  work  of  Christian 
hermits  and  pilgrims  of  certainly  not 
earlier  than  the  4th  century.  The 
language  in  which  they  are  written, 
according  to  Prof.  Palmer,  is  a  dialect 
of  the  Aramaic  tongue,  and  the  letters 
a  link  between  the  ordinary  Hebrew 
and  Cufic.  The  inscriptions  consist 
generally  of  the  writer  s  name,  with 
some  conventional  formula  attached. 
From  the  watershed  at  the  head  of 
Wady  Mukatteb  the  view  is  very 
beautiful,  presenting  striking  con- 
trasts of  form  and  colour.  On  the  E. 
is  a  magnificent  red  granite  moun- 
tain, Jebel  Merzegah. 

The  road  now  descends  from  the 
summit  level,  and  enters  a  wide 
boulder-strewn  valley  towards  Wddy 
Feirdn  (4  miles),  the  grandest  of  all 
the  Sinaitic  wadies.  About  a  mile 
up  the  valley,  at  the  mouth  of  Wady 
Nisreen,  are  some  stone  circles  and 
cairns,  probably  sepulchral  monuments 
of  a  very  early  date.  There  are  some 
14  or  15  circles  closely  grouped  to- 
gether, and  of  from  10  to  20  ft.  in 
diameter.  In  the  centre  of  each  is  a 
cist,  about  4  ft.  long,  2g  ft.  broad,  and 
2J  ft.  deep,  composed  of  four  large 
stones,  and  a  covering  slab.  Inside 
the  cists  have  been  found  human  bones, 
teeth,  &c,  and  in  one  instance  a  small 
bracelet  of  copper,  lance  and  arrow- 
heads, and  a  necklace  of  marine  shells. 
Though  the  bones  were  decomposed, 
the  outline  of  the  body  could  be  traced, 
placed  on  its  left  side,  in  the  bent  posi- 
tion usually  considered  one  of  the 
oldest  forms  of  burial. 

The  Wady  Feiran  now  opens  out  into 


286 


EOUTE  14.  CAIRO  TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 


Sect.  IT. 


a  succession  of  long  open  reaches,  with 
Jebel  Serbal  and  its  neighbouring 
peaks  filling  up  the  background.  The 
soil  is  a  crisp  granite  gravel,  with  here 
and  there  tracts  strewn  with  boulders 
or  shingle.  The  rich  colouring  of  the 
sandstone  rocks  is  now  exchanged  for 
the  somewhat  more  sober  hues,  but 
more  varied  outlines,  of  granite,  gneiss, 
&c.  As  we  advance  further  the  bed 
of  the  wady  narrows,  and  the  scenery 
becomes  grander  at  every  step.  At  a 
sharp  angle  of  the  valley,  on  its  right 
bank,  is  a  large  block  of  fallen  granite, 
covered  with  a  heap  of  pebbles  and 
small  stones.  This  is  called  Hesy  el 
Khattdteeii  (11  miles),  and  is  declared 
by  the  Bedaween  to  be  the  identical 
rock  struck  by  Moses  to  supply  the 
thirsty  Israelites  (Ex.  xvii.  6).  It 
should  be  noted  that  we  are  again  on 
the  most  probable  route  taken  by  the 
Israelites,  who  are  supposed  to  have 
come  up  Wady  Feiran  from  the  sea. 
Contrary  to  most  of  the  traditional 
sites  in  the  peninsula,  this  rock  is 
just  where  we  should  expect  to  find 
it.  The  Amalekites,  encamped  three 
miles  higher  up  the  valley  at  Bephi- 
dim  (Feiran),  cut  off  all  access  to  the 
water  supply  there,  and  the  eager 
thirst  of  the  Israelites,  after  three 
weary  marches  without  coming  to  any 
springs,  may  well  at  last  have  caused 
the  murmurings  described  in  the  sacred 
narrative,  when  they  found  themselves 
cut  off  from  the  hoped-for  oasis.  The 
grandeur  and  desolation  of  the  scenery 
now  becomes  almost  overpowering,  and 
the  eye  rests  with  pleasure  on  the  little 
oasis  of  El  Hesweh,  to  be  followed  not 
long  after  by  the  welcome  sight  of  the 
great  palm-grove  of  Feiran,  a  rich 
mass  of  dark-green  foliage  winding 
eastward  through  the  hills.  A  ragged 
valley,  Wady  'Aleyat,  at  whose  head 
stands  Jebel  Serbal,  here  comes  in 
from  the  south-east ;  and  in  the  centre 
of  the  open  space  caused  by  their 
junction  stands  a  low  hillock,  El 
Maharrad  (3  miles)  crowned  with 
ruins.  In  this  pleasant  oasis  the  tra- 
veller will  pitch  his  tent  with  delight, 
and,  if  he  can,  devote  at  least  one,  still 
better  two  days  to  an  examination  of 
the  surrounding  district. 


I     Chief  among  the  objects  of  interest 
to  some  will  be  Jebel  Serbal,  the  ascent 
of  which  mountain  will  occupy  a  whole 
day,  and  should  not  be  undertaken 
by  any  but  good  walkers  and  climbers, 
as  the  way  is  hard  and  toilsome,  and 
the  climbing  near  the  summit  requires 
a  steady  head,  and  some  experience 
in  mountaineering.    The  ascent  from 
j  Feiran  will  take  about  5  hrs.  Jebel 
Serbal  is  in  many  ways  the  most 
striking  mountain  of  the  peninsula ; 
it  rises  abruptly  to  a  height  of  4000  ft. 
above  the  valleys  at  its  base,  and  its 
summit,  a  ridge  about  3  miles  long,  is 
j  broken  into  a  series  of  b  autifully  out- 
j  lined  peaks  of  nearly  the  same  height, 
j  The  loftiest,  6734  ft.,  is  towards  the 
eastern  extremity  of  the  ridge.  Some 
I  writers  have  identified  Serbal  with  the 
!  Mount  Sinai  of  the  Bible,  but  all 
|  the  best  recent  authorities  agree  in 
considering  that  the  topographical  re- 
quirements of  the  Bible  narrative  are 
not  met  by  its  position.    There  is  no 
large  plain  in  its  vicinity  on  which 
the  Israelites  could  have  encamped  in 
sight  of  the  mountain:  a  sufficiently 
fatal  objection  in  itself. 

The  way  to  Jebel  Serbal  lies  up  the 
Wady  'Aleyat,  a  broad  rugged  valley, 
with  a  few  trees  and  a  little  herbage. 
At  the  upper  part  of  the  wady,  which 
rises  rapidly  in  its  3  miles'  course,  are 
some  springs  of  cool  water  and  a  few 
palms.  The  path  now  enters  the  lower 
slopes  of  Serbal.  Hence  to  the  sum- 
mit basin  from  which  the  peaks  rise 
there  are  two  principal  paths,  or  goat- 
tracks,  one  by  a  steep  rocky  ravine 
called  Aboo  Hamatah  (the  "  Boad  of 
the  Wild  Fig-tree  "),  and.  the  other  and 
longer  one  by  two  less  precipitous  paths 
called  Sikke-,  Sadur  and  Sikket  er 
Beshskah  ( "  the  Boad  of  the  Sweater''), 
The  principal  peak  is  an  enormous 
smooth  dome  of  granite  surrounded  by 
a  cupola  of  like  nature.  The  climbing 
here  is  not  easy,  and  it  is  only  the 
coarse  nature  of  the  rock,  which  affords 
a  good  foothold,  that  makes  it  possible 
to  get  up  or  down,  there  being  nothing 
to  cling  to.  In  a  few  places  there  are 
steps  of  loose  stones,  laid  probably 
ages  ago,  which  make  the  task  easier. 


Egypt. 


ROUTE  14.  JEBEL  SERBAL  WADY  FEIRAN. 


287 


A  narrow  ledge  runs  out  from  near 
the  summit  of  the  peak  for  about  50 
yards,  ending  in  a  sheer  precipice  of 
4000  ft.  On  this  are  the  ruins  of  the 
lighthouse,  which  gives  its  name  El 
Madhawwa  to  the  highest  peak  of 
Serbal.  It  was  one  in  a  system  of 
beacon-fires  kept  up  from  Matal'i  Hud- 
lierah,  or  "  Look-outs  of  Hazeroth,"  to 
Suez,  and  along  the  sea-coast.  It  is 
a  rude  stone  structure,  probably  built 
by  the  same  men  who  traced  the  Si- 
naitic  inscriptions,  several  of  which 
are  found  on  the  path  up  to  the  sum- 
mit, and  in  a  hollow  near  the  light- 
house. Capt.  H.  S.  Palmer  thus  de- 
scribes the  view  from  the  top  of 
Serbal : — "  Prom  the  summit  of  Serbal 
the  landscape  on  a  clear  day  is  one  of 
the  most  striking  and  varied,  if  not  the 
most  extensive  in  the  country.  Look- 
ing seaward,  a  wild  chaos  of  rock  and 
mountain  fills  the  foreground  :  then 
comes  the  hot  brown  El  Ga'ah ;  then 
Tor  and  its  palm-gioves,  faintly  seen, 
and  the  low  coast  range  further  north  ; 
then  the  glittering  water  of  the  gulf, 
backed  in  the  far  distance  by  grey 
and  purple  ranges  of  African  moun- 
tains. Looking  inland,  the  eye  roams 
over  an  amazing  complication  of  desert 
mountains  and  valleys  —  a  vast  net- 
work, of  which  the  white  and  grey 
wady-beds,  winding  in  fanciful  snaky 
patterns  over  the  whole  face  of  the 
country,  form  the  threads,  while  moun- 
tains of  all  sizes,  forms,  and  hues  fill 
the  interstices;  northward  the  far 
prospect  is  closed  by  the  long  blank 
of  the  Tih  escarpment ;  the  peaks  of 
Katharma  and  Umm  Shomer  rise 
darkly  in  the  south-east ;  at  your  feet 
is  Feiran,  a  thin  green  line  of  palms 
straggling  through  the  hills." 

The  derivation  of  the  word  Serbal  is, 
according  to  Professor  E.  H.  Palmer, 
whose  etymology  has  been  adopted  in 
this  account  of  the  Peninsula,  from 
the  Arabic  word  sirbdl,  a  "shirt"  or 
"coat  of  mail,"  in  allusion  to  the 
gushing  of  the  waters,  during  a  storm, 
over  the  round  smooth  rocks  of  the 
summit,  which  clothe  it,  as  it  were, 
witli  a  shirt,  or  coat  of  mail,  of  glitter- 
ing fluid.  The  Eev.  F.  W.  Holland 
describes  the  appearance  of  Serbal 


after  a  heavy  winter  rain  as  "  covered 
with  a  sheet  of  ice  that  glittered  like 
a  breastplate." 

The  objects  of  interest  close  to  Feiran 
itself  are  many,  but  they  can  only  be 
briefly  alluded  to  here.  The  evidence 
in  favour  of  its  being  the  Kephidim  of 
the  Bible  has  been  already  pointed 
out ;  but  there  is  one  more  feature,  and 
that  an  important  one,  that  should  be 
mentioned.  On  the  right  bank  of  the 
wady,  opposite  the  hillock  of  El  Ma- 
harrad,  is  a  conical  hill  called  Jebel 
et  Tahooneh  ("the  Mountain  of  the 
Windmill")  about  600  ft.  high,  so 
placed  as  to  be  in  full  view  of  the  two 
valleys  'Aleyat  and  Feiran,  where  the 
battle  between  the  Israelites  and  the 
Amalekites  would  have  been  fought, 
and  accessible  from  a  point  near  El 
Hesweh,  lower  down  the  Wady  Feiran. 
Access  to  this  hill  would  have  been 
easy  to  Moses,  and  from  its  summit 
he  could  have  witnessed  the  battle 
raging  below  (see  Ex.  xvii.  9-12).  An 
early  tradition  favours  this  view,  and 
Antoninus  Martyr  (600  a.d.)  states 
that  a  chapel  stood  on  the  spot  from 
which  Moses  viewed  the  battle.  Euins 
of  such  a  chapel  still  exist  on  the 
summit  of  Jebel  et  Tahooneh.  Its 
aisles  divided  by  square  pillars  of  red 
sandstone  can  still  be  traced,  and  the 
form  of  the  apse.  It  was  afterwards 
altered  and  turned  into  a  mosk.  The 
whole  of  the  path,  or  rather  flight  of 
steps,  which  leads  up  from  Wady  Feiran 
to  the  top  of  Jebel  et  Tahooneh  is  lined 
with  the  remains  of  small  chapels,  often 
built  over  the  cells  or  tombs  of  an- 
chorites, and  serving  as  "  stations  "  on 
the  way  to  the  principal  church  at  the 
siunmit.  All  this  seems  to  prove  that 
Jebel  et  Tahooneh  was  regarded  as  a 
place  of  great  sanctity  by  the  pilgrims 
of  early  ages. 

The  ruins  of  Feiran  itself  are  those 
of  the  old  episcopal  city  of  Pharan. 
The  old  convent  and  church  stand 
on  the  top  of  the  hillock  (El  Mahar- 
rad)  already  mentioned,  at  the  junc- 
tion of  the  wadies.  The  principal 
walls  of  the  convent  still  remain,  built 
of  flat  stones  and  mud,  with  sun- 


288 


ROUTE  14.  CAIRO  TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 


Sect.  II. 


dried  bricks  at  the  top.  The  church 
is  at  the  northern  end,  and,  from  the 
number  of  capitals,  broken  shafts,  and 
other  remains  found  within  its  walls, 
appears  to  have  been  a  building;  of 
some  importance.  On  a  low  neck  of 
land  which  connects  the  hillock  with 
the  wady  are  the  remains  of  the  town, 
surrounded  by  a  wall  which  was  7  ft. 
high;  parts  of  it  remain,  the  compo- 
site of  mud  and  small  stones  being 
here  faced  with  large  unhewn  boulders. 
Both  within  and  without  the  walls 
are  the  remains  of  buildings,  and  to 
the  west,  in  a  "  jorf "  or  bank  of  allu- 
vium, is  the  cemetery  ;  the  tombs  are 
partly  cut  perpendicularly  in  the  face 
of  the  rock,  and  partly  built  with 
large  stones,  and  the  entrances  are 
either  closed  by  large  slabs  of  stone, 
or  built  up  with  mud  and  stones. 
These  tombs  are  often  used  by  the 
Bedaween.  On  the  right  bank  of  the 
Wady  Feiran  is  a  deserted  village, 
which  probably  formed  part  of  the  old 
city,  but  which  bears  traces  of  having 
been  occupied  at  a  later  period  by 
a  settled  Arab  population. 

The  hill  called  Jebel  el  Moneijali  (the 
"  Hill  of  the  Conference  "),  in  the  east 
bank  of  Wady  'Aleyat,  is  remarkable 
for  the  number  of  Sinaitic  inscriptions 
found  on  it.  There  is  a  small  enclo- 
sure on  the  top,  both  within  and  with- 
out which  the  inscriptions  abound.  It 
is  looked  upon  by  the  Bedaween  as  a 
place  of  great  sanctity,  and  they  sacri- 
fice a  lamb  in  front  of  the  enclosure 
at  the  time  of  the  date-harvest  in 
Wady  Feiran. 

On  both  banks  of  Wady  Feiran 
are  the  homes  of  numerous  anch<  rites 
who  once  lived  there,  and  sat  "  like 
a  lot  of  rabbits  at  the  mouths  of 
their  holes."  There  are  also  a  num- 
ber of  tombs  generally  with  two  tiers 
of  "  loculi ; "  they  lie  almost  invariably 
east  and  west,  and  the  method  of 
burial  appears  to  have  been  to  lay  the 
bodies  on  their  backs  on  the  bare 
rock,  heads  to  the  west,  feet  to  the 
east,  the  arms  stretched  out  at  full 
length  by  the  side. 

There  are  the  remains  of  several 
monastic  establishments  in  the  neigh- 


bourhood of  Wady  Feiran,  of  which 
the  most  remarkable  are  in  Wady 
Sigilleeyeh  to  the  south  of  Serbal,  an 
almost  inaccessible  gorge  approached 
by  a  road  the  construction  of  which, 
as  shown  by  what  still  remains  of  it, 
proves  the  monks  to  have  been  both 
skilled  and  energetic  in  road-making. 

The  natural  beauties  of  the  oasis  of 
Feiran  are  enough  almost  to  induce 
the  traveller  to  spend  a  day  in  doing 
nothing  else  but  give  himself  up  to 
'  their  delights.  For  4  miles,  beginning 
|  from  the  mouth  of  Wady  Aleyat,  it 
;  extends  up  the  valley,  a  luxuriant  mass 
!  of  trees  and  vegetation,  hemmed  in 
|  between  magnificent  rugged  granite 
|  cliffs  from  600  to  800  ft.  in  height. 
I  Here  all  the  trees  common  to  the  Pen- 
insula show  at  their  best,  and  the 
date-bearing  palm  is  of  unusual  size 
and   fruitfulness.    A  varied  under- 
growth of  herbs  and  grasses,  moss, 
turf,  small  flowers,  rushes,  and  other 
marshy  plants,  cover  the  bed  of  the 
valley,  save  where  some  stone-strewn 
dry  torrent-bed  marks  the  course  of 
and  the  ravages  of  recent  floods,  such  as 
that  which  occurred  in  1867.  Here  and 
there  are  clusters  of  rough  Bedaween 
houses,  with  enclosed  gardens,  in  which 
are  grown  maize  and  tobacco,  irrigated 
by  means  of  water  raised  by  shadoofs. 

Through  this  long  valley,  the  Para- 
dise of  the  Bedaween,  the  traveller 
bends  his  way  on  leaving  Feiran,  till, 
after  about  3  miles,  the  palms  and  water 
cease,  and  the  only  verdure  is  a  tama- 
risk-grove. In  another  mile  this  also 
J  ends,  and  all  is  again  barren  and  deso- 
J  late.  At  this  point  occur  a  series  of 
curious  alluvial  deposits,  consisting  of 
banks  of  soil  rising  sometimes  to  a 
height  of  100  ft.,  and  extending  along 
I  the  wady's  brink.  By  the  Bedaween 
;  they  are  called  "jorfs."  Their  origin 
is  uncertain,  but  Mr.  Holland  attri- 
butes their  formation  to  the  action  of 
the  rushing  torrents  that  sweep  down 
the  wadies  during  a  storm.  El  Buweib 
• — an  islet  of  gneiss  in  mid-channel — 
forms  "  the  gate  "  of  Wady  Feiran, 
through  which  the  road  passes  into 
the  Wady  Sold/ ;  and  a  short  distance 
further  on  the  mouth  of  Wady  esh 
Sheyltli  (6  miles)  is  reached. 


EOUTE  14.  PLAIN  OF  EE  BAH  AH. 


289 


It  is  conjectured  that  the  bulk  of  the 
Israelite  host  passed  up  this  valley  by  a 
longer  and  easier  route  to  Sinai,  while 
Moses  and  the  elders  went  by  the  shorter 
and  more  difficult  route  on  which  we 
now  enter. 

We  continue  up  the  Wady  Solaf, 
wLich  opens  out  into  long  straight 
reaches.  At  the  mouth  of  Wady  Umm 
Takkeh  are  a  number  of  the  primitive 
stone  houses  called  nawdmees,  before 
alludt-d  to.  Namoos  in  Arabic  means 
a  "  mosquito,"  and  the  plural  nawdmees 
is  the  name  given  by  the  Bedaween  to 
these  stone  houses,  which  resemble 
the  "bothan"  or  beehive  houses  of 
Scotland,  from  the  supposition  that 
they  were  built  by  the  Israelites  to 
protect  themselves  from  the  stings  of 
mosquitos.  Their  usual  shape  is  an 
ellipse  or  irregular  circle  from  40  to 
50  ft.  in  circumference,  with  walls  2j 
to  3  ft.  thick :  these  walls  rise  per- 
pendicularly for  2  ft.,  and  then  begin 
>  close  in,  each  successive  course  of 
tone  projecting  slightly  beyond  the 
jne  below  it,  till  only  a  small  hole, 
covered  with  a  flat  stone,  is  left  at  the 
top.  The  doors  are  about  If  ft.  wide, 
and  the  same  in  height,  with  lintels 
and  doorposts.  Sometimes  a  large 
granite  boulder  forms  a  portion  of  a 
wall.  There  is  no  evidence  of  any 
tool  having  been  used  in  their  con- 
struction. 

About  3  miles  beyond  these  stone 
houses  the  direction  of  the  wady 
changes,  and  approaches  the  wall  of 
granite  cliffs  which  form  the  north- 
western frontier  of  the  heart  of  the 
Peninsula.  Through  this  massive  bar- 
rier, 14  miles  in  length,  and  which 
rises  some  3000  ft.  above  the  level  of 
Wady  Solaf,  there  are  but  two  open- 
ings ;  one  through  the  pass  of  Nugb  el 
Hawa,  about  half-way  along  the  barrier, 
and  the  other  through  the  pass  of  El 
Wateeyah,  in  the  Wady  esh  Sheykh,  at 
its  extreme  northern  end.  At  the  en- 
trance of  the  Nugb  Haiva  (14  miles) 
the  camp  will  probably  be  pitched  on 
the  day  of  leaving  Feiran;  and  even 
if  it  should  be  necessary  the  next  day 
to  send  the  baggage-camels  by  the 
longer  and  easier  route,  the  traveller 


I  himself  will  do  well  to  follow  the  mag- 
nificent  approach  by  Nugb  Hawa  ("  the 
j  Pass  of  the  Wind"). 

At  the  turn  from  Wady  Solaf 
are  some  stone  circles  and  naivd- 
mees.  The  foot  of  the  pass  is  about  a 
mile  from  the  wady.  The  first  part 
of  the  ascent  is  steep  and  difficult, 
and  winds  up  an  ancient  road  in  and 
out  amongst  tremendous  blocks  and 
boulders  detached  from  the  heights 
and  precipices  which  hem  in  the  defile. 
A  few  wild  fig-trees  and  stunted  palms, 
with  straggling  patches  of  vegetation, 
mark  the  bed  of  the  torrent.  After  a 
time  the  ascent  becomes  less  steep, 
and  after  a  long  2  hours'  climb  the 
summit  of  the  pass  (5  miles)  is  reached, 
and  the  cliffs  of  Kas  Sufsafeh  are  seen 
closing  the  prospect  in  the  far  dis- 
tance. After  a  short  descent  the  path 
rises  again  along  the  Wady  Aboo 
Seileh,  which  soon  widens  into  a  plain, 
and  then  the  crest  of  the  hill  is  reached 
(5140  ft.  above  the  level  of  the  sea), 
and  the  whole  plain  of  Er  Kahah,  with 
Jebel  Sufsafeh  only  2  miles  off,  and 
the  monastery  of  St.  Catherine  nest- 
ling in  the  Wady  ed  Dayr,  lies  spread 
out  before  the  astonished  gaze.  "  It  is 
a  view  which,  once  seen,  is  not  likely 
to  be  forgotten.  Indeed  the  whole  pro- 
spect from  this  point  is  so  beautiful 
and  sublime  that  no  beholder  can  fail 
to  be  impressed  by  it.  It  is  indeed 
unrivalled;  there  is  nothing  else  like 
it  in  this  or  any  other  part  of  the 
Peninsula — the  long  wide  plain  slop- 
ing down  to  the  mount,  the  grand 
outlines  of  the  surrounding  hills,  and 
the  stately  cliffs  of  the  Kas  Sufsafeh, 
the  'brow'  of  Sinai  or  Jebel  Moosa, 
overlooking  and  seen  from  every  point 
in  the  plain  below,  the  most  conspi- 
cuous and  imposing  feature  in  a  land- 
scape where  all  is  grand." — Capt.  H. 
S.  Palmer.  Crossing  Er  Eahah  we 
reach  the  foot  of  Kas  Sufsafeh,  and 
leaving  the  Wady  esh  Sheykh  on  the 
left  continue  up  the  Wady  ed  Dayr 
to  the  walls  of  the  Monastery  of  St. 
Catherine  (5  miles)  ;  unless  indeed  the 
traveller  decides  to  encamp,  rather  than 
seek  the  hospitality  of  the  monks,  in 
which  case  the  tents  will  probably  be 
o 


290 


ROUTE  14.  CAIRO  TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 


Sect.  IT. 


pitched  at  the  entrance  of  the  Wady 
ed  Dayr. 

Before  proceeding  to  describe  the 
convent,  and  Jebel  Moosa  and  its 
neighbourhood,  it  may  be  well  to  give 
a  short  account  of  the  other  route, 
which  leaves  the  one  already  noticed 
at  Wady  Shebeikeh,  and  rejoins  it  at 
the  Nugb  Hawa. 

Route  (j8). 

On  leaving  Wady  Shebeikeh  the 
road  turns  up  Wady  Hamr,  a  fine  open 
valley  with  low  chalk  cliffs,  till  it 
reaches  the  base  of  Sarboot  el  Jemel  (7 
miles),  a  ridge  of  limestone  and  flint 
conglomerate  rising  1200  feet  above 
the  valley.  Passing  round  this  moun- 
tain to  the  south-east,  the  wady  con- 
tracts again  between  sandstone  rocks 
on  which  are  some  Sinaitic  inscriptions, 
and  opens  on  to  the  great  sandy  plain 
of  Debbet  er  Eamleh.  The  way  lies 
along  the  western  side  of  this  plain, 
gradually  ascending  a  terraced  rocky 
tract  till  about  midway  the  highest 
point  is  reached  (1797  feet),  com- 
manding a  fine  view  of  the  plain 
stretching  eastward,  with  the  lofty 
Tih  escarpment  beyond,  and  on  the 
south  the  mountains  of  Wady  Nasb 
and  Sarabit  el  Khadim.  A  steep  de- 
scent now  leads  to  Wady  Bub'a,  and 
then  after  a  short  time  an  open  seih  is 
reached,  formed  by  the  confluence  of 
five  wadies.  This  point  forms  the 
north-western  limit  of  the  Egyptian 
mining  colony,  which,  extending  south- 
wards to  Magharah  (see  Bte.  (a)  )  and 
eastwards  to  Sarabit  el  Khadim,  is  the 
most  interesting  in  the  country  for  an 
archseologist.  A  short  distance  from 
the  road  to  the  right,  up  Wady  Nasb, 
are  some  old  mine-workings. 

We  now  leave  the  plain  and  turn 
up  Wady  Suwig  (13  miles),  a  winding 
valley  cut  through  sandstone.  Leaving 
the  baggage-camels  to  proceed  along  an 
easier  route  by  Wady  Mery  to  Wady 
Khameeleh,  the  traveller  toils  through 
deep  sand  to  the  mouth  of  the  small 
rocky  ravine  which  leads  to  Sarabit  el 
Khadim  (6  miles).     Here  even  the 


riding-camels  must  be  left,  and  the 
rest  of  the  distance  done  on  foot. 
There  is  a  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes' 
walk  up  the  wady,  and  then  a  half-an- 
hour's  tiresome  climb  up  a  rough  in- 
cline, surmounted  by  a  steep  sandstone 
cliff.  On  the  top  of  the  plateau,  which 
is  700  feet  above  the  wady,  are  the 
ruins. 

The  view  is  very  striking  and  ex- 
tensive, but  a  more  immediate  cause 
for  admiration  will  be  found  in  the 
ruins  which  lie  around.  These  con- 
sist of  two  temples  of  different  dates  : 
the  earlier  merely  a  rock-hewn  chamber 
with  an  open  vestibule  in  front ;  the 
later  a  large  building,  connected  with 
the  former,  but  not  in  the  same  straight 
line  with  it.  Both  appear  to  have 
been  reconstructed.  In  the  centre  of 
the  rock-hewn  chamber  a  square  pillar 
of  solid  rock  has  been  left  to  support 
the  roof;  both  this  and  the  walls  of 
the  chamber  were  formerly  covered 
with  hieroglyphics  and  coloured.  At 
the  end  of  the  chamber  are  two  re- 
cesses ;  one  of  which,  formerly  provided 
with  a  door,  leads  to  a  small  space 
roofed  over  with  large  flat  slabs ;  near 
this  is  another  rock-hewn  chamber, 
and  in  front  of  the  two  stretches  an 
open  court,  the  walls  of  which  are 
covered  with  sculptured  scenes.  In 
this  court  are  some  stelse,  which  appear 
to  have  been  removed  from  their  ori- 
ginal position.  The  later  temple  con- 
sists of  a  large  square  court,  with 
fragments  of  pillars  and  Athor-headed 
capitals,  and  of  a  long  building  di- 
vided into  numerous  small  chambers. 
At  the  end  nearest  the  rock-hewn 
temple  is  a  large  gateway.  The  walls 
are  covered  with  tablets  and  inscrip- 
tions, and  the  whole  must  have  been 
very  fine  when  perfect ;  at  present  it  is 
one  mass  of  ruin.  Bound  the  temples 
are  long  heaps  of  stone,  the  remains 
probably  of  enclosing  walls.  The 
whole  is  much  buried  in  sand,  and 
Capt.  C.  W.  Wilson,  from  whose  ac- 
count the  above  description  is  taken, 
thinks  that  excavating  would  bring  a 
good  many  things  to  light.  The  little 
digging  done  by  the  Ordnance  Survey 
resulted  in  the  finding  of  a  small 
gold  ornament,  a  few  scarabsei,  broken 


Egypt- 


EOUTE  14.— SAB  ABIT  EL  KHADIM. 


291 


necklaces,  fragments  of  pottery,  &c. 
The  number  of  stelse  is  remarkable. 

It  appears,  according  to  Dr.  Birch, 
that  the  colony  of  Sarabit  el  Khadini 
dates  from  a  later  epoch  than  that 
of  Magharah.  Amenemha  II.  of  the 
Xllth  dynasty  was  the  first  to  open 
the  mines,  and  found  the  temples.  His 
name  is  cut  on  the  face  of  the  rock 
near  the  temple.  There  are  many 
other  tablets  with  the  names  of  other  | 
kings  of  that  dynasty,  Amenemha  III. 
and  IV.  Like  Magharah,  Sarabit  el 
Khadim  was  abandoned  from  the  Xllth 
to  the  XVIHth  dynasties.  Thothmes 
HE.  then  recommenced  working  the 
mines,  and  was  followed  by  Thothmes 
IV.  and  Amunoph  III.  The  kings 
of  the  XlXth  dynasty,  especially  Sethi 
I.  and  Eameses  II.,  have  nearly  all 
left  records  here.  Though  the  temple 
was  probably  founded  during  the  Xllth 
dynasty,  the  first  name  found  on  it 
is  Thothmes  III.,  and  other  monarchs 
follow  down  to  Rameses  IV.,  includ- 
ing Menephtah,  the  Pharaoh  of  the 
Exodus.  Athor  is  the  principal  divi- 
nity, with  Set  and  Knoum.  There  are 
many  tablets  and  inscriptions  cut  in 
the  sandstone  of  the  mining  district 
which  surrounds  Sarabit  el  Khadim. 

Eeturning  to  Wady  Suwig,  which 
gradually  becomes  broad  and  steep, 
the  road  lies  through  heavy  burning 
sand  to  the  foot  of  Nugb  Suwig.  A 
winding  rocky  trail  leads  to  the 
summit,  and  then  we  descend  again  by 
a  ruined  path  into  Wady  Khameeleh, 
at  which  point  comes  in  the  road 
followed  by  the  baggage- camels.  A 
short  way  further  on,  on  the  right- 
hand  side,  are  two  large  rocks  with 
Sinaitic  inscriptions.  Continuing  up 
the  north  branch  of  Wady  Khameeleh 
we  reach  a  small  sandy*  plain,  called 
Debe'lat  Sheyhh  Ahmed  (7  miles)  from  a 
Bedawee  saint  who  lies  buried  in  the 
tomb  by  the  wayside.  Just  beyond 
the  mouth  of  Wady  Meraikh  are  Some 
nawdmees  (see  Rte.  a)  and  circular 
tombs.  Wady  Bark,  up  which  the 
road  now  turns,  is  a  long  broad  valley, 
steep  and  rocky,  with  a  number  of  fine 
8eydl  trees.  The  sandstone  is  here 
exchanged  for  gneiss.    Five  miles  up 


Wady  Bark  is  a  wall  of  loose  stones, 
built  by  the  Bedaween  to  keep  out 
Mohammed  Ali's  soldiery.  At  the 
top  of  the  valley  is  a  group  of  na- 
wdmees. Wady  Labweh  is  a  broad 
open  valley  with  a  granite  gravel  soil. 
About  1£  mile  up  it,  on  the  left  of  the 
road,  is  a  cleft  in  a  large  rock,  contain- 
ing a  spring  of  cool  delicious  water ; 
it  is  called  Shageek  el  'Ajooz  ("the 
Old  Woman's  Rift").  Granite  rocks 
now  succeed  to  gneiss,  and  the  wady 
expands  into  an  open  plain,  two  miles 
wide,  well  clothed  with  desert  herbage. 
The  plain  again  contracts,  and,  crossing 
the  watershed,  the  road  enters  Wady 
Berrdh.  Two  miles  up  this  valley 
is  a  rock,  called  Hajar  el  Laghweh, 
with  Sinaitic  inscriptions  ;  and  three 
miles  further  on  we  reach  the  feature 
from  which  the  wady  derives  its  name, 
"  the  Valley  of  the  Passers-Out " — two 
massive  bluffs  of  red  granite,  standing 
like  gigantic  sentinels,  through  which 
we  pass  out  by  a  narrow  gorge  into  a 
wide  plain  called  Erweis  el  Erbeirig 
(21  miles).  A  road  leads  hence  to  El 
Buweib  in  Wady  Feiran,  eight  miles 
off. 

From  Erweis  el  Erbeirig,  which 
commands  a  fine  view  of  Serbal,  we 
pass  by  the  Wady  Soleif  into  the  Wady 
esh  Sheykh,  and  thence  by  the  Wady 
Sahab  to  the  head  of  Wady  Solaf  and 
the  mouth  of  Nugb  Hawa  (12  miles). 
The  road  hence  to  Jebel  Moosa  has 
been  described  under  Rte.  (a). 

i.  Description  of  the  Convent. — There 
is  no  difficulty  in  obtaining  admission 
to  the  convent,  if  the  visitor  is  provided 
with  the  proper  letter  of  introduction, 
easily  obtainable  from  the  branch  con- 
vent at  Cairo.  It  is  no  longer  neces- 
sary to  enter  by  the  trap-door  in  the 
wall,  some  30  feet  above  the  ground, 
up  to  which  all  who  sought  admittance 
were  formerly  hauled  by  a  rope.  The 
present  entrance  is  by  a  low  door  in 

.  one  of  the  buttresses  on  the  north  side 
of  the  convent,  through  which  a  short 
vaulted  passage  leads  to  a  postern  in 
the  convent  wall.  The  ancient  en- 
trance is  a  little  to  the  right,  in  the 

I  centre  of  the  north  face,  and  is  a 
o  2 


292  EOUTE  14.  CAIR( 

fine  door  7  feet  wide,  but  it  has  for 
many  years  been  closed  with  masonry. 
Above  the  lintel  is  a  relieving  arch., 
and  over  this  a  machicoulis,  in  which 
is  a  tablet  with  a  Greek  inscrip- 
tion not  hitherto  deciphered.  As 
the  machicoulis  and  the  inscription 
both  belong  to  the  period  at  which  the 
monastery  was  built,  it  is  to  be  hoped 
that  some  one  will  succeed  in  reading 
the  inscription.  There  are  other 
tablets  above  the  buttress  in  which  is 
the  modern  entrance,  with  inscriptions 
in  Greek  and  Arabic  giving  the  his- 
tory of  the  building  of  the  convent  by 
Justinian.  The  whole  of  the  north 
wall  is  much  cracked,  and  the  masonry 
concealed  by  rubble  heaped  against  it. 
The  top  is  modern.  The  east  wall, 
in  which  is  the  trap-door  mentioned 
above,  was  almost  rebuilt  at  the  end  of 
the  last  century  by  the  orders  of 
General  Kleber,  and  an  inscription  in 
modern  Greek  on  a  small  tablet  in  one 
of  the  round  towers  commemorates  the 
fact.  The  south  wall  has  also  been 
partially  rebuilt,  and  is  supported  with 
buttresses ;  along  the  top  is  a  covered 
passage  forming  a  pleasant  promenade. 
The  west  wall,  owing  to  its  position,  is 
the  best  preserved,  and  shows  how 
strong  and  massive  the  old  building 
was.  Numerous  crosses  and  other  de- 
vices are  seen  in  the  covering  stones 
of  the  loopholes.  The  original  form  of 
the  building  was  an  irregular  quad- 
rangle, with  slightly  projecting  towers 
at  each  angle,  and  in  the  east,  west, 
and  south  sides.  Its  position  was 
probably  determined  by  the  abundant 
water-supply  in  the  neighbourhood, 
and  the  existence  near  it  of  the  tra- 
ditional site  of  the  Burning  Bush,  and 
the  chapel  and  tower  built  by  order  of 
the  Empress  Helena. 

Having  passed  through  the  entrance, 
wldch  is  protected  by  no  less  than 
three  doors,  and  is  so  narrow  that  only 
one  man  can  enter  at  a  time,  the 
visitor  finds  himself  in  the  interior, 
and  will  probably  be  conducted  at  once 
to  the  guest  chambers  high  up  over 
the  north  wall.  Here,  if  he  means  to 
remain  in  the  convent,  he  will  take  up 
his  abode.    Lodging,  bread,  and  water 


TO  MOUNT  SINAI.  Sect.  II. 

are  what  the  convent  provides  for  its 
guests,  so  of  course  servants  and  food 
will  have  to  be  taken  in.  A  "backsheesh 
of  about  £1  a  head  is  expected  when 
the  traveller  leaves,  over  and  above 
what  his  dragoman  may  have  given 
for  the  things  provided. 

Originally  the  interior  was  laid  out 
with  great  regularity,  but  there  are 
few  signs  of  the  old  plan  still  re- 
maining. The  following  is  a  graphic 
description  of  the  general  view. 
"  Though  the  interior  presents  a  scene 
of  the  most  hopeless  confusion  when 
looked  down  upon  from  the  guest 
chambers,  there  is  not  wanting  a 
certain  quaint  picturesqueness  and 
charm,  which  is  heightened  in  spring 
by  the  bright  green  of  the  trellised 
vines.  Two  tiers  of  loopholes  are  still 
visible  in  the  west  wall,  and  some  few 
of  the  vaults  and  arches  within  remain 
intact,  but  they  are  for  the  most  part 
broken  down  and  filled  with  all  manner 
of  filth.  Over,  above,  and  within  them 
are  the  buildings  of  after  ages,  mos- 
ques, chapels,  bakeries,  distilleries, 
and  stables,  some  them  selves  gone  to 
ruin,  and  serving  as  foundations  for 
still  later  erections  of  mud  and  sun- 
dried  bricks,  which  are  daily  adding 
their  mite  to  the  general  confusion. 
The  quadrangle  is  now  completely 
filled  with  buildings,  and  through 
them,  turning  and  twisting  in  every 
direction,  now  ascending,  now  de- 
scending, exposed  to  the  full  force  of 
the  sun,  or  passing  through  dark 
tunnels,  is  a  perfect  labyrinth  of  narrow 
passages." — Capt.  C.  W.  Wilson. 

The  Church,  which  is  remarkable  for 
its  massive  grandeur,  was  built  during 
the  reign  of  Justinian.  The  exterior 
bears  signs  of  extensive  alterations;  a 
new  porch  has  been  added  which  al- 
most conceajs  the  original  west  porch 
and  its  window;  the  south  wall  has 
been  raised,  and  the  east  end  partially 
rebuilt.  There  were  probably  two 
towers  at  the  west  end:  that  at  the 
south-west  corner  is  a  distinct  build- 
ing, and  was  perhaps  built  as  a  place 
of  refuge  before  the  existence  of  the 
convent ;  and  if  so,  it  may  be  a  rem- 
nant of  the  tower  of  Helena,  which 


Ejypt 


ROUTE  14.  CONVENT  OF  ST.  CATHERINE. 


293 


Justinian  enclosed,  with  the  place  of 
the  Burning  Bush,  within  the  convent. 
The  church  has  three  aisles,  separated 
by  two  rows  of  granite  columns;  at 
the  eastern  end  of  the  centre  aisle  is  a 
large  apse  ;  the  other  aisles  are  closed 
by  walls,  through  which  are  doors 
leading  to  two  chapels;  one  of  the 
Holy  Father,  on  the  north,  and  the  other 
of  St.  James  the  Less,  on  the  south. 
From  either  of  these  there  is  access  to 
the  Chapel  of  the  Burning  Bush,  situ- 
ated behind  the  central  apse,  round 
which  there  is  a  free  passage.  There 
are  three  chapels  in  each  side  aisle, 
those  on  the  north  below  the  level  of 
the  floor,  and  those  on  the  south  above 
it.  The  capitals  of  the  columns  are  of 
various  designs,  no  two  alike.  The 
mosaic  over  the  apse  represents  the 
Transfiguration.  Our  Saviour  is  in 
the  centre,  Elias  on  the  right,  Moses 
on  the  left,  St.  Peter  lying  at  his  feet, 
and  St.  James  and  St.  John  kneeling 
on  either  side.  Bound  the  whole  are 
a  series  of  busts  of  prophets,  saints, 
&c,  each  with  his  name  written  in 
Greek ;  and  beyond,  on  the  face  of  the 
wall  is  a  border,  with  figures  of  dodo- 
like birds.  On  the  wall  above  the 
apse  are  two  representations  of  Moses, 
one  at  the  Burning  Bush,  and  the 
other  at  the  Receiving  of  the  Law; 
and  beneath  these  are  two  portraits, 
said  to  be  those  of  the  Emperor  Jus- 
tinian and  his  wife  Theodora,  but  they 
bear  no  resemblance  to  the  known 
portraits  of  either.  Close  to  the  altar 
is  a  chest  containing  the  skull  and 
hand  of  St.  Catherine,  and  beneath  it 
a  marble  slab  with  two  ibexes  in  relief 
at  the  foot  of  the  cross.  The  altar- 
screen  is  profusely  ornamented,  and  a 
large  cross  with  a  painting  of  the  Cru- 
cifixion towers  above  it.  The  walls 
are  covered  with  the  quaint  pictures 
usually  seen  in  Greek  churches,  and 
hung  with  banners,  and  from  the  roof 
hang  gold  and  silver  lamps  of  great 
beauty.  Between  the  columns  are  the 
wooden  stalls  of  the  monks,  and  the 
elaborately  carved  thrones  of  the  Patri- 
arch and  Bishop,  in  one  of  which  is  a 
painting  representing  the  convent  be- 
fore the  round  towers  were  added. 
In  the  Chapel  of  the  Burning  Bush  is 


shown  the  place  where  the  bush  stood, 
now  covered  with  a  silver  plate ;  and 
in  the  wall  is  a  little  window  through 
which  the  sun's  rays  are  said  to  fall 
once  in  the  year.  The  floor,  lower  than 
that  of  the  church,  is  richly  carpeted, 
and  the  walls  are  covered  with  pic- 
tures and  encaustic  tiles.  Two  splen- 
did coffined  effigies  of  St.  Catherine 
are  kept  here ;  one  given  by  the  Em- 
press Catherine,  and  the  other  by  the 
present  Emperor  of  Russia,  Alexander 
II.  On  the  two  fine  old  wooden  doors 
by  which  the  church  is  entered  are  a 
variety  of  devices  cut  in  panels,  and 
several  coats  of  arms,  the  work  pro- 
bably of  pilgrims.  On  the  archway 
near  the  mosk,  and  in  the  north  wall 
of  the  refectory  are  the  arms  and  names 
of  pilgrim  knights,  some  dating  back 
to  the  14th  and  15th  cents. 

Near  the  church  is  a  mosk  with  a 
minaret :  a  singular  proof,  it  has  been 
said,  of  the  tolerance,  perhaps  of  the 
fear,  of  the  Christian  communities  of 
this  land ;  it  contains  an  old  wooden 
pidpit  with  a  Cufic  inscription. 

The  Library,  which  is  neatly  ar- 
ranged, contains  a  number  of  Greek 
printed  books  and  Arabic  MSS.  It 
was  here  that  Tischendorf  discovered 
the  famous  MS.  of  the  Bible  which 
has  been  called  the  Codex  Sinaiticus. 
The  two  curiosities  shown  to  strangers 
are  a  beautifully  illuminated  MS.  of  the 
Gospels,  written  on  vellum  in  letters 
of  gold :  and  a  copy  of  the  Psalms 
written  by  a  female,  said  to  be  St. 
Thecla,  in  so  finall  a  hand  that  it  can 
only  be  read  through  a  microscope. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  convent  is 
a  courtyard,  and  beyond  are  the 
gardens,  full  of  trees  and  luxuriant 
vegetation,  a  charming  picture  of  life 
and  beauty  set  in  the  surrounding  de- 
solation. In  the  middle  of  the  garden 
is  the  charnel-house,  consisting  of  a 
small  chapel  and  two  long  vaults;  one 
containing  the  bones  of  monks  and 
pilgrims,  the  othr  those  of  priests  and 
bishops.  The  bodies  are  first  buried 
for  a  year  or  so  in  a  patch  of  garden, 
and  then  the  bones  are  collected  and 
placed  in  the  vaults.  "  The  bishops 
and  saints,  with  the  exception  of  St. 


294 


ROUTE  14.  CAIRO  TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 


Sect.  II. 


Stephen  the  porter,  who  sits  in  ghastly 
magnificence  with  his  gorgeous  robes 
round  him,  are  ranged  in  wooden 
boxes  with  their  respective  names  on 
slips  of  paper ;  the  bones  of  the  more 
humble  brethren  are  piled  in  two 
heaps,  the  skulls  on  one  side,  the  arms, 
thighs,  &e,  on  the  other.  In  one  of 
the  boxes  are  the  skeletons  of  two 
Indian  princes,  with  fragments  of 
well-made  link-armour  which  they 
are  said  to  have  worn  during  the 
years  they  passed  as  hermits  on  Jebel 
Moosa ;  there  is  also  a  chain  made  of 
iron  nails,  roughly  bent,  and  weighing 
about  fifteen  pounds,  which  bound  them 
together  in  life  as  it  now  does  in  death. 
There  are  also  leathern  scourges,  iron 
necklets  and  girdles,  and  other  remi- 
niscences of  the  days  when  the  moun- 
tain side  was  covered  with  hermitages." 

There  are  about  a  score  of  priests 
and  lay  brothers  in  the  convent ;  the 
latter  employed  in  the  different  trades 
which  their  situation  compels  them  to 
take  up — baker,  gardener,  cook,  shoe- 
maker, &c.  They  are,  as  a  rule,  an 
ignorant  and  idle  lot,  recruited  from 
the  very  lowest  class  of  Greek  peasants. 
Now  and  then  an  intelligent  monk 
may  be  found  there,  undergoing  a 
period  of  banishment  from  his  own 
convent. 

One  of  the  excursions  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  the  convent  to  which  the 
traveller  will  certainly  devote  a  day 
will  be 

h.  The  Ascent  of  Jebel  Moosa  and 
Eds  Sufsdfeh. — Several  paths  lead  up 
to  the  summit  of  Jebel  Moosa,  but  the 
one  usually  followed  goes  up  a  rude 
glen  at  the  back  of  the  convent,  and 
is  called  Siltket  Seyyidua  Moosa, 
"  the  Path  of  our  Lord  Moses."  A  lay- 
brother,  or  an  Arab,  is  furnished  by  the 
convent  as  guide.  There  is  a  flight 
of  rocky  steps  nearly  the  whole  way, 
which  renders  the  ascent  easy. 

The  first  object  of  interest  is  Mayan 
Moosa  ("  the  Fountain  of  Moses  "),  a  de- 
licious spring  of  cool  water  which  rises 
beneath  a  huge  granite  boulder,  and  is 
surrounded  by  a  fringe  of  maiden-hair 
fern.  According  to  the  Bedaween,  it 
was  here  that  Moses  watered  Jethro's 


flocks ;  monkish  tradition  makes  it  the 
abode  of  St.  Stephen  the  cobbler.  The 
path  leads  up  through  a  narrow  ravine, 
over  huge  boulders  of  granite  to  what 
is  called  the  Chapel  of  the  Virgin  of 
the  OEconomos,  or  Bursar,  a  small 
building  of  unhewn  stone,  erected  to 
commemorate  the  miraculous  extir- 
pation of  fleas  from  the  convent — a 
miracle  which  most  visitors  will  agree 
in  thinking  needs  repetition.  The  road 
now  turns  to  the  right,  and  ascends 
sharply  to  a  cleft  in  the  rock,  spanned 
by  a  circular  aich  with  a  cross  on  either 
face.  Here  sat  St.  Stephen  the  porter 
and  his  successors  and  shrived  the 
pilgrjms,  who  passed  on  repeating 
Ps.  xxiv.  3,  4,  "Who  shall  ascend 
into  the  hill  of  the  Lord,"t  &c.  A 
little  further  on  is  another  gateway, 
and  then  a  small  plain  at  the  foot  of 
the  peak  of  Jebel  Moosa  is  reached. 
Here  is  a  ruined  garden,  a  solitary 
cypress-tree,  and  a  building  containing 
the  chapels  of  Elijah  and  Elisha. 
Monkish  tradition  points  out  a  small 
grot  in  which  the  former  lived  (1  Kings 
xix.  8,  9). 

From  this  point  a  stiff  half  hour's 
climbing  takes  one  to  the  top  of 
Jebel  Moosa.  On  the  way  we  pass 
the  footprints  of  the  prophet's  camel, 
and  a  stone  said  to  mark  the  spot  where 
Elijah  was  turned  back  as  unworthy 
to  tread  the  holy  ground  above.  On 
the  top  are  two  buildings,  a  chapel  and 
a  mosk,  both  built  of  stones  taken  from 
the  ruins  of  an  early  convent.  Tra- 
dition places  the  chapel  near  the  "clift 
of  the  rock"  where  Moses  was  when 
the  glory  of  the  Lord  passed  by  (Ex. 
xxxiii.  22),  and  says  the  cave  beneath 
the  mosk  was  where  he  passed  the  forty 
days  and  forty  nights.  The  summit  of 
Jebel  Moosa  is  7375  feet  above  the  sea. 
The  term  "  Jebel  Moosa"  may  be  ap- 
plied to  the  whole  ridge,  of  which  this 
is  the  highest  peak,  but  by  the  monks 
and  Bedaween  the  term  is  confined  to 
the  summit  on  which  we  now  stand. 
The  upper  portion  is  of  grey  granite, 
the  lower  of  red.  On  the  south  side  is 
a  sheer  descent  of  more  than  1000  feet. 

There  are  few  who  will  not  wish  to 
continue  the  excursion  to  Rds  Sufsd- 


Egypt. 


ROUTE  14.  GEBELS  MOOSA  AND  K AT AEEENA . 


295 


feh,  the  presumed  Mount  of  the  Law. 
Descending  the  peak  of  Jebel  Moosa 
by  the  tame  path  to  the  plain  in 
which  are  the  chapels  of  Elijah 
and  Elisha,  we  turn  to  the  left,  and 
scramble  for  a  mile  through  a  sort  of 
rocky  groove  that  runs  along  the  top 
of  the  ridge;  then,  after  passing  the 
ozier,  or  willow,  which  gives  its  name 
to  Ras  Sufsafeh,  comes  a  climb  of 
several  hundred  feet  up  a  rugged 
ravine,  and  then  the  summit  ridge  is 
reached,  situated  in  a  deep  cleft  be- 
twen  high  walls  of  rock.  From  this 
point  the  whole  of  the  plain  of  Er 
Rahah  is  distinctly  visible.  That  Ras 
Sufsafeh  has  the  best  claims  to  be  con- 
sidered as  the  Mt.  Sinai  has  been  already 
pointed  out,  and  as  we  stand  here  the 
peculiar  fitness  of  the  place  demon- 
strates itself  most  unmistakeably. 
Here  we  have  a  mountain  summit 
overlooking  a  plain— Er  Eahah — con- 
taining 1,936,000  sq.  yards  of  even 
ground,  with  an  aditional  1,098,680  sq. 
yards  in  the  Seih  Leja,  and  1,258,400 
sq.  yards  in  the  Wady  ed  Dayr,  all 
in  full  view  of  the  mountain,  and 
capable  of  holding  three  millions  of 
people,  while  the  valleys  in  the  im- 
mediate neighbourhood  afford  plenty 
of  extra  camping  space.  Every  other 
requirement  of  the  Bible  narrative  is 
equally  well  met  ;  and  if  everything 
that  took  place  during  the  year  of  the 
Israelites'  sojourn  in  Mt.  Sinai  must 
be  minutely  localised,  there  seems 
little  difficulty  in  doing  so.  But 
whether  every  small  detail  can  be  made 
to  rightly  fit  in  and  harmonise  seems 
but  a  small  matter ;  no  one  can  fail  to 
realise  how  suited  is  the  whole  of  the 
magnificent  scenery  around  him  to  be 
the  theatre  of  the  majestic  and  awful 
events  described  in  the  sacred  narrative. 
The  descent  into  the  plain  below  may 
be  made  down  the  face  of  Ras  Sufsa- 
feh, but  it  is  rather  steep  and  rugged. 

I.  Ascent  of  Jebel  Katareena.  This 
is  a  pretty  good  climb,  and  an  early 
start  should  be  made.  Fassing  down 
the  Wady  ed  Dayr,  the  road  skirts  the 
base  of  Ras  Sufsafeh,  and  turns 
up  the  Wady  el  Leja.  On  the  way 
are  passed    various   objects  which 


monkish  legends  have  connected  with 
events  in  the  Bible.  First  there  is  a 
rock  called  "  the  Mould  of  the  Calf," 
but  which  the  Bedaween  name  simply 
Nugr  el  Baggar,  "the  Cows'  Hole," 
saying  that  it  was  caused  by  Moses 
thrusting  his  staff  into  the  stone  to 
procure  water  for  his  cow :  the  name, 
however,  and  the  presence  of  a  hill 
close  by  called  Haroon,  has  suggested 
the  connecting  it  with  the  story  of  the 
Golden  Calf.  Then  comes  the  "  Burial 
place  of  the  Tables  of  the  Law,"  and 
"the  Cave  of  Korah,  Dathan,  and 
Abiram."  A  little  distance  up  the 
Wady  el  Leja  is  a  "  Stone  of  Moses," 
called  by  the  Bedaween  Hajar  el 
Magareen,  "the  Stone  of  the  United 
Ones,"  from  Moses  having  severed 
it  with  his  sword.  At  the  head  of 
Wady  el  Leja  is  the  Dayr  el  Arbdeen 
the  "  Convent  of  the  Forty,"  so-called 
from  being  dedicated  to  40  monks 
once  slain  by  the  Bedaween.  It  is  now 
deserted,  but  a  few  Arabs  keep  up  the 
cultivation  of  the  gardens. 

The  road  now  turns  south-west 
along  a  dark  rocky  glen  called 
Sliagg  Moosa,  running  far  up  into 
the  north-eastern  slopes  of  Jebel 
Katareena.  A  mile  or  two  further  on, 
the  path  leaves  the  ravine,  and  hence- 
forward it  is  a  tiring  heavy  climb  up 
an  abrupt  and  crumbling  mountain- 
side to  the  foot  of  the  rocky  summit 
cone.  On  the  way  a  beautiful  spring. 
Mayan  esh  Shinudr  (''the  Fountain  of 
the  Partridge  ")  is  passed.  The  peak  is 
a  hugh  naked  block  of  syenite  granite, 
steep,  but  so  broken  that  there  is  no 
danger  or  difficulty  in  climbing  it. 
On  the  top  is  a  little  chapel  dedicated 
to  St.  Catharine,  whose  headless  body 
is  said  to  have  been  carried  by  angels 
to  the  top  of  the  mountain  from 
Alexandria,  where  she  suffered  mar- 
tyrdom early  in  the  4th  centy.  This 
peak  of  Jebel  Katareena  proper  is 
8536  feet  high,  but  what  may  be  con- 
sidered its  twin  peak,  Jebel  Zebeer,  is 
slightly  higher,  8551  feet.  "As  its 
peak  is  all  but  the  loftiest,  so  is  the 
view  from  Jebel  Katharma  one  of 
the  finest  in  the  country.  From  this 
high  and  freezing  standpoint  you 
may,  on  any  clear  day,  look  down 


296 


ROUTE  14. — CAIRO  TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 


Sect.  II. 


upon  three-fourths  of  the  Peninsula  of 
Sinai,  from  Jebel  Hammam  Farun  on 
the  north-west  to  the  mountains  of 
Wady  el'Ain  on  the  north-<-ast ;  from 
Jebel  Musa  and  Bas  Sufsafeh,  which 
seem  quite  close  to  your  side,  and  the 
labyrinth  of  monster  mountains  spread 
out  like  a  model  at  your  feet,  to  the 
glimmering  water  of  the  twin  Gulfs, 
and  the  hills  of  Arabia  and  Africa 
spread  out  beyond  them  on  either 
hand.  Jebel  Zebir  and  Jebel  Umm 
Shomer  slightly  spoil  the  view  south- 
ward, and  little  can  be  seen  beyond 
the  Tib.  escarpment  on  the  north  ;  but 
in  all  other  quarters  the  prospect  is 
most  extensive.  Kas  Muhammed  is 
not  to  be  seen,  though  you  can  trace 
the  two  arms  of  the  Eed  Sea  almost  to 
their  point  of  junction.  The  whole  pro- 
spect is  magnificent,  grander  even  than 
that  from  Serbal ;  the  effects  of  colour, 
light,  and  shade  excite  the  admiration 
of  every  traveller ;  the  colours  on  land, 
sky,  and  sea  are  simply  enchanting, 
and  the  intense  stillness  and  silence  of 
the  desert  lends  mystery  and  solem- 
nity to  the  scene.  But  it  is  at  sunrise 
or  sunset  that  a  Sinai  mountain  land- 
scape is  seen  to  its  greatest  perfection. 
Perhaps  the  hour  of  sunset  is  to  be 
preferred  to  any  other.  Then  you  have 
orange,  pink,  green,  and  blue  in  the 
sky ;  indigo,  lilac  and  rich  red-brown, 
like  burnished  copper,  on  the  hills  ; 
c  olours  ever  changing  and  deepening, 
shadows  ever  lengthening,  as  the  sun 
slowly  declines." — Capt.  H.  S.  Palmer. 

m.  Other  Excursions.  If  there  is 
time  to  spare,  a  day  may  be  occupied 
in  one  or  two  interesting  walks  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  Convent.  There 
are  good  views  of  the  convent  and  the 
valley  in  which  it  stands  from  the  top 
of  Jebel  Moneijah,  a  conical  hill  at  the 
head  of  Wady  ed  Dayr,  and  from  Jebel 
ed  Dayr  on  the  east  of  the  wady.  Per- 
haps the  finest  mountain  scenery  in 
the  Peninsula  is  to  be  found  in  the 
gorges  of  the  Wady  et  Tldh  and  the 
Wady  Emleisah,  which  lie  to  the  west 
of  Er  Bahah  and  Nugb  Hawa. 

An  excursion  to  Umm  Shomer  will 
take  three  or  four  days.  The  road 
passes  over  Jebel  Moneijah,  and  then 


descends  into  the  Wady  Sebaeeyeh, 
which  it  follows  to  its  head.  It  then 
descends  a  steep  ravine,  and  ascending 
a  valley  reaches  Wady  Eahabeh. 
At  the  end  of  this  wady  is  a  little 
ravine  called  Wacly  Zaytooneh,  from 
the  great  olive-tree  in  it.  Here  the 
camels  must  be  left,  and  the  ascent  of 
Umm  Shomer,  a  three  or  four  hours' 
climb,  performed  on  foot.  The  distance 
from  the  convent  of  Wady  Zaytooneh  is 
16  or  17  miles  by  the  direct  road  over 
Jebel  Moneijah,  but  baggage-camels 
are  sometimes  obliged  to  take  a  longer 
and  easier  road.  The  first  ascent  of 
1000  feet  from  the  Wady  Zaytooneh 
brings  you  to  the  summit  of  Jebel  Aboo 
Sheger.  You  then  descend  a  steep 
ravine,  crois  a  ridge  to  its  further 
side,  and  then  a  difficult  climb  of  1800 
feet  brings  you  to  the  highest  point 
of  Umm  Shomer,  8449  feet. 

Tor  may  be  reached  by  this  route, 
continuing  from  Wady  Eahabeh  down 
some  steep  passes  into  the  Ga'ah. 
The  distance  altogether  from  the 
convent  is  48  miles.  A  longer  but 
easier  road,  53|  miles,  passes  down 
the  Nugb  Hawa,  the  Wady  Solaf,  and 
the  Wady  Hebran,  into  the  Ga'ah. 
Tor  is  little-  more  than  a  dirty  village, 
and  contains  nothing  of  interest. 
,  There  are  remains  of  convents  in  the 
neighbourhood,  and  an  old  fortress 
on  the  sea-shore. 

Six  or  seven  miles  from  Tor  is 
a    curious    mountain    called  Jebel 
Nctgoos.     It  takes  its   name— "  the 
Bell  Mountain,"  or,  more  correctly, 
the  "  Gong  Mountain  " — from  the  pe- 
culiar noises  which  are  heard  arising 
from  it,  and  which  somewhat  resemble 
'  the  sound  of  the  wooden  gong  (nd- 
j  goos)  used  in  the  Greek  convents  for 
!  summoning  the  community.  Jebel 
i  Nagoos  is  a  triangular  sand-slope, 
!  filling  a  recess  in  the  sandstone  hills. 
,  It  is  about  195  feet  high,  80  yards 
',  wide  at  the  base,  and  narrows  off 
towards  the  top.    The  cliffs  rise  about 
|  200  feet  above  it.    The  sand  is  caused 
•  by  the  waste  of  the  sandstone  rocks, 
i  Being  at  so  high  an  angle,  the  slightest 
cause  sets  the  sand  in  motion,  and  it 
is  this  movement  of  the  surface-sand 


ROUTE  If.-— LONG  DESERT  CONTINUED. 


297 


which  has  been  thought  to  produce 
the  sound  above  referred  to. 

m.  Continuation  of  the  journey  by 
the  Long  Desert  via  'Akabah  and  Petra, 
or  via  Nalikl,  to  Palestine.  —  Those 
who  intend  continuing  their  journey 
through  the  desert  to  'Akabah  and 
Petra  (Wady  Moosa),  and  thence  to 
Hebron,  will  find  that  journey  de- 
scribed in  the  Handbook  to  Syria  and 
Palestine.  It  will  be  sufficient  here 
to  add  a  few  additional  hints  to  those 
already  given  at  the  beginning,  and 
conduct  the  traveller  a  short  distance 
on  the  way.  It  is  necessary  to  make 
every  possible  inquiry  at  Cairo  as  to 
the  practicability  of  getting  to  Petra. 
If  there  is  any  chance  of  the  road 
being  open,  the  Sheykh  of  the  Alo- 
ween— the  tribe  which  can  best  con- 
duct the  traveller  from  'Akabah  to 
Petra,  and  thence  to  Hebron — is  gene- 
rally to  be  found  at  Cairo  in  the 
winter  and  early  spring ;  and  from  him 
all  information  can  be  obtained,  and 
an  engagement  made  with  him  under 
the  sanction  of  the  Consul  to  provide 
camels  and  an  escort,  and  guarantee 
a  safe  passage,  and  as  long  a  time  as 
possible  (3  clays)  at  Petra.  A  back- 
sheesh of  so  much  a  head,  probably 
31.,  has  to  be  paid  to  the  fellaheen  of 
Petra  for  the  permission  to  stay  there. 
As  the  Bedaween  of  Arabia  Petrsea 
are  a  much  more  turbulent  lot  than 
the  Towarah  who  conduct  the  traveller 
to  Sinai  and  'Akabah,  it  may  be  useful 
to  say  a  little  about  their  habits  and 
ways,  and  the  best  method  of  dealing 
with  them. 

It  sometimes  happens  that  a  travel- 
ler is  stopped  on  the  road  by  what  is 
said  to  be  a  party  of  hostile  Arabs, 
and  obliged  to  pay  a  sum  of  money, 
as  he  supposes,  to  save  his  life,  or  to 
secure  the  continuation  of  his  journey 
in  safety.  Everybody  who  knows  Arab 
customs  must  be  aware  that  no  one  of  a 
hostile  tribe  can  ever  enter  the  terri- 
tory of  any  other  Arabs  without  the 
insult  being  avenged  by  the  sword ; 
and  it  is  evident,  if  no  resistance  is 
mady  on  the  part  of  those  who  conduct 
the  traveller,  that  the  attacking  party 
are  either  some  of  their  own,  or  of  a 


friendly,  tribe  who  are  allowed  to 
spoil  him  by  the  very  persons  he  pays 
to  protect  him ;  for  an  Arab  would 
rather  die  than  suffer  such  an  affront 
from  a  hostile  tribe  in  his  oven  desert. 
If,  then,  his  Arabs  do  not  fig] it  on  the 
occasion,  he  may  be  sure  it  is  a  trick 
to  extort  money  ;  he  should,  therefore, 
use  no  arms  against  the  supposed 
enemies,  but  afterwards  punish  his 
faithless  guides  by  deducting  the  sum 
taken  from  their  pay;  and  it  is  as 
well,  before  starting,  to  make  them 
enter  into  an  engagement  that  they 
are  able  as  well  as  ivilling  to  protect 
him. 

Any  idea  of  travelling  with  one 
tribe  through  a  desert  belonging  to 
another,  when  they  are  not  on  friendly 
terms,  should  never  be  entertained. 
There  is  another  disagreeable  thing 
to  which  travellers  are  sometimes  ex- 
posed. Two  parties  of  the  same 
tribe  quarrel  for  the  right  of  con- 
ducting him;  and  after  he  has  gone 
some  distance  on  his  journey,  he  and 
his  goods  are  taken  by  the  opposition 
candidates,  and  transferred  to  their 
camels.  The  war  is  merely  one  of 
words,  which  the  inexperienced  in 
the  language  cannot  understand  ;  but 
he  fully  comprehends  the  annoyance 
of  being  nearly  pulled  to  pieces  by  the 
two  rivals,  and  his  things  are  some- 
times thrown  on  the  ground,  to  the 
utter  destruction  of  everything  fragile. 
This  may  not  occur,  but  it  is  as  well 
to  provide  against  it  before  starting, 
and  a  sheykh  or  guide  should  be 
secured  who  has  decided  authority, 
and  can  overawe  all  parties.  Above 
all  things  it  is  important  to  secure 
the  goodwill  of  the  Arabs,  on  whom 
so  much  of  the  comfort  of  a  journey 
necessarily  depends.  And  nothing  is 
easier.  It  can,  of  course,  be  better 
done  if  the  traveller  speaks  Arabic ; 
and  it  will  then  probably  be  his  own 
fault  if  he  meet  with  anything  but 
good  humour  and  willingness  to  oblige 
on  every  occasion. 

In  engaging  Arabs  application  is 
made  to  one  of  the  sheykhs;  and 
when  one  has  been  found  who  has 
good  recommendations,  and  his  ser- 
vices have  been  engaged,  it  is  only 
o  3 


298 


KOTJTE  15. — CAIEO  TO  THE  PTOOM. 


Sect.  II. 


necessary  to  go  to  the  Consulate  and 
have  the  agreement  officially  drawn 
up,  in  which  the  proper  prices,  and 
other  particulars,  are  stipulated. 

The  road  from  Sinai  to  'Akabah 
passes  down  the  Wady  esh  Sheykh  as 
far  as  the  tomb  of  Neby  Saleh.  The 
festival  of  this  saint  is  a  great  event 
for  the  Towarah  Bedaween,  who  flock 
to  the  tomb  from  all  parts  of  the 
peninsula,  and  encamp  round  it  for  three 
days.  Leaving  the  Wady  esh  Sheykh, 
and  passing  up  the  ravine  of  Aboo 
Suweirah,  the  main  watershed  of  the 
peninsula  is  crossed,  and  after  tra- 
versing an  open  tract  we  reach  the 
gorge  of  Wady  ScCal,  13  miles  from 
the  Convent.  Sixteen  miles  further  on 
a  sandy  tract  with  blackish  mounds, 
called  Erioeis  el  Ebeirig,  is  reached,  a 
spot  identified  by  Professor  Palmer 
with  Kibroth-battaavah  of  the  Bible 
(Numb.  xi.  34).  He  is  strengthened 
in  this  conclusion  by  a  tradition  of  the 
Bedaween,  which  says  that  the  erec- 
tion of  rough  unhewn  stones  on  a 
neighbouring  hill,  surmounted  with  a 
white  pyramid-shaped  block,  and  the 
numerous  stone  enclosures  all  around, 
are  the  remains  of  an  encampment  of 
pilgrims,  who  in  remote  ages  pitched 
their  tents  here  on  the  way  to  Haze- 
roth,  and  were  lost  immediately  after- 
wards, and  never  more  heard  of. 

The  road  now  leads  across  a  desolate 
sandy  plain  with  a  few  isolated  rocks, 
some  of  which  are  covered  with  Sinai- 
tic  inscriptions.  The  principal  of 
these  is  called  Hudhcibat  el  Hajjdj 
("  the  Pilgrims'  Hill ").  The  ordinary 
road  to  'Akabah  here  enters  Wady 
Ghazaleh,  and  descends  to  its  junction 
with  the  oasis  of  Wady  el  'Ain,  and 
thence  down  the  magnificent  gorge  of 
Wady  Weteer  to  the  Gulf  of  'Aka- 
bah. If,  however,  we  wish  to  reach 
Ain  Hudherah,  the  probable  Haze- 
roth  of  the  Bible,  we  turn  to  the  left, 
and  soon  meet  a  magnificent  gorge, 
in  which  nestles  the  dark-green  palm- 
grove  of  Ain  Hudherah.  There  are 
remains  of  old  walls,  an  aqueduct, 
and  many  Greek  and  Sinaitic  inscrip- 
tions On  a  hill  at  the  east  side  of 
the  cliff  is  a  building  which  may  have 
been  a  beacon,  and  gives  its  name  to 


the  spot,  Matali  Hudherah,  "  the 
Hazeroth  Look-outs." 

The  journey  from  Mount  Sinai  to 
'Akabah  takes  6  days :  from  'Akabah 
to  Petra  by  the  Wady  el  Arabah  4 
days,  by  the  upper  road  5  days :  and 
from  Petra  to  Hebron  6  days.  If  on 
arriving  at  'Akabah  it  should  be  found 
that  something  has  happened  since 
leaving  Cairo  to  render  the  Petra 
route  impracticable,  the  traveller  must 
turn  aside  to  Nahkl,  4  days'  journey, 
and  thence  to  Hebron,  7  days.  It  is 
better  to  make  sure  of  the  Petra  route 
by  sending,  as  soon  as  Mount  Sinai  is 
reached,  a  man  to  'Akabah  to  in- 
quire if  all  is  tranquil.  He  will  be 
met  coming  back  with  an  answer 
sometime  probably  during  the  third 
day's  journey  from  Sinai  to  'Akabah, 
and  if  it  be  unfavourable  an  alteration 
in  the  route  can  be  made  at  once. 

From  Sinai  direct  to  Palestine  via 
Nahkl  is  a  route  which  presents  no 
object  of  interest  to  the  ordinary  tra- 
veller :  he  had  much  better  return  to 
Suez,  and  go  thence,  via  Port  Said  and 
the  sea,  to  Jaffa. 


ROUTE  15. 

Cairo  to  the  Fyoom. 

a.  Preliminary  Hints,  b.  Description 
of  the  Fyoom.  c.  Cairo  to  Me- 
deeneh.  d.  The  Labyrinth  and 
Lake  Mceris.  e.  Other  excursions 
from  Medeeneh.  /.  The  Birket  el 
Korn.  g.  Kasr  Kharoon,  and  other 
ruins  on  the  shores  of  the  Birket  el 
Korn.    h.  Other  parts  of  the  Fyoom. 

a.  Preliminary  Hints. — By  those  who 
have  the  time  to  spare  this  expedition 


Egypt 


EOUTE  15.  THE  FYOOM. 


299 


is  well  worth  undertaking,  as  it  intro- 
duces them  to  a  country  differing  a 
good  deal  in  its  general  aspect  from 
the  valley  of  the  Nile.  The  anti- 
quary will  find  much  to  interest 
him  in  the  supposed  sites  of  Lake 
Mceris  and  the  Labyrinth,  and  the 
ruins  on  the  shore  of  the  Birket  el 
Korn;  while  to  the  sportsman  the 
Fyoom  in  the  winter  months  offers 
more  attractions  than  any  other  part 
of  Egypt.  The  preparations  for  the 
journey  will  of  course  depend  on  the 
time  intended  to  be  spent ;  but  tents, 
beds,  and  all  the  etceteras  necessary 
to  a  camp  life,  must  be  taken,  unless 
the  traveller  is  content  with  a  visit  to 
Medeeneh  and  the  neighbourhood, 
and  while  there  can  put  up  with  the 
accommodation  afforded  by  a  Greek 
cafe.  The  best  way  of  reaching  the 
Fyo6m  is  by  railway  as  far  as  Me- 
deeneh. There  camels  and  donkeys 
can  be  procured  for  visiting  the  Birket 
el  Korn  and  other  places. 

b.  Description  of  the  Fyoom. — The 
province  of  Egypt  called  the  Fyoom  is 
a  natural  depression  in  the  Libyan 
hills,  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  desert, 
save  where  a  narrow  strip  of  soil  borders 
the  canal  leading  to  it  from  the  Nile. 
It  is  thus  almost  an  oasis,  owing  its 
fertility  to  the  water  of  the  Nile,  in- 
troduced through  a  natural  isthmus 
in  the  desert  surrounding  it.  Its  pre- 
sent name,  Fyoom,  is  probably  derived 
from  the  old  Egyptian  word  Pi-om, 
"the  Sea" — an  appellation  aptly  ap- 
plied to  a  country  which  contained 
such  a  splendid  system  for  storing  and 
distributing  water,  as  that  with  which 
the  Fyoom  was  endowed  by  King 
Amenemha  III.,  the  constructor  of 
Lake  Moeris  and  the  Labyrinth.  In 
Ptolemaic  and  Boman  times  this  pro- 
vince was  called  the  Arsinoite  nome, 
which,  Strabo  says,  excelled  all  others 
in  appearance,  in  goodness,  and  in 
condition.  It  was  the  only  place 
where  the  olive-tree  arrived  at  any 
size,  or  bore  good  fruit,  except  the 
gardens  of  Alexandria.  It  also  pro- 
duced a  great  quantity  of  wine,  as  well 
as  corn,  vegetables,  and  plants  of  all 
kinds.    This  reputation  for  fertility  it 


still  enjoys,  and  though  its  merits  have 
been  greatly  exaggerated,  it  is  still 
superior  to  other  parts  of  Egypt  from 
the  state  of  its  gardens  and  the  variety 
of  its  productions;  since,  in  addition 
to  corn,  cotton,  and  the  usual  cul- 
tivated plants,  it  abounds  in  roses, 
apricots,  figs,  grapes,  olives,  and  several 
other  fruits,  which  grow  there  in 
greater  perfection  and  abundance  than 
in  the  valley  of  the  Nile;  and  the 
rose-water  used  in  Cairo  comes  from 
the  neighbourhood  of  Medeeneh. 

The  whole  extent  of  the  cultivable 
part  of  the  Fyoom  measures  about  23  m. 
N.  and  S.,  and  28  E.  and  W.,  which 
last  was  in  former  times  extended  to 
upwards  of  40  in  that  part  (from  Kasr 
Kharoon  to  Tomeeah)  where  it  has  the 
greatest  breadth.  Its  length  N.  and  $., 
if  measured  to  the  other  side  of  the 
Birket  el  Korn,  is  increased  to  32  m. 
The  total  population  is  about  150,000. 
Its  chief  commerce  is  in  corn,  cotton, 
and  cattle,  chiefly  sheep,  of  which  it 
possesses  the  best  breed  in  Egypt.  In 
addition  to  the  various  products  men- 
tioned above,  the  sugar-cane  has  lately 
been  planted  by  the  Viceroy  on  large 
tracts  of  land,  and  mills  have  been 
erected  in  various  parts. 

c.  Cairo  to  Medeeneh. — The  train 
leaves  the  Geezeh  station  of  the  Upper 
Egypt  railway  about  8-30  a.m.  (see 
Cairo,  Exc.  vii.)  and  passing  Bedre- 
shayn  and  one  or  two  other  stations, 
reaches 

El  Wasta  June.  Stat,  for  the  Fyoom, 
56  m.  from  Cairo,  in  about  3  hrs.  At 
this  village,  which  is  close  to  the  Nile, 
it  is  necessary  to  wait  3  hrs.  or  more 
till  the  arrival  of  the  up  train  to  Cairo. 
As  soon  as  it  has  left,  the  Fyoom  train 
is  started.  The  line  goes  straight  west- 
ward across  the  cultivated  land.  The 
only  noticeable  object  is  the  False 
Pyramid  to  the  N.  On  reaching  the 
desert  the  road  begins  to  ascend,  and 
crosses  the  low  chain  of  hills  that 
divides  the  valley  of  the  Nile  from 
the  oasis  of  the  Fyoom. 

El  Ediva  Stat.,  20  m.  A  small  vil- 
lage on  the  edge  of  the  cultivated 
land.    There  is  capital  shooting  of 


300 


EOUTE  15. — CAIEO  TO  THE  FYOOM. 


Sect.  II. 


various  kinds  to  be  obtained  in  the 
neighbourhood.  Geese,  ducks,  water- 
birds  of  every  description,  and  snipe 
abound  in  the  winter  months,  and 
quail  a  little  later.  There  are  a  num- 
ber of  half-natural,  half-artificial, 
dykes  between  El  Edwa  and  To- 
rneeah,  to  which  birds  resort  in  great 
numbers.  Those  who  are  intent  on 
sport  had  better  pitch  their  tents  at 
El  Edwa,  and  make  shooting  excur- 
sions in  the  neighbourhood. 

Medeeneh  Stat.,  5  m.  The  capital 
town  of  the  Fyoom,  and  so  often  called 
Medeenet-el-Fyoom,  and  Medeenet-el- 
Fares  ("  City  of  the  Knight  or  Horse- 
man"). It  has  about  8000  inhabitants, 
and  presents  the  usual  aspect  of  a  large 
Egyptian  town,  with  bazaars,  baths, 
Greek  coffee-houses,  and  a  market 
every  Sunday.  It  is  situated  on  the 
banks  of  one  of  the  two  main  branches 
of  the  Bahr  Yoosef,  which  conduct  the 
water  into  the  Fyodm,  through  an 
opening  in  the  hills  near  Benisooef. 
This  branch  canal,  like  nearly  all  those 
in  the  Fyodm,  has  quite  the  appearance 
of  a  natural  river.  To  the  N.  of  the 
modern  town  are  the  mounds  which 
mark  the  site  of  Arsinoe,  formerly 
Crocodilopolis,  the  town  in  which  was 
worshipped  the  sacred  crocodile  kept 
in  the  Lake  Mceris.  Almost  the  only 
objects  of  interest  as  yet  found  there 
have  been  lamps,  and  other  articles  of 
bronze,  belonging  to  the  Christian 
period.  Leo  Africanus  says,  "the 
ancient  city  was  built  by  one  of  the 
Pharaohs,  on  an  elevated  spot  near  a 
small  canal  from  the  Nile,  at  the  time 
of  the  Exodus  of  the  Jews,  after  he 
had  afflicted  them  with  the  drudgery 
of  hewing  stones  and  other  laborious 
employments."  Here,  too,  they  pre- 
tend "  the  body  of  Joseph,  the  son  of 
Israel,  was  buried,"  which  was  after- 
wards removed  by  the  Jews  at  their 
departure;  and  the  surrounding 
country  is  famed  for  the  abundance 
of  its  fruit  and  olives ;  though  these 
last  are  only  fit  for  eating,  and  useless 
for  their  oil.  Wansleb  says  the  Copts 
still  call  the  city  Arsinoe  in  their 
books,  and  relates  a  strange  tradition 
of  its  having  been  burnt  by  a  besieging 


enemy,  who  tied  torches  to  the  tails 
of  cats,  and  drove  them  into  the  town. 

d.  The  Labyrinth  and  Lake  Moeris. 
— A  visit  to  the  site  of  the  Labyrinth, 
and  the  crude-brick  pyramid  of  Hawd- 
rah,  which  stands  at  its  northern  end, 
may  be  made  from  Medeeneh.  The 
distance  in  a  direct  line  is  not  more 
than  5  or  6  m.,  but  a  detour  of  more 
or  less  length  will  have  to  be  made, 
according  to  the  time  of  year  and  the 
state  of  the  canals.  Care  should  be 
taken  to  ascertain  that  the  donkey- 
boy  who  acts  as  guide  knows  the  way, 
and  the  proper  places  for  crossing  the 
various  canals,  especially  the  arm  of 
the  Bahr  Yoosef  which  runs  N.  to 
Tomeeah,  and  the  deep,  narrow  canal 
which  flows  through  the  W.  side  of 
the  Labyrinth.  This  arm  of  the  Bahr 
Yoosef  presents  here  the  appearance  of 
a  natural  ravine,  sometimes  confined 
between  steep  banks,  and  at  others 
widening  out  to  a  breadth  of  several 
hundred  feet.  Between  it  and  the 
ruins  are  a  succession  of  mounds, 
through  which,  immediately  skirting 
the  pyramid  and  the  ruins,  runs  the 
narrow  modern  canal  above  referred  to. 

The  site  of  the  Labyrinth,  which 
had  long  been  a  subject  of  doubt,  was 
fixed  by  Lepsius  and  the  Prussian 
commission.  But  little  remains  to 
justify  the  extravagant  admiration 
bestowed  on  it  by  Herodotus,  who  says, 
"  I  visited  this  place,  and  found  it  to 
surpass  description ;  for  if  all  the  walls 
and  other  great  works  of  the  Greeks 
were  put  together  in  one,  they  would 
not  equal,  either  for  labour  or  expense, 
this  Labyrinth:"  and  he  adds  that 
"  the  Labyrinth  surpasses  the  Pyra- 
mids." The  founder  of  the  Labyrinth 
has  been  variously  named  by  ancient 
authors,  but  it  seems  probable  that  its 
builder  was  Amenemha  III.  of  the 
XHth  dynasty,  the  same  who  construct- 
ed the  Lake  Moeris.  His  is  the  oldest 
name  found  among  the  ruins.  The 
whole  extent  of  the  Labyrinth,  includ- 
ing the  pyramid,  measured  about  1150 
ft.  E.  and  W.  by  850  ft.  N.  and  S.,  and 
it  appears  to  have  been  built  round  an 
open  area  500  ft.  broad  and  600  ft.  in 
length.    Within  this  area  lie  such  re- 


Egypt. 


ROUTE  15. — THE  LABYRINTH  AND  LAKE  MCERIS. 


301 


mains  as  can  still  be  seen,  consisting 
of  broken  columns  and  capitals,  of 
granite  and  hard  white  limestone. 
The  hieroglyphics  on  the  granite  have 
been  painted  green.  Herodotus  says 
that  there  were  12  courts,  and  two 
different  sets  of  chambers,  1500 
above  ground,  and  beneath  them  1500 
under  ground,  and  that  the  under- 
ground ones  "  contained  the  sepulchres 
of  the  kings  who  built  the  Labyrinth, 
and  also  those  of  the  sacred  crocodiles." 

The  crocodile  was  the  sacred  animal 
of  the  nome,  giving  its  name  to  the 
city  of  Crocodilopolis ;  and  it  was  the 
hatred  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  neigh- 
bouring province  of  Heracleopolis  for 
this  animal  that  caused  the  destruction 
of  the  Labyrinth.  It  has  been  well 
observed  that  the  reason  of  the  croco- 
dile, the  eel,  and  other  fish  being 
sacred  in  inland  towns  of  Egypt,  was 
to  ensure  the  maintenance  of  the 
canals  which  conducted  the  fresh 
water  to  those  places,  without  which 
they  could  not  live. 

To  the  N.  of  these  ruins  is  a  crude- 
brick  pyramid,  generally  called  the 
pyramid  of  Hawarah.  When  entire  it 
was  348  ft.  square ;  but  it  is  much 
ruined.  The  style  of  its  building,  in 
degrees,  or  stories,  to  which  sloping 
triangular  sides  were  afterwards  added, 
is  very  evident.  The  bricks  are  very 
large,  and  appear  to  be  of  a  great  age. 
Strabo  gives  4  plethra  (400  ft.)  for  the 
length  of  each  face,  and  the  same  for 
the  height,  which  Herodotus  calculates 
at  40  fathoms  (240  ft.).  A  natural 
rock  rises  inside  to  the  height  of  about 
40  ft.  Several  stone  walls,  intersecting 
it  in  regular  lines,  act  as  binders  to  the 
intermediate  mass  of  brickwork  built 
in  between  them :  and  the  outside  was 
coated  with  a  stone  casing. 

About  8  m.  to  the  S.  of  the  Labyrinth 
is  another  crude-brick  pyramid  near 
the  village  of  Illahoon,  a  short  distance 
to  the  S.W.  of  which,  at  a  village  called 
Hawarah,  are  the  great  stone  dykes 
and  sluices,  mentioned  by  Aboolfeda, 
that  regulate  the  quantity  of  water 
admitted  into  the  Fyodm.  Some 
remains  of  older  bridges  and  dykes 
swept  away  by  various  irruptions  of 
the  Nile  are  seen  there;  and  to  the 


W.  is  a  dyke,  serving  as  a  communi- 
cation with  the  high  land  at  the  edge 
of  the  desert  during  the  inundation. 

From  the  branch  of  the  Bahr  Yoo- 
sef  which  runs  from  the  bridge  of 
Illahoon  to  Medeeneh,  numerous  canals 
conduct  the  water  to  various  parts  of 
the  province,  the  quantity  being  regu- 
lated by  sluices,  according  to  the  wants 
of  each.  As  of  old,  they  offer  still  a 
more  interesting  specimen  of  irrigation 
than  any  other  part  of  Egypt. 

From  Illahoon  to  Benisooef  on  the 
Nile  (see  Kte.  18)  is  about  14  m.  in  a 
direct  line.  On  the  road  about  2  m. 
to  the  S.W.  of  the  bridge  of  Illahoon 
are  the  mounds  of  an  ancient  town, 
called  Tdma,  which,  from  its  name  und 
position,  probably  marks  the  site  of 
Ptolemai's,  the  port  of  Arsinoe. 

Further  on  to  the  rt.  you  see  the 
lofty  mounds  of  Anasieh,  the  ancient 
Heracleopolis,  which  stood  in  an  island 
formed  by  the  canal.  The  mounds  of 
Noayreh,  Baheh,  Beshennee,  Beliffieh, 
Kom  Alimar,  and  others,  also  mark  the 
sites  of  old  towns. 

Most  visitors  to  the  Fyodm  will  be 
anxious  to  visit  the  site  of  the  Lake 
Mceris,  of  which  Herodotus  says, 
"  Wonderful  as  is  the  Labyrinth,  the 
work  called  the  Lake  of  Mceris,  which 
is  close  by  the  Labyrinth  is  yet  more 
astonishing."  But  though  the  position 
of  this  lake  has  now  been  satisfactorily 
determined,  there  is  little  or  nothing 
to  mark  the  ground  it  occupied.  To 
M.  Linant-Bey  is  due  the  discovery 
of  its  position,  and  the  refutation  of 
the  theory  which  made  the  Birket  el 
Korn  its  representative.  The  accounts 
o*f  Herodotus,  Strabo,  and  Pliny, 
though  widely  different,  all  seem  to 
show  that  it  was  an  artificial  lake,  dug 
for  the  purpose  of  receiving  the  super- 
fluous waters  of  the  Nile  during  the 
inundation,  and  then,  by  means  of 
locks  and  sluices,  distributing  them 
during  the  dry  season  throughout  the 
Fyodm  and  the  surrounding  country 
above  and  below  Memphis.  This 
function  could  never  have  been  dis- 
charged by  the  Birket  el  Korn,  the 
surface  of  which  lies  considerably 
lower  than  the  cultivated  land;  nor, 
making  every  allowance  for  the  rise  of 


302 


KOUTE  15.  CAIEO  TO  THE  FTOOM. 


Sect.  II. 


the  bed  of  the  river  and  the  surround- 
ing country  from  the  continued  deposit 
of  alluvium,  could  they  ever  have  been 
nearly  on  the  same  level,  even  in 
Herodotus'  time ;  and  the  ruins  at  the 
water's  edge  of  the  Birket  el  Korn, 
show  that  its  surface  was  at  any  rate 
never  lower  than  it  now  is.  It  is  pro- 
bable that  when  the  inundation  was 
excessive,  and  the  Lake  Moeris  over- 
flowed, the  superfluous  water  was 
carried  off  into  this  natural  depression 
of  the  Birket  el  Korn.  But  the  arti- 
ficial reservoir  of  Lake  Moeris  must 
have  been  on  a  level  with  the  lands  it 
was  intended  to  supply  with  water. 

Its  position  has  been  fixed  by  M. 
Linant-Bey  in  the  centre  of  the  pla- 
teau of  the  Fyodm.  He  discovered  to 
the  N.,  N.E.,  and  S.  of  Medeeneh, 
remains  of  an  old  dyke  of  great 
strength,  extending  over  an  area  of 
some  30  m.  Within  the  circumference 
of  these  remains  was  Lake  Moeris. 
Biahmoo,  about  4  m.  to  the  N.  of  Me- 
deeneh, formed  the  N.W  angle ;  from 
thence  the  dyke  can  be  traced  for 
about  10  m.  E.  as  far  as  Wady  War- 
dan,  and  18  m.  S.,  as  far  as  Gherek. 
That  this  must  have  been  the  position 
of  Lake  Moeris  is  still  further  proved 
by  the  now  ascertained  site  of  the 
Labyrinth,  which,  Herodotus  tells  us, 
was  "  a  little  above  Lake  Moeris,  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Crocodilopolis."  His 
assertion  that  it  was  450  m.  in  circum- 
ference, may  be  explained  by  the  sup- 
position that  he  embraced  in  this 
measurement  the  whole  water-system 
of  the  Fyodm,  the  Birket  el  Korn  in- 
cluded. 

The  conception  and  execution  of 
this  gigantic  work  were  due  to  Ame- 
nemha  III.  of  the  Xllth  dynasty, 
the  same  who  built  the  Labyrinth. 
The  name  Moeris,  given  to  him  by  the 
Greeks,  is  simply  derived  from  the 
old  Egyptian  word  meri,  which  sig- 
nified a  lake.  The  records  of  the  rise 
of  the  Nile,  put  up  by  the  same  king 
at  Semneh,  are  an  additional  proof  of 
the  attention  he  bestowed  on  hydraulic 
engineering. 

e.  Other  Excursions  from  Medeeneh. 
— Another  excursion  may  be  made  to 


Biggig,  about  2  m*  to  the  S.S.W.  of 
Medeeneh,  where  is  an  obelisk  of  the 
time  of  Osirtasen  I.,  who  erected  that 
of  Heliopolis.  It  has  been  thrown 
down,  and  broken  in  two  parts;  one 
about  26i  ft,  the  other  16  ft.  3  in.  long. 
One  face  and  two  sides  are  only  visible ; 
and  few  hieroglyphics  remain  on  the 
lower  part.  The  mean  breadth  of 
the  face  is  5  ft.  2  in.,  or  6  ft.  9J  in.  at 
the  lower  end,  and  the  sides  are  about 
4  ft.  in  width.  At  the  upper  part  of 
the  face  are  five  compartments,  one 
over  the  other ;  in  each  of  which  are 
two  figures  of  king  Osirtasen  offering 
to  two  deities.  Below  are  columns  of 
hieroglyphics,  many  of  which  are  quite 
illegible.  The  other  face  is  under 
the  ground.  On  each  of  the  two  sides 
is  a  single  column  of  hieroglyphics, 
containing  the  name  of  the  king, 
who  on  one  is  said  to  be  beloved  by 
Phtah,  on  the  other  by  Mandoo — evi- 
dently the  principal  deities  of  the  place. 
On  the  summit  of  the  obelisk  a  groove 
has  been  cut,  doubtless  to  hold  some 
ornament,  like  that  of  Heliopolis ; 
though  this  of  Biggig  differs  from  it, 
and  from  other  obelisks,  in  its  apex 
being  round  and  not  pointed ;  and  in 
the  breadth  of  its  sides,  and  its  faces 
being  so  very  dissimilar.  The  people 
of  the  country  look  on  these  fragments 
with  the  same  superstitious  feeling 
as  on  some  stones  at  the  temple  of 
Panopolis,  and  other  places;  and  the 
women  recite  the  Fat 'ha  over  them  in 
the  hope  of  a  numerous  offspring. 

At  Bialimoo,  about  4  m.  to  the  N. 
of  Medeeneh,  are  some  curious  stone 
ruins.  They  consist  of  two  buildings, 
distant  from  each  other  81  paces, 
measuring  45  in  breadth  and  about  60 
in  length,  the  southern  end  of  both 
being  destroyed.  They  stand  nearly 
due  N.  and  S.,  and  at  the  centre  of 
the  E.  and  W.  face  is  a  doorway.  In 
the  middle  of  each  is  an  irregular  mass 
of  masonry  about  10  paces  square  and 
about  20  ft.  high,  having  10  tiers  of 
stone  remaining  in  the  highest  part; 
and  at  the  N.E.  corner  of  the  eastern 
building  the  outer  wall  is  entire,  and 
presents  a  sloping  pyramidal  face, 
having  an  angle  ,  of  67°.  Some  have 
supposed  them  to  be  pyramids,  and 


Egypt. 


ROUTE  15.  BIRKET  EL  KORN. 


303 


have  seen  in  them  the  two  mentioned 
by  Herodotus,  as  standing  in  the  centre 
of  Lake  Mceris.  But  their  position 
does  not  accord  with  this  idea ;  and 
the  angle  is  not  that  of  a  pyramid. 

/.  The  Birket  el  Korn— The  Birket 
el  Korn  is  about  15  m.  distant  in  a 
straight  line  from  Medeeneh.  If  it  is 
the  time  of  the  sugar-cane  harvest, 
advantage  can  be  taken  of  the  railway 
which  goes  from  Medeeneh  to  Nezleh 
and  Abookseer,  both  villages  not  far 
from  the  lake.  At  other  periods  of 
the  year  a  train  only  runs  occasionally. 
It  is  generally  very  difficult  to  hire 
camels  or  donkeys  in  the  Fyoom,  and 
it  is  a  good  thing  to  get  an  order  from 
the  governor  at  Medeeneh,  addressed 
to  the  village  sheykhs,  requiring  them 
to  furnish  the  traveller  with  what  he 
may  require.  None  of  the  ruins  which 
will  presently  be  described  on  the 
shore  of  the  Birket  are  particularly 
well  worth  a  visit.  The  best  head- 
quarters for  shooting  is  perhaps  the 
small  village  of  El  Wady,  situate  about 
midway  along  the  S.  shore  of  the  lake, 
at  the  mouth  of  what  is  called  the 
Wady  river,  one  of  the  main  branches 
of  the  Bahr  Yoosef  canal  before  alluded 
to,  which  here  empties  itself  into  the 
lake.  Plenty  of  wild-fowl  shooting  is 
to  be  had  here  in  the  winter,  and 
quail  are  abundant  in  February. 
Hares,  too,  abound  in  the  tamarisk-  ! 
bushes  on  the  shore  of  the  lake  to  the  ! 
east  of  El  Wady.  Boars  and  wolves 
may  sometimes  be  seen,  but  the  place 
to  find  them  is  on  -the  opposite  or  N. 
side  of  the  lake.  There  are  some  large 
clumsy  fishermen's  boats  at  El  Wady, 
but  any  one  who  wants  to  shoot  on 
the  lake,  and  cross  from  one  side  to  the 
other  readily,  had  better  take  his  own 
boat  with  him.  El  Wady  is  about 
5  m.  from  Abookseer. 

The  following  would  make  a  good 
tour  from  Medeeneh.  To  Nezleh,  and 
thence  to  the  Kasr  Kharoon :  from  Kasr 
Kharoon  along  the  W.  shore  of*  the 
Birket  el  Korn  to  El  Wady,  Abookseer, 
and  Senhoor :  from  Senhoor  inland  to 
Tomeeah :  and  thence  back  to  Me- 
deeneh or  El  Edwa.  This  would 
occupy  from  5  to  8  days. 


The  lake  is  about  35  m.  long,  and  a 
little  more  than  7  broad  in  the  widest 
part,  and  has  received  its  name,  Birket 
el  Korn,  or  Keroon,  "  the  Lake  of  the 
Horn,"  from  its  form,  which  is  broad  at 
the  eastern  end,  and  curves  to  a  point 
at  its  opposite  extremity.  Towards 
the  middle  is  a  barren  island,  called 
Gezeeret  el  Korn.  The  depth  of  the 
lake  varies  according  to  the  time  of 
year,  but  the  average  in  the  deepest 
part  may  be  about  30  ft.  The  surface 
is  considerably  below  the  level  of  the 
Nile.  The  water  is  brackish,  and  even 
salt,  particularly  in  summer,  before 
the  inundation  has  poured  into  it  a 
supply  of  fresh  water.  It  is  partly  fed 
by  this,  and  partly  by  springs,  which 
are  probably  derived  from  nitrations 
from  the  Nile  over  a  bed  of  clay. 

Until  lately  the  Birket  el  Korn  was 
considered  to  be  the  old  Lake  Mceris, 
but,  as  has  been  already  shown,  modern 
science  has  proved  the  inaccuracy  of 
that  idea.  The  first  view  of  the  lake 
from  the  upland  plain  of  the  Fyodm 
is  very  grand.  Dense  groves  of  palm- 
trees  occupy  the  foreground  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Senhoor  and  Nezleh : 
the  plain  sloping  gradually  down  to 
the  lake  is  richly  cultivated;  the 
immediate  shore  is  dotted  with  pic- 
turesque groups  of  tamarisk-bushes: 
the  lake  itself,  on  a  calm  day,  glitters 
like  a  sea  of  molten  silver ;  while  be- 
yond it  stretches  the  desert,  to  the  E. 
a  succession  of  undulating  sand-hills, 
to  the  W.  a  chain  of  rocky  mountains, 
extending  to  the  edge  of  the  horizon. 
Mention  has  already  been  made  of  the 
numbers  of  aquatic  birds,  especially 
in  winter.  The  lake  also  abounds  in 
fish,  mostly  of  the  same  kind  as  those 
found  in  the  Nile.  As  usual  in  Egypt, 
the  fisheries  are  farmed. 

g.  Kasr  Kharoon,  and  other  Ruins  on 
the  Shores  of  the  Birket  el  Korn. — The 
principal  ruins  on  the  shores  of  the 
Birket  el  Korn  are  those  called  Kasr 
el  Kharoon.  They  are  at  the  S.W. 
corner  of  the  lake,  about  10  m.  from 
Nezleh,  and  rather  more  from  the  vil- 
lage of  El  Wady.  The  road  from  the 
latter  lies  along  the  shore,,  and  over 
the  desert.    Nezleh  is  on  the  banks  of 


304 


EOUTE  15. — CAIRO  TO  THE  FYOOM. 


Sect.  II. 


the  river-like  canal  called  El  "Wady, 
whose  mouth  is  at  the  village  of  the 
same  name. 

At  Nezleh  the  ravine,  from  bank  to 
bank,  measures  673  ft.,  and  100  in 
depth  from  the  top  of  the  bank  to  the 
level  of  the  water  in  the  channel  at 
the  centre,  which  is  120  ft.  broad.  In 
the  ravine  itself  are  the  remains  of  a 
wall,  partly  brick,  partly  stone,  which 
is  said  to  have  been  once  used  to  retain 
the  water,  like  that  of  Tomeeah,  where 
there  is  a  similar  deep  broad  channel, 
and  where  the  large  reservoir  of  water, 
kept  up  by  the  dyke,  has  probably 
been  made  in  imitation  of  the  old 
artificial  Lake  Moeris.  About  1|  m. 
below  Nezleh  are  some  mounds,  called 
Wateeah,  and  the  tomb  of  Sheykh  Abd 
el  Bari. 

To  the  W.  of  Nezleh  are  the  sites 
of  2  ancient  towns,  called  Harab-t-el 
Yahood,  "the  Kuins  of  the  Jews,"  and 
El  Hammam,  "the  Baths."  Neither 
of  them  presents  any  but  crude-brick 
remains,  and  the  former  has  evidently 
been  inhabited  by  Moslems,  whose 
mnd  houses  still  remain.  Medeenet 
Hati,  Medeenet  Madi,  and  Harab-t-en 
Nishan,  have  extensive  mounds  of 
ancient  towns,  amidst  which  are  found 
fragments  of  limestone  columns,  bricks, 
pottery,  glass,  and  a  few  Boman  coins. 

On  the  road  to  Kasr  Kharoon  is 
Kasr  el  Benat,  "  the  BaLtce  of  the 
(iirls,"  a  small  crude-brick  ruin,  of 
which  the  plans  of  3  rooms  only  can 
be  traced;  the  whole  measuring  30 
paces  by  10.  Near  it  is  the  site  of  an 
old  town,  with  much  broken  pottery, 
bricks,  and  other  fragments.  One  mile 
and  a  half  to  the  S.  are  the  mounds  of 
Hereet,  presenting  the  remains  of 
brickwork,  but  no  ruins.  Traces  of 
vineyards  and  the  channels  of  old 
canals  are  to  be  seen,  together  with 
much  pottery  and  some  tombs,  before 
reaching  Kasr  Kharoon. 

The  principal  building,  to  which 
the  name  of  Kasr  Kharoon  properly 
belongs,  is  an  Egyptian  temple,  mea- 
suring 94  ft.  by  63  ft.,  and  46  ft.  in 
height,  preceded  by  a  court  about 
35  ft.  in  depth.  It  contains  14  cham- 
bers and  2  staircases  on  the  ground- 
floor,  besides  a  long  passage  on  either  1 


i  side  of  the  adytum,  whose  end  wall 
is  divided  into  3  narrow  cells.  The 
whole  is  of  hewn  stone,  and  of  a  very 
good  style  of  masonry. 

About  380  paces  (or  900  ft.)  in  front 
of  the  temple  is  a  square  stone  ruin, 
that  probably  formed  the  entrance  of 
its  dromos ;  near  it  is  another  small 
building  of  similar  materials  ;  and  130 
paces  to  the  S.E.  is  a  Boman  temple 
of  brick,  stuccoed,  about  18  ft.  square, 
on  a  stone  platform,  the  outer  face  of 
its  walls  ornamented  with  pilasters 
and  half-columns.  In  form,  size,  and 
appearance,  it  resembles  2  buildings 
near  Borne,  one  called  the  temple  of 
Bediculus,  and  the  other  a  supposed 
tomb,  outside  the  Borta  Bia.  The 
roof  is  arched,  and  the  door  in  front 
opens  upon  a  small  area,  part  of  the 
platform  upon  which  it  stands ;  and 
the  principal  difference  between  this 
and  the  above-mentioned  buildings  is, 
that  here  half-columns  are  substituted 
at  the  side  walls  for  pilasters.  It 
has  a  side-door.  Other  vestiges  of 
ruins  are  scattered  over  an  extent  of 
about  900  by  400  paces,  or  about  2200 
by  1000  ft. ;  and  at  the  western  extre- 
mity of  this  space,  350  paces  behind 
the  temple,  are  the  remains  of  an  arch, 
partly  of  stone,  and  partly  of  crude- 
brick,  whose  northern  face  looks  to- 
wards the  lake,  and  the  other  towards 
a  small  crude-brick  ruin.  Near  the 
arch  is  a  stone  resembling  a  stool,  or 
an  altar,  also  of  Boman  time. 

It  is  not  alone  by  the  situation  of 
this  town  that  the  former  extent  of 
the  cultivated  land  of  the  Arsinoite 
nome  is  attested,  but  by  the  traces 
of  gardens  and  vineyards  which  are 
met  with  on  all  sides  of  the  Kasr 
Kharoon,  whose  roots  now  supply  the 
Arabs  with  fuel  when  passing  the 
night  there. 

Broken  pieces  of  old  glass  lie  thickly 
strewn  about  the  desert  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood, and  there  are  many  copper 
coins.  It  has  been  conjectured  that 
Kasr  Kharoon  marks  the  site  of  Dio- 
nysias. 

To  the  N.E.,  on  the  shore  of  Birket 
el  Korn,  are  vestiges  of  masonry,  per- 
haps of  the  port  (if  it  deserves  the 
'  name)  of  this  town.    To  the  N.,  about 


Egypt 


ROUTE  15. — KOM  WESEEM — AEOOKSEEE. 


305 


12  m.  from  the  lake,  is  a  lofty  range 
of  limestone  mountains,  and  behind 
them  is  the  ravine  that  joins,  and 
forms  part  of,  the  Bahr-el-Fargh,  to 
the  W.  of  the  Natron  Lakes. 

The  rains  of  Kom  Weseem  or  Kom 
Wesheem-el-Haggav,  are  little  more 
than  5  in.  from  the  eastern  end  of  the 
lake,  and  4  from  Tomeeah,  close  to  the 
road  leading  to  the  pyramids.  They 
consist  of  extensive  mounds,  and  be- 
low them  are  remains  of  crude-brick 
houses  on  stone  substructions,  amidst 
which  may  be  traced  the  direction  of 
the  streets  of  a  town.  On  the  mounds 
the  remains  seem  to  be  chiefly,  if  not 
entirely,  of  tombs,  in  some  of  which 
animals  were  buried.  There  are  a  few 
granite  blocks,  and  others  of  a  com- 
pact shell  limestone.  Some  of  the 
former  had  been  cut  into  millstones. 
Fragments  of  glass  abound ;  and  Ptole- 
maic coins  badly  preserved,  together 
with  an  arched  room,  prove  these 
rains  to  be  of  late  time.  Beyond 
the  town  to  the  N.E.  are  numerous 
large  round  blocks  of  stone  extending 
to  a  great  distance  along  the  plain, 
which  has  given  the  epithet  El  Haggar 
to  the  place ;  but  they  are  not  hewn 
stone,  and  have  not  belonged  to  any 
monument. 

At  El  Hammdm,  by  the  water's  edge, 
at  this  end  of  the  lake,  are  the  re- 
mains of  "  baths,'"  and  a  few  other  ruins 
of  no  great  interest,  broken  amphorae, 
glass,  and  other  fragments.  A  little 
above  was  the  town  to  which  they 
belonged. 

There  is  another  place  called  "  the 
baths,"  with  still  fewer  remains  of 
burnt  brick,  on  the  S.  side  of  the  Like  ; 
and  to  the  12.  of  this,  at  the  projecting 
headlnnd  below  Sheykh  Abd  el  Kadee 
are  a  few  more  vestiges  of  brickwork. 
The  tomb  of  the  Sheykh  also  stands  on 
the  site  of  an  old  town,  on  the  way 
from  Senhoor  to  the  lake. 

Nearly  opposite  these  southern 
"baths"  are  the  ruins  of  Dimdy  or 
Nerba,  a  large  town,  distant  about 
2  m.  from  the  lake. 

On  the  way  from  the  usual  place 
of  landing,  below  Dimay,  you  pass 
several  large  blocks  resembling  broken 


columns,  but  which  are  natural,  as  at 
Kom  "Weseem. 

A  raised  paved  dromos,  leading  di- 
rect through  its  centre  to  an  elevated 
platform  and  sacred  enclosure,  forms 
the  main  street,  about  1290  ft.  in 
length,  once  ornamented  at  the  upper 
end  with  the  figures  of  lions,  from 
which  the  place  has  received  the  name 
of  Dimay  (or  Dimeh)  es  Saba.  This 
remarkable  street  (which  recalls  the 
paved  approach  to  the  temple  of 
Bnbastis),  the  lions,  and  the  remains 
of  stone  buildings,  prove  the  town  to 
have  been  of  far  greater  consequence 
than  Kom  Weseem.  The  principal 
edifice,  which  is  partly  of  stone,  stands 
at  the  upper  end  of  the  street,  and 
was  doubtless  a  temple :  it  measures 
about  109  ft.  by  67  ft.,  and  is  divided 
into  several  apartments,  the  whole 
surrounded  by  an  extensive  circuit 
of  crude  brick,  370  ft.  by  270  ft.  An 
avenue  of  lions  was  before  the  en- 
trance of  this  sacred  enclosure  (or 
temenos),  87  ft.  in  length,  connecting 
it  with  one  of  those  square  open  plat- 
forms, ornnmented  with  columns,  so 
often  found  before  the  temples  of  the 
Thebaid;  and  this  avenue  formed  a 
continuation  of  the  main  street.  The 
total  dimensions  of  the  area  occupied 
by  the  town  were  about  1730  ft.  by 
1000,  but  the  extent  of  its  walls  is  not 
easily  traced  amidst  the  heaps  of  sand 
tha-t  have  accumulated  over  them ;  and 
the  whole  is  in  a  very  dilapidated 
state. 

The  site  of  Bacchis  may  have  been 
at  Dimay,  or  at  Kom  el  Weseem. 

h.  Other  parts  of  the  Fyodm. — Abook- 
seer  is  a  large  village  with  the  usual 
mounds,  about  4  m.  from  the  lake  on 
E.  shore.  A  short  distance  to  the  W.  of 
it  is  a  large  sugar-factory,  whence  a 
railway  runs  round  by  Nezleh  to  Me- 
deeneh.  About  a  mile  from  the  vil- 
lage to  the  E.  is  some  marshy  ground, 
much  frequented  by  ducks  and  various 
kinds  of  aquatic  birds.  The  direct  road 
from  Abookseer  to  Medeeneh  passes 
by  the  marsh,  and  joins  the  railway 
embankment  about  |  m.  beyond  it. 

Senhoor  is  a  large  and  picturesque 
village,  buried  in  a  forest  of  palm-trees, 


306 


ROUTE  16. — CAIRO  TO  THE  OASES. 


Sect,  II. 


and  partly  surrounded  by  a  deep  water- 
course. It  is  situated  about  5  m. 
from  the  lake  at  its  N.E.  corner. 
There  are  extensive  mounds,  but  no 
ruins.  In  a  gorge  near,  on  the  borders 
of  a  stream  .  in  the  midst  of  the  date- 
groves,  is  the  charming  little  village  of 
Fidedeen.  There  is  a  beautiful  view 
of  the  lake  from  the  country  round 
Senhoor. 

Inland  from  Senhoor  is  Senooris,  a 
large  village  occupying  the  site  of  an 
old  town,  but  with  no  ruins.  Me- 
deeneh is  about  10  m.  distant  to  the  S. 

Continuing  on  in  N.W.  direction  we 
pass  Kafr  Mukfoot,  in  the  centre  of  a 
most  richly  cultivated  country,  and 
8  m.  from  Senooris  reach  Tomeeah,  the 
last  village  at  the  N.E.  side  of  the 
Fyodm.  It  has  no  ruins,  but  is  inter- 
esting from  the  remains  that  exist  of 
the  old  system  of  dykes  and  reservoirs. 
The  same  system  is  still  carried  out 
on  a  smaller  scale.  There  is  a  deep 
ravine,  or  valley,  as  at  Nezleh,  the 
lower  part  of  which  was  dammed  by  a 
buttressed  wall  of  great  thickness. 
Water-fowl  are  very  numerous  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Tomeeah ;  also  hares 
and  sand-grouse.  Medeeneh  is  about 
17  m.  distant,  and  El  Edwa  12  m. 

From  Tomeeah  a  road  leads  across 
the  desert  to  Dashoor  and  Sakkarah, 
rather  more  than  30  m. 

About  20  m.  from  Medeeneh,  to 
the  S.W.,  is  El  Gherek,  a  town  about 
700  paces  long  by  500  broad,  pro- 
tected against  the  Arabs  by  a  wall 
furnished  with  loopholes  and  pro- 
jecting towers.  Over  the  gateway 
are  some  old  sculpture,  and  parts  of 
small  columns  and  pilasters.  It  has 
no  ruins,  and  the  mound  near  it,  called 
Senooris,  seems  only  to  mark  the  site 
of  an  older  Arab  village.  And  though 
the  stones  on  the  W.  side,  from  which 
the  village  has  received  the  pompous 
name  of  Medeenet  el  Haggar,  "  the 
City  of  the  Stone,"  once  belonged  to 
ancient  ruins,  there  is  no  vestige  of 
building  that  has  any  claim  to  an- 
tiquity. The  town  stands  at  the  edge 
of  an  isolated  spot  of  arable  land,  sur- 
rounded by  the  desert,  and  watered 
by  a  branch  of  the  canal  that  extends 
to  the  lands  about  Nezleh,  and  the  | 


western  extremity  of  the  Fyodm.  It 
is  the  land  that  has  given  the  name 
Gherek,  "submerged,"  to  the  village; 
doubtless  from  its  having  been  exposed 
to  floods,  by  the  lowness  of  its  level, 
when  accidents  have  occurred  to  the 
dykes.  It  has  been  erroneously  called 
a  lake. 

At  El  Benian,  "  the  Buildings,"  to 
the  N.E.  of  El  Gherek,  are  an  old 
doorway,  broken  shafts,  and  capitals 
of  Corinthian  columns  of  Boman 
time,  built  into  a  sheykh's  tomb ;  and 
at  Taleet  and  Sheykh  Aboo-Hamed,  to 
the  eastward,  are  the  mounds  of  two 
other  towns.  These  indeed  occur 
in  many  parts  of  the  Fyodm;  and 
though  we  cannot  credit  the  tradition 
of  the  people  that  it  formerly  con- 
tained 366  towns  and  villages,  it  is 
evident  that  it  was  a  populous  nome  of 
ancient  Egypt;  and  that  many  once 
existed  both  in  the  centre  and  on  the 
now  barren  skirts  of  the  Fyodm.  In- 
deed the  cultivated  land  extended 
formerly  far  beyond  its  present  limits  : 
a  great  portion  of  the  desert  plain  was 
then  taken  into  cultivation,  and  several 
places  may  be  noted  where  canals  and 
the  traces  of  cultivated  fields  are  still 
discernible  to  a  considerable  distance  E. 
and  W.  of  the  modern  irrigated  lands. 


KOUTE  16. 

CAIRO  TO  THE  LITTLE  OASTS,  THE  GREAT 
OASIS,  AND  THE  OASIS  OF  DAKHLEH, 
BY  THE  FYOOM. 

a.  Different  roads  to  the  Oases,  b.  Ke- 
quisites  for  the  journey,  c.  Dis- 
tances, d.  Wady  Ryan.  —  Moileh. 
e.^  Little  Oasis.  /.  El  Hayz.  g.  Fa- 
rafreh.  h.  Oases  of  the  Blacks  in 
the  interior  to  the  west.    i.  Oasis  of 


Egypt. 


EOUTE  16. — ROADS  TO  THE  OASES. 


307 


Dakhleh.  j.  Great  Oasis.  U.  Dis- 
tances in  the  Great  Oasis.  I.  Boad 
to  the  Nile  at  Abydus.  m.  Koad 
to  Esneh. 

a.  The  most  frequented  roads  to 
the  Little  Oasis  are  from  the  Fyoorn 
and  from  Behnesa,  and  the  average 
distance  from  them  is  the  same,  about 
3  days'  journey. 

The  Great  Oasis  may  be  visited 
from  Asyoot,  from  Geezeh  by  Abydus, 
from  Farshoot,  from  Thebes,  or  from 
Esneh ;  and  that  of  Dakhleh  from  Beni 
Adee  near  Manfaloot,  or  by  the  Great 
Oasis. 

The  route  by  the  Fyodm  and  the 
Little  Oasis  includes  El  Hayz  and 
Farafreh,  and  gives  the  best  idea  of 
the  character  of  the  African  desert  ; 
but  most  persons  who  go  to  the  Oases 
will  be  satisfied  with  a  visit  to  the 
Little  Oasis  from  the  Fyoom  or  from 
Behnesa,  and  to  the  other  two  from 
some  point  in  Upper  Egypt,  returning 
again  to  the  same,  or  to  some  other, 
place  on  the  Nile. 

There  is  little  to  vary  the  monotony 
of  the  roads  to  the  Oases:  and  the 
dreary  journey  over  a  high  desert 
plain,  or  table-land,  scarcely  diver- 
sified by  occasional  barren  valleys, 
has  led  to  the  mistaken  impression 
of  the  charm  of  those  "  islands  of  the 
blessed."  Some  have  supposed  them 
to  be  cultivated  spots  in  the  midst  of 
a  desert  of  sand,  with  rich  fields  kept 
in  a  state  of  perpetual  verdure  by  the 
streams  that  run  through  them,  and 
affording  the  same  contrast  to  the 
extensive  barren  plain  around  them 
as  islands  to  the  level  expanse  of 
the  ocean.  These  highly-wrought  pic- 
tures soon  vanish  on  arriving  at  the 
Oases.  The  surrounding  tract,  over 
which  the  roads  lead  to  them,  consists 
of  a  lofty  table-land,  intersected  here 
and  there  by  small  shallow  valleys, 
or  ravines,  worn  by  the  water  of  rain 
that  occasionally  falls  there  ;  and  the 
Oases  lie  in  certain  depressions  in  this 
mountain-plain,  surrounded  by  cliffs 
more  or  less  precipitous,  and  very  like 
those  to  the  E.  and  W.  of  the  valley 
of  the  Nile.  In  the  centre,  or  in 
some  part  of  this  depressed  plain,  is 


the  Oasis  itself, — a  patch  of  fertile 
soil,  composed  of  sand  and  clay,  which 
owes  its  origin  to  the  springs  that  rise 
here  and  there  to  fertilise  it.  Here 
are  gardens,  palm-groves,  fields,  and 
villages,  not  unlike  a  portion  of  the 
valley  of  the  Nile,  with  a  sandy  plain 
beyond,  in  which  stunted  tamarisks, 
coarse  grasses,  and  other  desert  plants, 
struggle  to  keep  their  heads  above 
the  drifted  sand  that  collects  around 
them.  The  distant  hills,  or  the  ab- 
rupt faces  of  the  high  mountain-plain 
surrounding  the  whole,  complete  the 
scene,  and  if  you  ascend  a  minaret,  or 
any  point  higher  than  the  rest,  you 
may  add  to  these  general  features 
some  stagnant  lakes,  whose  feverish 
exhalations  cause  and  account  for  the 
yellow  complexion  of  the  inhabitants, 
and  make  it  unsafe  to  visit  the  Oases 
in  summer  or  autumn. 

&.  Requisites  for  the  Journey. 

Full  instructions  as  to  what  is  re- 
quired for  a  desert  journey  will  be 
found  under  Bte.  14,  a  ;  and  the  tra- 
veller must  decide  for  himself  whether 
he  will  be  content  with  bare  neces- 
saries, or  go  in  for  comparative  lux- 
uries. It  is  not  always  easy  to  pro- 
cure camels  at  Medeenet  el  Fyoom, 
and  it  is  therefore  as  well  to  obtain  at 
Cairo  a  letter  of  recommendation  to 
the  authorities  there. 

c.  Distances. 

Days. 


Cairo  to  Medeenet  -  el  -  Fyoom. 

See  Bte.  15   1 

El  Ghe'rek  (sleep  there  and  take 

water)    1 

Wady  Byan  (brackish  water)  . .  J 

Zubbo,  in  the  Little  Oasis      ..  2£ 

Zubbo  to  El  Kasr  in  this  Oasis 
6|m   I 

El  Kasr  in  Little  Oasis  to  El 

Hayz  (short  day)   1 

El  Hayz  to  Farafreh       . .     . .  3 

Farafreh  to  Oasis  of  Dakhleh . .  4 

Oasis  of  Dakhleh  to  Great  Oasis  3 
Great  Oasis  to  Abydus,  38  to 

40  hrs.  (long  days)      . .     . .  3 


308 


ROUTE  16.  CAIRO  TO  THE  OASES. 


Sect.  II. 


d.  Wady  Bydn,  and  Moileh. 

On  going  from  the  Fyodm  to  the 
Little  Oasis,  the  first  halt  is  at  the 
valley  called  Wady  Raian  or  Ryan, 
abounding  with  palm-trees  and  water. 
It  is  not  sweet,  like  that  of  the  Nile, 
but  is  good  for  camels ;  the  supply  for 
the  journey  should  therefore  be  taken 
in  at  the  western  extremity  of  the 
lands  of  El  Gherek.  It  is  always 
better  to  have  too  much  than  too  little, 
and  rather  more  than  the  Arabs  say  is 
necessary,  as  they  try  to  load  their 
camels  as  lightly  as  possible,  and  think 
little  for  the  future. 

About  15  m.  to  the  S.E.  of  Wady 
Ryan,  and  some  way  to  the  1.  of  the 
road,  is  the  valley  of  Moileh  with  a 
ruined  convent  or  monastery,  and  a 
spring  of  salt  water.  It  may  be  visited 
on  the  way  to  Wady  Ryan,  by  making 
a  small  detour,  and  is  curious  as  a 
Christian  ruin.  It  contains  2  churches, 
one  of  stone,  the  other  of  brick,  and  is 
surrounded  by  a  strong  wall,  with  a 
tower  of  defence  on  the  N.  side.  In 
the  churches  are  several  Coptic  and 
some  Arabic  inscriptions,  and  figures 
of  the  Apostles  and  saints ;  and  the 
cornice  that  runs  round  a  niche  in 
the  stone  church  is  richly  carved, 
though  in  bad  taste.  The  total  di- 
mensions of  the  convent  are  89  paces 
by  65.  In  the  same  valley  are  some 
curious  specimens  of  the  picturesque 
wild  palm-tree. 

There  is  nothing  remarkable  on  the 
road  to  the  Oasis ;  and  one  cluster  of 
acacia-trees  appears  a  singular  novelty. 
On  descending  into  the  low  plain  in 
which  the  Oasis,  properly  so  called, 
stands,  you  perceive  that  the  calca- 
reous mountains  repose  on  sandstone, 
with  a  substratum  of  clay,  holding 
the  water  that  rises  from  it  in  the 
form  of  springs.  You  pass  nnmerous 
stunted  tamarisk-bushes,  some  palms 
and  springs,  then  some  stagnant  lakes ; 
and  after  sinking  in  the  salt-crust  of 
once  flooded  fields,  that  crackles  under 
your  feet,  you  reach  the  thick  palm- 
groves,  gardens,  and  villages  of  the 
Wah.  It  is  divided  into  two  parts, 
separated  by  some  isolated  hills,  over 
which  the  principal  road  passes  from 


one  to  the  other.  Those  hills  are  sand- 
stone, and  they  present  some  curious 
geological  features. 

e.  Little  Oasis— The  modern  name 
of  the  little  Oasis,  the  Oasis  Parva  of 
the  Romans,  is  Wah  el  Behnesa, — a 
translation  of  the  old  Coptic  Ouahe 
Pemge.  The  Arabs  pretend  that  it 
was  so  called  from  having  been  once 
colonised  from  Behnesa,  on  the  Bahr 
Yoosef ;  and  it  is  to  this  that  Abool- 
feda  alludes  in  speaking  of  "  another 
Behnesa  in  the  Wah."  It  is  also  known 
as  the  Wah  el  Mendeesheh,  and  the 
Wah  el  Ghdrbee,  though  this  last  is 

I  properly  its  "  western"  division.  The 
Arabic  name  Wah  is  the  same  as  the 
ancient  Egyptian  Ouah,  Aua,  or  Oa, 
which  with  the  Greek  termination 
formed  Auasis,  or  Oasis,  and  is  the 
Coptic  Ouahe. 

The  only  ancient  stone  remains  are 
a  small  ruin  near  Zubbo,  and  a  Roman 
building  in  the  town  of  El  Kasr,  which 
has  thence  derived  its  name,  signify- 
ing "  the  Palace."  This  was  once  a 
handsome  edifice,  well  built,  and  orna- 
mented with  Doric  mouldings ;  and 
its  arch,  with  the  niches  at  the  side, 
has  still  a  good  effect.    The  Kasr  el 

!  Alam,  about  1J  m.  to  the  W.*  of  El 
Kasr,  is  an  insignificant  crude-brick 
ruin:  there  is  another  about  f  m. 
to  the  S.W.  of  the  same  town ;  and 
to  the  E.  of  Zubbo  are  some  rude 
grottoes. 

The  Little  Oasis  has  several  springs 
of  warm  water,  which,  when  left  to 
cool  in  porous  jars,  is  perfectly  whole- 
some and  palatable,  though  some  say 

|  it  disagrees  with  strangers  in  the 

(  summer.  The  most  remarkable  are 
at  Bowitti  and  El  Kasr,  the  former 
having  a  temperature"  of  27°  Reaum. ; 

i  the  latter,  whose  steam  is  converted 
into  a  rude  bath,  of  27J°  Reaum.,  or 

'  about  935°  Fahr.  With  regard  to  the 
real  and  apparent  warmth  of  the  water 
of  some  of  ■  these  springs,  an  idea  may 
be  had  from  a  pond  formed  by  them 
of  Zubbo,  whose  water  soon  after  sun- 
rise (Feb.  3),  the  exterior  air  being 
8J°  Reaum.,  was  18J°  and  quite  warm 
to  the  hand ;  at  midday,  the  exterior 
air  being  15°,  it  was  2±°,  and  cold  to 


Egypt. 


ROUTE  16. — THE  LITTLE  OASIS. 


309 


the  hand;  and  in  the  evening  at  9 
p.m.,  the  exterior  air  being  12-J°,  the 
water  was  20|°,  and  consequently 
warm  to  the  hand  ;  explaining  the  ex- 
aggerated phenomena  of  the  Fountain 
of  the  Sun,  in  the  Oasis  of  Ammon. 
The  pond  is  about  30  ft.  wide,  and  5  or 
6  ft.  in  depth.  It  is  the  one  mentioned 
by  Belzoni. 

In  this  Wah  are  grown  a  variety  of 
fruit-trees,  much  liquorice,  rice,  barley, 
wheat,  doom,  clover,  wild  cotton,  and 
most  of  the  usual  productions  of  the 
Nile ;  but  the  principal  source  of 
wealth  here,  as  in  the  other  Oases,  is 
the  date-tree,  which  yields  a  very  su- 
perior quality  of  fruit. 

The  dates  are  of  4  kinds :  the  Sol- 
tanee,  the  Saiclee,  which  are  the  best, 
the  Kaka,  and  the  Ertob  (rottub)  ; 
but  those  of  the  Seewah  are  even 
better.  The  proportion  of  fruit-trees 
is  also  much  greater  than  on  the  Nile. 

A  conserve  of  dates,  called  Ag'weh, 
is  made  by  pounding  them  in  a  mass, 
and  then  mixing  whole  dates  with 
it.  The  Saidee  are  preferred  for  this 
purpose,  and  are  preserved  in  earthen 
jar  ,  and  kept  by  the  natives  for  their 
own  use;  but  some,  which  they  put 
into  baskets,  are  sent  to  the  Nile, 
where  they  are  highly  and  justly  es- 
teemed. They  are  very  sweet  and 
rich,  unlike  any  produced  in  Egypt. 

They  make  no  brandy  from  dates, 
but  extract  a  palm-wine,  called  Lowb'- 
geh,  from  the  heart  of  the  tree, — an 
intoxicating  beverage,  of  which  they 
are  very  fond.  It  is  thus  made  :  in 
the  summer,  when  the  sap  is  up,  they 
cut  off  all  the  gereets  (palm-branches), 
except  3  or  4  in  the  middle  ;  and 
then,  having  made  incisions  in  every 
part  of  the  heart,  at  the  foot  of  those 
branches,  they  stretch  a  skin  all 
round,  to  conduct  the  juice  into  a  jar 
placed  there  to  receive  it.  Some 
palms  fill  a  jar  in  one  night,  holding 
about  6  pints.  It  is  sweetened  with 
honey,  and  drunk  as  soon  as  made; 
and  its  taste  and  effect  are  very  much 
like  new  wine,  with  the  flavour  of 
cider. 

The  heart  of  the  palm-tree  is  also 
cut  out  and  eaten.  But  this,  like  the 
process  of  making  the  wine,  spoils 


the  tree.  (Of.  Xenoph.  Anab.  2,  3.) 
The  people  of  the  Nile,  therefore,  never 
taste  the  former  unless  a  tree  falls,  as 
they  cannot  afford  to  sacrifice  what 
costs^them  an  annual  duty.  The  trees 
of  the  Oases  are  taxed  in  mass ;  those 
of  the  Nile  singly. 

They  also  make  treacle  from  the 
dates ;  and  they  lay  up  dried  pome- 
granates for  the  winter  and  spring. 

The  liquorice-roots  (soos)  are  sent 
to  the  Nile  in  baskets,  and  are  used 
for  making  a  sort  of  sherbet. 

The  principal  gardens  are  about  El 
Kasr,  where  fruit-trees  are  abundant, 
particularly  apricots,  pomegranates, 
Seville  oranges  glaring,  whence  the 
Spanish  naranja,  and  our  "orange") 
and  vines ;  they  have  also  the  banana, 
the  nebh,  and  mokliayt  (Rhamnus 
Nabeca,  and  Zizyphus),  olive,  peach, 
fig,  pear,  and  some  others.  Olives 
are  not  abundant,  and  they  are  mostly 
brought  from  the  Seewah  and  Fara- 
freh. 

Though  the  inhabitants  of  the  Oa- 
ses are  a  much  less  industrious  and 
energetic  race  than  the  fellaheen  of 
Egypt,  they  pay  considerable  attention 
to  the  cultivation  of  their  lands ;  but 
they  have  not  to  undergo  the  same  toil 
in  raising  water  as  on  the  Nile,  the 
streams  that  constantly  flow  from  plen- 
tiful springs  affording  a  convenient  and 
never  -  failing  supply  for  irrigation. 
But  the  stagnant  lakes  created  by  the 
surplus  of  water  exhale  a  pernicious 
miasma,  causing  a  dangerous  remittent 
fever,  which  annually  rages  in  the 
summer  and  autumn ;  and  the  Arabs 
of  the  desert  consider  it  unsafe  to  visit 
these  districts  at  any  other  season  than 
the  winter  and  the  spring. 

The  height  of  these  Oases  varies. 
The  Little  Oasis  being  about  200  feet 
higher  than  the  Nile  at  Benisooef, 
while  the  Great  Oasis  and  that  of 
Dakhleh  are  nearly  on  the  same  level. 
But  in  all  of  them  the  water  seems  to 
rise  from  an  argillaceous  bed,  which  in 
the  two  former  lies  under  limestone, 
and  in  the  latter  under  sandstone  strata. 
It  may,  however,  be  reasonably  conjec- 
tured that  the  water  comes  originally 
from  the  Nile,  whence,  carried  over 
the  clay,  it  finds  its  way  to  the  different 


310 


EOUTE  16. — CAIRO  TO  THE  OASES. 


Sect.  II. 


Oases,  as  to  the  Natron  valley  ;  and 
its  occasionally  rising,  in  a  level  higher 
than  the  Nile  in  the  same  latitude,  is 
explained  by  its  having  entered  the 
conducting  stratum  at  some  more  south- 
erly, and  consequently  more  elevated, 
part  of  the  river's  course. 

The  annual  tax  paid  by  the  Oases 
to  the  Egyptian  Government  amounts 
to  about  8000Z.  The  population  of  the 
Little  Oasis  may  perhaps  be  reckoned 
thus : — 

Inhabitants. 

Zubbo  ..    300 

Mareeh   400 

El  Kasr,  about   3500 

Bowitti,  about    3000 

Total  about  7200 

The  distances  in  this  Oasis  are : — 

From  Zubbo  and  Mareeah  (which  are 
not  J  a  mile  apart)  to  the  ruined 
village  of  Bayrees  to  the  S.E.,  2  m. 

From  Zubbo  to  Bowitti  in  the  western 
division  of  the  Oasis,  crossing  the 
hill,  4  m. 

From  Bowitti  to  El  Kasar  less  than 
J  m. 

From  El  Kasar  to  the  western  limit  of 
the  cultivated  lands,  If  m. 

No  general  extent  of  this  Oasis  can 
be  given,  owing  to  its  irregularity ;  and 
indeed  in  all  of  them  the  cultivable 
spots  bear  a  very  small  proportion  to 
the  dimensions  of  the  valley  over  which 
they  are  studded. 

/.  El  Hayz.— The  small  Wah  of  El 
Hayz  is  a  short  day  to  the  S.  of  this 
Oasis,  of  which,  indeed,  it  is  a  continua- 
tion. It  has  springs  and  cultivated 
land  belonging  to  the  people  of  El 
Kasr  and  Bowitti,  who  go  there  at  cer- 
tain seasons  to  till  it,  and  collect  the 
crops.  But  it  has  no  village,  and  the 
only  appearance  of  buildings  is  at  El 
Errees,  where  a  ruined  church  shows  it 
was  once  the  abode  of  Christian  monks. 
This  consists  of  a  nave  and  aisles,  with 
rooms  on  the  upper  story.  Some  of 
the  arches  have  the  horseshoe  form; 
and  over  a  window  is  a  Coptic  inscrip- 
tion.  About  6,00  paces  to  the  S.W.  is 


another  crude-brick  ruin,  about  74 
paces  by  50,  within  the  walls,  which 
are  about  30  ft.  high,  and  near  this  are 
much  pottery  and  some  nebk  -  trees, 
which  indicate  the  previous  existence  of 
a  garden,  either  belonging  to  a  mona- 
stery or  a  town. 

g.  Farafreh. — About  3  days  from  El 
Hayz  are  the  Oasis  and  village  of 
Farafreh,  containing  about  60  or  70 
male  inhabitants.  The  Kassob,  "  cane," 
mentioned  by  Ebn-el-Werde,  appears 
to  be  the  dokhn  or  millet  (Holcus  sac- 
cliaratus),  grown  in  this  district ;  and 
it  is  remarkable  that  the  name  Kassob, 
usually  confined  to  sugar-cane,  is  here 
applied  to  millet.  The  productions  of 
Farafreh  are  very  much  the  same  as 
those  of  the  other  Oases,  but  it  excels 
them  in  the  quality  of  its  olives,  which 
are  exported  to  the  Little  Oasis.  Fara- 
freh was  formerly  called  Trinytheos 
Oasis,  but  it  boasts  no  remains  of  anti- 
quity. It  has  a  castle  or  stronghold 
that  commands  and  protects  the  village 
in  case  of  attack  from  the  Arabs,  or 
more  dangerous  enemies. 

h.  Oases  of  the  BlacJts. — Five  or  * 
6  days  W.  of  the  road  to  Farafreh  is 
another  Oasis,  called  Wady  Zerzodra, 
about  the  size  of  the  Oasis  Parva, 
abounding  in  palms,  with  springs,  and 
some  ruins  of  uncertain  date.  It  was 
discovered  at  the  beginning  of  the  cen- 
tury by  an  Arab,  while  in  search  of  a 
stray  camel,  and  from  seeing  the  foot- 
steps of  men  and  sheep  he  supposed 

it  to  be  inhabited.  Gebabo,  another 
Wah,  lies  6  days  beyond  this  to  the  W., 
and  12  days  from  Augila ;  and  Tazerbo, 
which  is  still  farther  to  the  "W.,  forms 
part  of  the  same  Oasis.  The  general 
belief  is  that  Wady  Zerzoora  also  com- 
municates with  it.  The  inhabitants  are 
black,  and  many  of  them  have  been 
carried  off  at  different  times  by  the 
Moghrebbins  for  slaves :  through  the 
"Valleys  of  the  Blacks,"  a  series  of 
similar  Oases  lie  still  further  to  the  W. 

According  to  another  account,  Zer- 
zoora is  only  2  or  3  days  due  W.  from 
Dakhleh,  beyond  which  is  another 
Wady;  then  a  second,  abounding  in 
cattle ;  then  Gebabo  and  Tazerbo ;  and 


EOUTE  16.  OASIS  OF  DAKHLEH. 


311 


beyond  these,  Wady  Kebeeana.  Ge- 
babo  is  inhabited  by  two  tribes  of 
Blacks,  the  Simertayn  and  Ergezayn. 

These  are,  perhaps,  the  continuation 
of  palm-bearing  spots  mentioned  by 
Edrisi,  which  he  says  extend  to  Ouca 
and  Cawar. 

i.  Oasis  of  Daklileli.  —Four  days  to 
the  S.  of  Farafreh  is  the  Wah  el 
Gharbee,  or  Wah  ed  DaMleh,  "  the 
Western  or  Inner  Oasis."  The  name  of 
Dakhleh  is  put  in  opposition  to  Khar- 
geh  (which  is  given  to  the  Great  Oasis 
that  lies  E.  of  it), — the  one  meaning 
the  "receding,"  the  other  the  "  project- 
ing" Wall ;  Khargeh  being  called 
projecting,  as  being  nearer  to  Egypt. 

A  great  portion  of  the  road  from 
Farafreh  lies  between  two  of  the  nu- 
merous high  ridges  of  drifted  sand  that 
extend  for  many  miles,  nearly  due  N. 
and  S.,  parallel  to  each  other.  There  is 
no  water  after  passing  Ain  ed  Dthuk- 
ker,  the  halting-place  of  the  first  day  s 
march. 

Though  noticed  by  Arab  writers,  the 
position  and  even  the  existence  of  the 
Wah  ed  Dakhleh  were  unknown  in 
modern  times,  until  visited  by  Sir 
Archibald  Edmonston  in  1819. 

The  crude-brick  remains  of  nume- 
rous towns  and  villages  prove  it  to 
have  been  once  a  very  populous  dis- 
trict. A  little  more  than  5  m.  to  the 
W.S.W.  of  the  modem  town  of  El  Kasr 
is  a  sandstone  temple,  called  ed  Dayr 
el  Hagar,  "  the  Stone  Convent,"  the 
most  interesting  ruin  in  this  Oasis.  It 
has  the  names  of  Nero  and  Titus  in 
the  hieroglyphics  ;  and  on  the  ceiling  of 
the  adytum  is  part  of  an  astronomical 
subject.  Amun,  Maut  and  Khonso, 
the  Theban  triad,  were  the  principal 
deities ;  and  the  ram-headed  Nou, 
Noum,  or  Neph,  and  Harpoerates  were 
among  the  contemplar  gods ;  but  the 
Theban  Jupiter  and  Maut  held  the 
post  of  honour.  The  temple  consists 
of  a  vestibule,  with  screens  half-way  up 
the  columns ;  a  portico,  or  a  hail  of 
assembly ;  a  transept  or  prosekos ;  and 
the  central  and  two  side  adyta ;  121  ft. 
before  the  door  of  the  vestibule  is  a 
stone  gateway  or  pylon,  the  entrance 
to  an  area  measuring  235  ft.  by  130. 


surrounded  by  a  crude-brick  wall.  At 
the  upper  or  W.  end  of  it  are  the  re- 
mains of  stuccoed  rooms  ;  and  on  the 
N.E.  side  are  some  columns  covered 
also  with  stucco,  and  coloured. 

There  are  many  crude-brick  remains 
in  the  neighbourhood ;  and  about  1 J  m . 
from  El  Kasr  are  the  extensive  mounds 
of  an  ancient  town  with  a  sandstone 
gateway.  The  fragments  of  stone 
which  lie  scattered  about  appear  to 
indicate  the  site  of  a  temple,  now  de- 
stroyed. 

Those  mounds  are  about  half  a  mile 
square,  and  below  them  to  the  E.  is  a 
spring  called  Ain  el  Keead,  whence 
they  have  received  the  name  of  Me- 
deeneh  Keead.  They  are  also  known 
as  Lemhada.  The  only  ruins  now 
remaining  are  of  crude  brick;  and 
from  the  state  of  their  vaulted  rooms, 
these  appear  to  have  been  of  Eoman 
time. 

El  Kasr  and  Kalamdon  are  the  chief 
towns' of  the  Wah  ed  Dakhleh.  The 
sheykhs  of  El  Kasr  call  themselves  of 
the  tribe  of  Koraysh,  and  say  that 
their  ancestors,  having  migrated  to 
this  part  of  the  country  about  400  years 
ago,  bought  the  springs  and  lands, 
which  they  have  ever  since  possessed  ; 
and  the  Shorbagees  of  Kalamoon 
(which  is  distant  8  m.  to  the  S.)  claim 
the  honour  of  having  governed  the 
Oases  from  the  time  of  Sultan  Selim. 

About  9f  m.  to  the  E.  of  Kalamdon 
is  the  village  of  Isment,  where  is  the 
capital  of  a  column  with  an  Athor.  (or 
Isis)  head,  and  near  it  some  crude- 
brick  ruins  called,  as  usual,  ed  Dayr, 
"  the  Convent."  About  1J  m.  to  the 
S.W.  is  Masarah.  Ballat  is  a  little 
more  than  10  m.  to  the  E.  of  Isment. 
On  the  road,  and  about  2|  m.  from  the 
latter  village,  are  the  ruins  of  a  large 
town,  called  Isment  el  Kharab,  "the 
ruined  Isment."  The  most  remarkable 
remains  there  are  a  sandstone  building 
measuring  19  paces  by  9,  consisting  of 
2  chambers,  in  a  very  dilapidated  state ; 
and  another  near  it,  measuring  5  paces 
by  5,  with  an  addition  before  and  be- 
hind of  crude  brick,  stuccoed  and 
painted  in  squares  and  flowers.  Nine- 
teen paces  in  front  of  it  is  a  stone  gate- 
way, the  entrance  to  the  area  in  which 


312 


ROUTE  16.  CAIRO  TO  THE  OASES. 


Sect.  II. 


it  stood.  There  are  also  some  large 
crude-brick  buildings  ornamented  with 
pilasters,  apparently  of  Konian-Egyp- 
tian  time ;  within  which  are  vaulted 
chambers  of  sandstone.  Many  of  the 
houses  of  the  town  remain,  mostly 
vaulted  and  succoed ;  and  the  streets 
may  easily  be  be  traced.  A  little  more 
than  1  m.  from  this  are  other  ruins, 
called  El  Kasar  el  Areeseh. 

Near  Ballat  is  a  ruined  town  called 
Beshendy.  The  houses  were  vaulted 
and  stuccoed,  and  the  principal  build- 
ing seems  to  have  been  a  temple,  of 
crude  brick,  with  the  Egyptian  ovals 
and  cornice.  The  doorway  is  arched, 
and  it  is  evidently  of  Boman  time. 

The  population  of  the  Wah  ed  Dakh- 
leh  has  been  given  as  under:  — 

Mule  Inhabitants. 

El  Kasr    1200  to  1500 

Kalamoon   800  to  1000 

Gedeedee    1000 

Ballat    800 

Moot    400 

Masarah    250 

Isment   250 

Hindow    600 

Bedcholo,  or  Aboo- 

dokhloo    400 

Moosheeh    500 

Gharghoor   50 

Total  from  6250  to  6750. 

The  condition  and  population  of  this 
Oasis  are  very  superior  to  those  of  the 
other  two :  and  in  spite  of  the  autho- 
rity of  Yacutus,  who  says,  "  The  Wah 
which  is  opposite  the  Fyodm  is  better 
inhabited  than  the  second,"  or  Wah  ed 
Dakhleh,  it  is  evident  that  the  latter 
was  always  more  populous,  and  always 
contained  a  greater  number  of  villages. 
Indeed  in  the  Oasis  Farva  there  are 
only  4 — Zubbo,  and  Mereeh  or  Men- 
deesheh,  El  Kasr,  and  Bowitti : 
whereas  Dakhleh  contains  11,  and  a 
population  of  more  than  6000  male  in- 
habitants. The  remains,  too,  of  an- 
cient towns  and  villages  far  exceed  any 
that  the  former  can  boast,  and  prove  its 
superiority  in  this  respect  at  all  times. 

Dakhleh  abounds  in  fruits,  particu- 
larly olives  and  apricots  ;  but  dates,  as 


]  in  all  the  Oases,  bring  the  principal  re- 
!  venue  to  the  district.    At  El  Kasr  is 
a"  warm  spring,  whose  copious  stream 
j  supplies  several  baths  attached  to  the 
|  mosk,  for  which  its  temperature  of 
102°  Fahr.  is  well  adapted.  The  people 
are  hospitable,  and  consequently  differ 
from  those  of  the  Oasis  Parva  ;  nor  are 
'  they  so  ignorant  and  bigoted  as  the 
latter,  or  as  those  Farafreh. 

The  general  position  of  the  Oasis  of 
Dakhleh  is  N.  and  S.,  in  the  direction 
of  a  line  passing  through  El  Kasr  to 
Kalamoon,  and  thence  E.  towards  Bal- 
lat; its  extent  northwards  measuring 
about  15  m.,  and  E.  and  W.  about  ?8. 
Much  rice  is  grown  in  this,  as  in  the 
other  Oasis,  particularly  about  Moot 
and  Masarah:  but  it  is  very  inferior 
to  that  of  the  Delta,  the  grain  being 
small  and  hard. 

j.  The  Great  Oasis,  or  Wah  El 
Khargeh.— Three  short  days  to  the 
eastward  of  the  Wah  ed  Dakhleh  is  the 
Great  Oasis,  or  Wall  el  Khargeh.  It  has 
also  the  name  of  Menamoon,  perhaps 
taken  from  Ma-fi-amum,  signifying 
"  the  Abode  of  Amum.'"  On  the  road 
is  a  small  temple,  and  a  well  of  water 
called  Ain  Amoor,  surrounded  by  an 
enclosure  of  crude  brick,  intended  to 
protect  the  temple,  and  secure  access 
to  the  spring.  Kneph,  Amunre,  and 
Maut  are  the  principal  deities.  Though 
the  name  seems  to  be  of  a  Caesar,  the 
temple  has  an  appearance  of  greater 
antiquity  than  the  generality  of  those 
in  the  Oases ;  no  remains  of  a  town 
have  been  found,  and  it  is  possible  that 
this  temple  and  enclosure  were  only 
intended  to  add  a  sanctity  to  the  site 
of  the  spring,  and  to  ensure  its  pro- 
tection. 

The  first  object  of  interest,  on  enter- 
ing the  Oasis  of  El  Khargeh  on  that 
side  is  a  columbarium,  consisting  of  a 
large  arched  chamber,  pierced  with 
small  cells  for  cinerary  urns,  capable  of 
containing  the  condensed  residue  of 
numerous  burnt  bodies.  It  measures 
about  17  ft.  by  8  ft.,  and  about  20  ft 
in  height.  Beyond  it  are  other  ruins 
and  tombs  ;  then  another  columbarium, 
and  a  tower  about  40  ft.  high,  in  which 
were  once  separate  stories,  the  lower 


Egypt 


KOUTE  16.  THE  GREAT  OASIS. 


313 


rooms  arched,  the  upper  ones  having 
had  roofs  supported  by  rafters.  The 
tower  protected  a  well,  and  was  pro- 
bably an  outpost  for  soldiers.  About 
l-3rd  of  a  mile  to  the  N.  of  this,  and 
S.E.  of  the  columbarium,  are  the  re- 
mains of  another  tower  and  ruined 
walls  ;  beyond  which  is  another  ruin 
of  crude  brick  with  an  arched  roof, 
and  a  door  in  the  Egyptian  style. 
Half  a  mile  further  are  other  crude- 
brick  ruins  on  the  hills,  and  an  old 
well  about  50  ft.  in  diameter.  About 
a  mile  beyond,  to  the  S.,  is  the  Kasr 
Ain  es  Sont,  "  the  Palace  (or  castle)  of 
the  Acacia  Fountain,"  so  called  from  a 
neighbouring  spring.  It  consists  of 
about  30  rooms  and  passages,  with 
staircases  leading  to  the  Upper  part, 
and  the  exterior  is  ornamented  with 
the  Egyptian  cornice.  It  is  of  crude 
brick,  and  probably  of  Eoman  time ; 
and  in  the  wall  facing  the  well  a  stone 
niche  or  doorway  has  been  put  up  in 
the  midst  of  the  brickwork.  In  one 
of  the  rooms  are  some  Coptic  inscrip- 
tions. There  are  other  ruins  near  this, 
all  a  little  out  of  the  direct  road  to 
the  town  of  El  Khargeh ;  and  beyond 
are  some  tombs,  one  of  which  is  orna- 
mented with  pilasters,  and  a  pediment 
over  the  entrance.  From  the  fountain, 
or  Ain  es  Sont,  to  the  great  temple  of 
El  Khargeh,  is  about  \\  m.,  or  to  the 
town  about  3  m.  On  the  way,  and 
about  J  m.  to  the  left,  you  pass  the 
Necropolis. 

The  great  temple  of  El  Khargeh  is 
much  larger  than  any  in  the  Oases, 
and  is  an  interesting  monument.  It 
was  dedicated  to  Amun,  or  Amun-Ka ; 
and  it  is  worthy  of  remark  that  the 
ram-headed  god  has  here  the  same 
name  as  the  long-feathered  Amun  of 
Thebes.  It  may  be  observed  in  ex- 
planation of  this  that  we  are  not  to 
look  upon  the  ram-headed  god  as 
Amun,  but  to  remember  that  it  is 
Amun  who  has  assumed  the  head  of  a 
ram,  in  the  same  way  as  he  takes  the 
form  of  Khem,  or  any  other  god.  The 
custom  was  common  to  other  deities  of 
the  Egyptian  Pantheon,  who  borrowed 
each  other's  attributes  without  scruple  ; 
and  it  was  this  his  assumption  of  an 

[Egypf] 


attribute  of  Kneph,  particularly  in 
the  Oasis,  that  led  to  the  error  of  the 
Greeks  and  Eomans,  in  representing 
Amun  with  the  head  of  a  ram,  as  a 
general  form  of  that  deity. 

The  sculptures  of  the  temple  are  not 
of  the  spirited  style  of  the  early  Phara- 
onic  ages ;  though  some  are  by  no 
means  bad,  particularly  on  the  trans- 
verse wall  separating  the  front  from 
the  back  part  of  the  portico.  In  the 
adytum  the  figures  are  small,  and  the 
subjects  very  extraordinary,  probably 
of  Ptolemaic  or  Eoman  time,  when 
extravagant  emblems  took  the  place 
of  the  more  simple  forms  of  an  earlier 
period. 

The  oldest  name  met  with  is  of 
Darius,  which  occurs  in  many  places ; 
and  on  a  screen  before  the  temple  is 
that  of  Amyrtseus.  There  are  also 
several  Greek  inscriptions  on  the  front 
gateway  or  pylon,  one  of  which,  bear- 
ing the  date  of  the  first  year  of  the 
Emperor  Galba,  consists  of  66  lines. 

The  whole  length  of  the  temple 
measures  about  142  ft.  by  63,  and 
about  30  ft.  in  height.  Attached  to 
the  front  of  it  is  a  screen,  with  a  cen- 
tral and  two  side  doorways ;  and  in  the 
dromos  is  a  succession  of  pylons,  one 
before  the  other,  at  intervals  of  80,  70, 
and  50  ft.  It  is  the  outer  one  (which 
is  farthest  from  the  temple)  that  bears 
the  inscriptions ;  and  50  ft.  before  it 
is  an  hyppethral  building  on  a  raised 
platform,  terminating  the  dromos,  from 
which  there  is  ascent  to  it  by  a  flight 
of  steps.  The  temple  was  enclosed 
within  a  stone  wall,  abutting  against 
the  innermost  pylon.  This  formed  the 
temenos.  Near  the  S.W.  corner  is 
another  smaller  hypsethral  building, 
and  some  distance  to  the  N.  of  a  temple 
is  a  small  stone  gateway.  On  the  sum- 
mit of  the  second  or  middle  pylon  of 
the  dromos  some  brickwork  lias  been 
raised  in  later  times  by  the  Arabs, 
forcibly  recalling  the  additions  made 
during  the  middle  ages  to  many  Eo- 
man buildings  in  Italy.  The  stone 
part  itself  is  much  higher  than  the 
other  two  gateways,  being  about  45  ft. 
to  the  top  of  the  cornice  ;  while  the 
other  two,  the  first  and  innermost,  are 
only  respectively  15  ft.  7  in.  and  20  ft. 

p 


ROUTE  16.  CAIRO  TO  THE  OASES. 


Sect.  II. 


3  in.  The  stones  are  well  fitted,  and 
have  been  fastened  together  with 
"wooden  dovetailed  cramps. 

In  the  vicinity  of  the  temple  stood 
the  ancient  town.  It  bore  the  name 
of  Ibis,  or,  in  Egyptian,  Hehi,  -'the 
Plough,"  under  which  character  it  is 
frequently  designated  in  the  hiero- 
glyphics "with  the  sign  of  land,  and  it 
was  the  capital  of  the  Great  Oasis. 

On  a  height,  S.E.  from  the  temple, 
is  a  stone  building  called  En  Nadara, 
surrounded  by  a  spacious  crude -brick 
enclosure,  which  bears  the  names  of 
Adrian  and  Antoninus. 

To  the  N.  is  a  remarkable  Necro- 
polis, consisting  of  about  150  crude- 
brick  tombs  ornamented  with  pilasters 
and  niches,  not  in  very  pure  style, 
but  on  the  whole  having   a  good 
effect.    On  the  stucco  within  are  re- 
presented various  subjects,  which,  as 
well  as  the  style  of  architecture  and 
the  presence  of  a  church,  decide  that 
they  are  of  a  Christian  epoch.  The 
inscriptions  on  their  walls  are  mostly 
Coptic  and  Arabic ;  and  the  sacred  Tau, 
the  Egyptian  symbol  of  life,  _ 
adopted  by  these  early  Chris-  O 
tians,  frequently  occurs  here  m^fm 
instead  of  the  cross  of  their  J 
successors. 

There  are  many  other  ruins  in  the 
vicinity  of  El  Khargeh;  the  others 
are  in  the  southern  part  of  this  Oasis, 
on  the  road  to  Bayrees. 

The  caravans  from  Darfoor  to  Egypt 
pass  through  the  Great  Oasis,  on  their 
way  to  Sioot.  Slaves  used  to  be  brought 
this  way  by  Takrdorees,  who  are  blacks 
from  the  interior  of  Africa,  and  Mos- 
lems, but  are  looked  upon  as  an  inferior 
kind  of  merchant.  The  great  and 
wealthy  Jelabs  were  from  Darfoor, 
who  sometimes  brought  from  2000  to 
4000  slaves.  The  rate  of  travelling 
by  the  slave  caravans  was  very  slow  ; 
they  only  went  from  sunrise  to  half- 
past  2  or  3  p.m..  or  about  8  hrs.'  march  : 
and  the  journey  from  Darfoor  to  Bay- 
rees, at  the  IS.  of  the  Oasis,  occupied 
31  days  — 10  from  Darfoor  to  the 
Natron  plain,  called  Zeghrawa,  7  to 


Elegeeh,  4  to  Seleerneh,  5  to  Sheb. 
and  5  to  Bayrees. 

The  population  of  this  Oasis,  ac- 
cording to  the  natives,  is  thus  calcu- 
lated :— 

Male  Inbab. 


At  El  Khargeh   3000 

Genah    250 

Belak    400 

Bayrees   600 

(Doosh,  included  in  Bayrees.) 

Maks    40 


4290 

The  town  of  El  Khargeh  is  distant 
about  13  m.  from  the  hills  that  bound 
this  Oasis  to  the  E.,  over  which  the 
various  roads  lead  to  the  Nile.  The 
length  of  the  central  plain,  in  which 
it  stands,  extends  in  a  direct  line  N. 
and  S.  about  66  m..  great  part  of  which 
is  desert,  with  cultivable  spots  here 
and  there,  which  depend  on  the  pre- 
sence of  springs. 

The  productions  of  the  Wah  El 
Khargeh  are  very  much  the  same  as 
those  of  the  Little  Oasis,  with  the 
addition  of  the  Theban  palm,  much 
wild  senna,  and  a  few  other  plants; 
but  it  is  inferior  in  point  of  fertility. 
The  number  of  fruit-trees  is  also  much 
less,  nor  can  it  boast  of  the  same 
variety. 

The  Oases  are  little  noticed  by 
ancient  writers,  except  as  places  of 
exile,  which  ill  accord  with  the  fan- 
ciful name  of"  Islands  of  the  Blessed." 
given  them  by  Herodotus ;  who  adds 
another  extaordinary  assertion,  that 
the  Great  Oasis  was  inhabited  by 
Samians  of  the  iEschrionian  tribe. 
Through  it  the  army  of  Cambyses  is 
said  to  have  passed  when  going  to  at- 
tack the  Ammonians;  and  it  was  in 
the  desert,  about  half-way  between 
this  and  Se'ewah,  that  the  Persians 
perished. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  persons 
banished  to  this  place  was  Nestorius, 
who  was  condemned  by  the  council  of 
Ephesus,  and  was  at  length  sent  to  the 
Great  Oasis  in  435  a.d. 


Egypt.         route  16. — roads  to  abydus  and  esneh. 


315 


k.   Distances  in  the  Great  Oasis, 

GOING  TO  ITS  SOUTHERN  EXTREMITY. 

Miles. 


El  Khargeh  to  Kasr  el  Goeytah  9J 

Kasr  Ain  e'  Zey'an    2 

Belak    4 

Tomb  of  Emeer  Khaled     ..  2J 
Low  hills  and  springs  of  Deka- 
keen  (just  beyond  the  ruined 

village  to  tbe  right)              ..  23§ 

Bayrees  (about)   8 

Temple  of  Doosh   8| 


58 

At  Kasr  el  Goeytah  is  a  temple 
with  the  names  of  Ptolemy  Euergetes 
I.,  of  Philopater,  and  of  Lathyrus.  It 
was  dedicated  to  Amun,  Mailt,  and 
Khonso, — the  great  Theban  triad. 

At  Kasr  Ain  ez  Zaydn  is  another 
temple,  which  was  restored  in  the  third 
year  of  Antoninus  Pius,  and  was  dedi- 
cated to  Ameuebis.  This  deity  appears 
to  have  been  the  same  as  Amun,  and 
his  name  was  evidently  a  Greek  form 
of  Amun-Nepk.  A  Greek  dedicatory 
inscription  over  the  door  of  the  temple 
at  Kasr  Ain  ez  Zayan  contains  this 
name  and  that  of  the  town,  which 
was  called  Tchonemyris. 

About  2J  m.  beyond  the  village  of 
Belak  is  a  tomb  said  to  be  of  the 
famous  Khaled  ebn  el  Wele'ed,  or 
Emeer  Khaled. 

Three  hours  beyond  Bayrees  is  the 
temple  of  Doosh,  which  has  the  names 
of  Domitian  and  Adrian,  and  was 
dedicated  to  Serapis  and  Isis ;  but  the 
Greek  inscription  on  the  pylon  has  the 
date  of  the  19th  year  of  Trajan.  The 
ancient  name  of  the  town  was  Cysis  ; 
and  the  inhabitants  added  this  stone 
gateway  for  the  good  fortune  of  the 
emperor,  and  in  token  of  their  own 
piety. 

Z.  Road  to  Abydus. 

The  roads  to  Abydus,  to  Sioot,  and 
to  Farshoot,  go  from  El  Khargeh. 
The  northernmost  one    is    that  to 
i  Sioot. 

After  6  hours'  march  with  camels, 
on  the  road  from  El  Khargeh  to  Far- 
shoot,  or  to  Abydus,  you  come  to  a 


Eoman  fort  of  crude  brick,  about  90 
paces  square,  with  a  doorway  of  burnt 
brick  on  one  side.  The  walls  are 
very  thick,  about  50  ft.  high,  and  de- 
fended by  strong  towers  projecting  at 
the  corners  and  three  of  the  faces; 
and,  from  its  position,  about  100  paces 
S.  of  the  spring,  it  is  evident  that  it 
was  intended  for  the  protection  of  this, 
the  only  watering-place  on  the  way  to 
the  Nile.  It  is  called  Ed  Dayr,  "  the 
Convent,"  probably  in  consequence  of 
its  having  been  occupied  at  a  subse- 
quent period  by  the  Christians,  who 
have  left  another  ruined  buildiDg  in 
the  vicinity,  with  two  vaulted  cham- 
bers, in  which  are  some  Coptic  and 
Arabic  inscriptions.  Seven  minutes' 
walk  to  the  N.W.  from  the  fort  is  an- 
other ruin,  with  vaulted  chambers,  but 
without  any  inscriptions. 

The  rest  of  the  journey  to  the  valley 
of  the  Nile  at  Abydus  occupies  nearly 
3  days,  or  from  32  to  34  hours'  march. 
Nothing  is  met  with  on  the  way  but 
remains  of  enclosures  made  with  rough 
stones,  at  intervals ;  and  much  broken 
pottery,  during  the  second  day's  jour- 
ney. The  journey  from  El  Khargeh 
to  Farshoot  takes  about  46  hours  ;  "but 
you  then  avoid  a  bad  descent  of  the 
hills  into  the  valley  of  the  Nile. 

m.  Road  to  Esneh. 

The  road  from  the  Great  Oasis  to 
Esneh,  or  to  Rezekat,  goes  from  near 
Bayrees,  and  thence  across  the  desert 
to  the  Nile.  The  journey  is  performed 
in  about  50  hours  from  Bayrees  to  the 
Nile.  There  is  also  a  road  from  El 
Khargeh  to  Rezekat,  which  occupies 
the  same  time,  50  hours,  and  that  dis- 
tance is  computed  at  about  125  m. 


p  2 


316 


EOUTE  17.  CAIRO  TO  CONVENTS  IN  E.  DESERT.     Sect.  H. 


EOUTE  17. 

CAIEO  TO  THE  CONVENTS  OF  ST.  AN- 
TONY AND  ST.  PAUL  IN  THE  EASTERN 
DESEKT. 

Distances.  Miles. 
Cairo   to   Benisooef  by  water. 

(See  Sect.  III.,  Kte.  18.)  77 
Benisooef  by  land  to  the  convent 

of  St.  Antony   76^ 

Convent  of  St.  Paul   14 

167£ 

Several  roads  lead  from  the  Nile  to 
the  convents,  and  to  other  parts  of  the 
desert;  but  the  best  and  most  fre- 
quented is  that  from  Dayr  Byad,  a 
village  opposite  Benisooe'f.  After 
crossing  various  torrent-beds,  it  enters 
the  Wady  el  Arraba,  a  large  valley, 
nearly  20  m.  broad,  which  runs  to  the 
Ked  Sea  between  the  ranges  of  the 
northern  and  southern  Kalalla.  It  has 
the  advantages  of  several  watering- 
places,  in  the  Wady  el  Arraba,  the 
most  convenient  of  which  are  at  Wady 
el  Areidah  on  the  N.,  and  at  Wady 
Om-Ainebeh  on  the  S.  side. 

This  desert  belongs  to  the  Maazee 
tribe  of  Arabs,  whose  camels  or  drome- 
daries may  be  engaged  at  Dayr  Byad. 

Dayr  Mar-Antonios,  "  the  Monastery 
of  St.  Antony"  is  inhabited  by  Copts, 
who  are  supported  by  the  voluntary 
contributions  of  their  brethren  in 
Egypt.  Their  principal  saint  is  St. 
George  of  Cappadocia;  but  their  pa- 
tron is  St.  Antony  of  the  Thebai'd. 
He  was  the  friend  and  companion  of 
Mar-Bolos,  or  St.  Paul,  a  hermit  who 
founded  another  monastery,  called 
after  him  Dayr  Bolos,  distant  by  the 
road  about  14  m.  to  the  S.E.  Dayr  An- 
tonios  is  17  or  18,  and  Dayr  Bulos  9  m. 
from  the  Eed  Sea.  The  former  may 
be  considered  the  principal  monastery 


in  Egypt ;  and  its  importance  is  much 
increased  since  the  election  of  the 
patriarch  has  been  transferred  to  it 
from  those  at  the  Natron  Lakes.  Dayr 
Bdlos,  however,  claims  for  itself  an 
equal  rank ;  and  one  of  the  patriarchs 
has  been  chosen  from  its  members ; 
though  Dayr  Antonios  surpasses  it  in 
the  number  of  its  inmates.  Both 
convents  have  gardens.  Those  of 
Dayr  Antonios  are  kept  in  very  good 
order,  and  are  an  agreeable  retreat 
after  crossing  the  desert.  The  monks 
are  hospitable,  and  the  convent  is 
famed  for  its  olives.  They  show  the 
cavern  where  their  founder  lived  in 
the  rocks  above ;  but  there  is  nothing 
remarkable  in  the  convent  beyond  its 
antiquity  and  associations. 

Both  convents  have  been  destroyed 
and  rebuilt.  That  of  St.  Antony  stands 
below  the  Kalalla  Mountains,  a  lime- 
stone range  of  considerable  height, 
which  bounds  the  Wady  el  Arraba 
to  the  S.  This  valley  has  received  its 
name  from  the  plaustra,  or  carts,  that 
formerly  carried  provisions  to  the  two 
monasteries,  and  is  absurdly  reported 
to  have  been  so  called  from  the  chariots 
of  Pharaoh  that  pursued  the  Israelites, 
as  they  crossed  the  sea  to  the  desert 
of  Mount  Sinai. 

The  quarries  of  Oriental  alabaster, 
from  which  the  stone  has  been  taken 
to  ornament  the  new  mosk  of  the 
citadel,  and  other  works,  are  in  the 
Wady  Om-Argoob;  a  valley  running 
into  the  Wady  Moathil,  which  again 
falls  into  the  Wady  Sennoor,  to  the 
S.  of  the  road  leading  to  the  convents. 
There  is  also  a  gypsum-quarry  near 
the  Gebel  Khaleel,  on  the  N.  side  of  the 
Wady  Arraba ;  and  Wansleb  speaks 
of  a  ruined  town  in  the  same  neigh- 
bourhood. 

In  this  part  of  the  desert  the  moun- 
tains are  all  limestone ;  like  those  that 
border  the  valley  of  the  Nile,  from 
Cairo  southwards  to  the  sandstones  of 
Hagar  Silsili  and  its  vicinity  ;  which, 
with  the  few  variations  in  the  strata 
about  Cairo,  the  secondary  sandstone 
of  the  Eed  Mountain,  and  the  petrified 
wood  lying  over  the  Gebel  Mokattam, 
are  the  principal  geological  features 
of  Egypt.    In  the  interior  of  the.  de- 


Egypt. 


ROUTE  17.  THE  QUARRIES. 


317 


sert,  however,  about  latitude  28°  40', 
begins  a  range  of  primitive  mountains, 
which  continues  thence,  in  a  direction 
nearly  parallel  with  the  sea,  even  to 
Abyssinia.  As  it  goes  southwards  it 
increases  in  breadth,  branching  off  to 
the  westward,  after  passing  the  latitude 
of  Kosseir,  and  afterwards  crosses  the 
Nile  in  the  vicinity  of  Assooan.  The 
principal  primitive  rocks  in  the  Maa- 
zee  desert  are  the  famous  Egyptian 
porphyry,  various  granites,  serpentines, 
and  a  few  others  :  in  the  Ababdeh 
portion,  the  Breccia  Verde,  slates,  and 
micaceous,  talcose,  and  other  schists. 
Along  the  coast  generally,  a  short 
distance  from  the  sea,  is  another  range 
of  low  limestone  hills,  which  borders 
the  primitive  ridge  to  the  E.,  as  the 
others  do  to  the  W. ;  the  lofty  peaks 
of  granite  and  other  primitive  moun- 
tains rising  between  them  like  vertebrae 
of  the  large  backbone  of  the  desert, 
one  of  which,  Ghareb,  measures  6000 
ft.  above  the  sea. 

The  same  formation  occurs  on  the 
other  side  of  the  sea  in  the  peninsula 
of  Mount  Sinai,  where  the  limestone 
is  succeeded  by  sandstone  beds  that 
separate  it  from  the  granite  and  other 
primitive  rocks. 

The  junction  of  the  limestone  and 
sandstone  in  the  Maazee  desert  takes 
place  at  about  latitude  28°  42'  to  the 
S.  of  Dayr  Bolos,  and  the  primitive 
rocks  begin  a  few  miles  farther  down. 

Among  the  remarkable  places  in  this 
desert  are  the  porphyry  quarries  and 
the  granite  quarries. 

The  porphyry  quarries  are  at  Gebel 
ed  DoJchan,  "  the  Mountain  of  Smoke," 
about  the  latitude  of  Manfaloot,  aud 
27  m.  from  the  Bed  Sea.  They  are 
highly  interesting,  from  their  having 
supplied  Borne  with  stone  for  columns 
and  many  ornamental  purposes,  from 
the  importance  attached  to  them  by 
the  ancients,  and  from  the  extent  of 
the  quarries,  the  ruins  there,  and  the 
insight  they  give  into  the  mode  of 
working  that  hard  stone.  The  remains 
consist  of  an  Ionic  temple,  of  the  time 


of  Trajan,  left  unfinished,  a  town  ir- 
regularly built  of  rough  stones,  tanks, 
and  two  large  wells,  one  cut  in  the 
porphyry  rock,  and  the  ruins  of  build- 
ings in  various  parts  of  the  mountains. 

The  mention  of  a  well  sunk  in  the 
porphyry  rock  may  appear  singular ; 
yet  it  is  not  from  the  difficulty  of  cut- 
ting through  so  hard  a  substance,  but 
from  its  being  made  in  a  primitive 
rock ;  and  it  is  probable  that  it  was 
only  intended  to  catch  the  water  which 
occasionally  runs  down  the  torrent- 
bed  during  the  rains  of  winter,  and 
that  it  should  be  considered  rather  a 
reservoir  than  a  well. 

Boads  lead  from  Gebel  ed  Dokhan  in 
several  directions,  one  to  the  Nile  at 
Keneh,  another  to  the  Myos  Hormos, 
and  others  to  different  places ;  and 
that  between  "  the  Borphyry  Moun- 
tain" and  the  Nile  is  furnished  with 
fortified  stations  at  intervals,  to  pro- 
tect those  who  passed,  and  to  supply 
them  with  water  from  the  large  wells 
within  their  walls. 

The  granite  quarries  in  that  part 
of  the  Claudian  mountain  now  called 
Gelel  el  Fattee'reh,  with  the  town  of 
Fons  Trajanus,  lie  in  nearly  the  same 
latitude  as  Gow  (Antasopolis),  on  the 
Nile,  and  about  24  m.  S.E.  of  the 
porphyry  mountains.  The  stone  has 
a  white  ground  with  black  spots,  of 
which  some  columns  are  still  seen  in 
Borne.  The  quarries  are  very  exten- 
sive, and  many  blocks  were  evidently 
taken  from  them.  They  were  prin- 
cipally worked  in  the  time  of  Trajan 
and  Adrian.  The  Hydreuma,  or  Fons 
Trajanus,  is  a  town  of  considerable 
size.  The  houses  are  well  built,  consi- 
dering the  roughness  of  the  materials, 
and  outside  the  walls  are  a  temple 
and  other  buildings.  In  the  quarries 
are  some  large  columns,  and  round 
blocks,  probably  iutended  for  their 
bases  and  capitals.  There  are  several 
Greek  inscriptions. 

An  account  of  the  places  on  the  coast 
of  the  Bed  Sea  has  been  given  under 
Bte.  7,  d. 


(    318  ) 


SECTION  III. 
VOYAGE  UP  THE  NILE. 

a.  Introduction. — b.  Voyage  by  steamer. — c.  Voyage  in  a  dahabeeah  with  a 
dragoman. — d.  Voyage  in  a  dahabeeah  without  a  dragoman.— e.  General  hints-. 
f.  Shooting,  and  Natural  History. — g.  Geography  and  Products. — h.  Inhabi- 
tants.— i.  Antiquities  and  Ruins, 

Route  18 —Cairo  to  Thebes   ..        Page  339. 


a.  Introduction. 

Before  entering  upon  a  description  of  the  voyage  up  the  Nile,  it  will  be 
well  to  give  the  traveller  some  preliminary  information  regarding  that 
interesting  and  delightful  trip,  which  every  one  who  gets  as  far  as  Cairo 
should  endeavour  to  accomplish.  The  railway,  it  is  true,  now  goes  up  the  valley 
of  the  Nile  as  far  as  Minien,  or  even  a  little  further,  but  antiquities  there  are 
none  between  Cairo  and  Minieh ;  and  the  railway,  owing  to  the  total  want  of 
accommodation  at  any  of  the  places  along  the  line,  is  useless  to  the  traveller, 
except  as  a  means  of  joining  his  boat,  should  he  have  sent  it  on  before  him  up 
the  river,  or  of  hastening  back  to  Cairo  on  his  way  down.  The  only  highway 
in  Egypt  beyond  Cairo  is  the  Nile,  and  along  this  highway  the  traveller  has 
the  choice  of  a  dahabeeah  or  a  steamer.  There  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  which 
he  should  choose,  if  he  wishes  thoroughly  to  enjoy  his  journey,  and  to  see  and 
know  something  of  the  country.  It  is  only  in  a  dahabeeah  that  these  results 
can  be  attained.  On  a  boat  of  your  own  you  are  your  own  master,  and  can 
stop  or  go  on  as  you  feci  inclined ;  but  on  a  steamer,  in  addition  to  being 
amongst  a  number  of  people  you  never  saw  before,  you  are  obliged  to  do  every- 
thing at  a  fixed  time,  and  are  only  allowed  a  certain  number  of  minutes  or 
hours  at  each  place  of  interest.  The  advantages  of  a  steamer  are  economy 
of  time  and  money.  In  a  dahabeeah  you  are  somewhat  at  the  mercy  of  the 
wind ;  and,  even  should  this  be  ever  so  favourable,  the  time  occupied  by  the 
voyage  must  be  longer,  and  the  expense,  there  is  no  doubt,  is  much  more  con- 
siderable. Time,  then,  and  money  are  necessary  for  a  voyage  up  the  Nile  in 
a  dahabeeah.  But  to  all  those  who  have  the  time  to  spare  and  the  money  to 
spend,  we  would  say,  choose  the  dahabeeah  and  avoid  the  steamer.  Some 
information  has  already  been  given  {Introduction)  with  regard  to  the  voyage 
up  the  Nile  and  as  to  steamers  and  dahabeeahs  (Sect.  II.,  Cairo,  Gen.  Inf., 
§§  14,  15). 

b.  Voyage  by  Steamer. 

Those  who  are  going  by  steamer  require  to  make  no  preparation  in  Cairo  of 
any  kind.    Everything  is  provided  for  them,  and  they  have  only  to  take  their 


Egypt. 


THE  NILE  VOYAGE. 


319 


tickets.  This  they  may  do  before  they  leave  England,  if  they  wish,  at  98,  Fleet 
Street,  and  also  at  Alexandria  and  Cairo,  either  at  the  office  of  the  Khedivian 
Steamboat  Gompany,  or  at  Robertson  and  Co.'s,  the  booksellers.  The  steamers 
leave  at  fixed  times,  generally  at  intervals  of  three  weeks  from  November  to 
March.  Information  on  this  point  should  be  obtained  at  the  above  agencies. 
The  time  occupied  in  going  from  Cairo  to  the  1st  Cataract  and  back  is 
20  days,  with  the  following  allowance  of  stoppages  on  the  way  up  : 
Benisooef,  2  hrs. ;  Minieh,  2  hrs. ;  Beni  Hassan,  3  hrs. ;  Asyoot,  5  hrs. ; 
Girgeh,  or  Bellianeh,  for  Abydus,  8  hrs. ;  Keneh,  for  Denderah,  8  hrs.  ; 
Luxor,  for  Thebes,  3  days;  Esneh,  3  hrs. ;  Edfoo,  6  hrs.;  Kom  Ombo,  2  hrs.; 
Assooan,  1 J  day.  On  the  way  down  they  stop  1  hr.  at  each  of  the  following 
places :  Kom  Ombo,  Edfoo,  Esneh,  Luxor,  Keneh,  Asyoot.  The  price  charged 
is  4000  Egyptian  tariff  piastres,  equal  to  rather  more  than  4U.  This  entitles  the 
traveller  to  a  berth  and  his  board.  There  is  no  2nd  class,  and  a  servant  is 
charged  at  the  same  rate.  Children  from  3  to  10  yrs.  half-price.  Further 
information  can  be  obtained  at  the  above-mentioned  agencies. 

c.  Voyage  in  a  Dahabeeah  with  a  Dkagoman. 

The  cost  of  a  voyage  in  a  dahabeeah  is  necessarily  much  greater.  In  the 
first  place  it  will  take  from  6  to  8  weeks  to  go  to  the  1st  Cataract  and  back, 
even  under  the  most  favourable  circumstances  of  wind  and  weather ;  and  then 
the  hiring  of  a  separate  boat  and  crew,  with  dragoman,  cook,  servants,  &c,  is 
a  very  expensive  thing,  however  economically  done.  The  most  usual  thing  is 
to  make  a  contract  with  a  dragoman,  to  pay  him  so  much  a  day  or  so  much 
for  the  trip,  he  in  return  providing  everything — boat,  crew,  cook,  servants, 
food,  donkeys,  and  guides  for  the  ruins,  and  all  kinds  of  etceteras,  except  wine  and 
spirits.  Different  dragomen  have  different  prices,  and  there  are  a  few  good 
ones  to  be  depended  on  for  undertaking  to  do  the  thing  fairly  economically, 
and  doing  it  well,  being  content  with  a  moderate  profit ;  but,  as  a  rule,  a  cheap 
dragoman  means  a  bad  dragoman,  and  those  who  wish  to  be  comfortable  and 
have  no  bother  must  pay  an  exorbitant  sum.  The  fact  of  a  voyage  up  the  Nile 
having  become  one  so  essentially  de  luxe  does  not  arise  solely  from  the  increase 
in  price  in  Egypt  of  every  article  of  trade  and  consumption ;  the  reason  may 
also  be  found  in  the  increased  luxury  of  all  the  arrangements  for  such  a  voy- 
age— more  expensively  fitted-up  boats,  more  servants,  greater  profusion  of  food, 
&c.  As  soon  as  a  voyage  up  the  Nile  became  not  only  an  object  to  the 
archaeologist,  to  the  artist  in  search  of  material  for  his  pen  or  pencil,  or  to  the 
invalid  in  search  of  health,  but  also  to  the  rich  and  idle,  to  whom  money  was 
no  object,  a  scale  of  luxury  and  consequent  extravagance  hitherto  unknown 
was  organised,  and  it  is  now  impossible  to  persuade  the  best  dragomen  to  do 
the  thing  except  in  the  profuse  and  lavish  way  to  which  they  have  been 
accustomed.  You  may  in  vain  represent  to  them  that  by  not  giving  you  what 
you  do  not  care  about,  or  would  very  much  rather  be  without,  they  will  effect  a 
saving  in  their  expenditure  which  will  enable  them  to  make  quite  as  much 
profit  out  of  what  you  propose  to  give  them,  as  they  could  out  of  a  larger  pay- 
ment in  return  fur  which  these  extras  would  have  to  be  provided.  Their  idea 
is  that,  unless  they  do  the  thing  in  a  certain  style  they  will  lose  caste  and  be 
looked  upon  as  inferior  dragomen ;  and  as  there  are  every  year  an  increasing 
number  of  persons  ready  to  pay  whatever  is  asked,  no  wonder  the  dragomen 
see  no  inducement  to  change  their  system.  At  the  same  time  it  must  be 
allowed  that,  for  those  who  wish  thoroughly  to  enjoy  the  voyage,  and  be  as 
comfortable  as  possible,  without  bother  of  any  kind,  there  is  nothing  like  get- 
ting hold  of  a  good  dragoman,  and  paying  him  well. 

According  to  the  prices  current  during  the  last  few  years,  a  good  dragoman 
would  ask  about  51.  or  61.  a  day  for  providing  two  persons  with  everv tiling 


320 


THE  NILE  VOYAGE. 


Sect.  III. 


required  for  a  Nile  voyage,  wine  and  spirits  excepted.  This  would  be  in- 
creased to  6Z.  or  11.  for  3  or  4  persons.  Beckoning  the  length  of  time  required 
to  go  to  the  1st  Cataract  and  back  at  2  months,  and  to  the  2nd  Cataract  and 
back  at  3  months,  this  would  make  the  whole  expense  of  the  journey — to  the 
1st  Cataract,  for  2  persons,  from  300Z.  to  350Z.,  and  for  3  or  4  persons, 
from  350Z.  to  400Z. ;  to  the  2nd  Cataract  and  back,  for  2  persons,  from  450Z.  to 
500Z.,  and  for  3  or  4  persons,  from  500Z.  to  550Z.  The  charge  is  lower  in  pro- 
portion as  the  distance  is  further  and  the  party  more  numerous.  In  return 
for  such  prices  as  these  the  traveller  is  entitled  to  have  a  large  well  fitted-up 
boat,  and  every  possible  luxury  and  comfort  procurable. 

It  is  a  very  common  thing  now  to  make  a  contract  with  a  dragoman 
to  give  him  so  much  for  the  trip  to  the  1st  or  the  2nd  Cataract  and  back. 
This  plan  has  one  advantage  over  the  giving  so  much  per  day,  in  that  there  is 
no  chance  of  time  being  unnecessarily  wasted  on  the  road,  for  it  is  to  the 
dragoman's  advantage,  as  it  is  to  the  captain's  and  crew's,  who  are  also  hired 
by  the  trip,  to  do  the  voyage  in  as  short  a  time  as  possible,  and  instead  of 
3  months  being  occupied  in  getting  to  the  2nd  Cataract  and  back,  it  will  be  done 
in  9  or  10  weeks.  The  disadvantage  of  the  trip  contract  is  that  you  are  not 
master  of  your  own  boat,  but  are  often  obliged  to  go  on  whether  you  like  it  or 
not,  under  penalty  of  being  in  perpetual  collision  with  your  dragoman.  Of 
course  an  allowance  of  so  many  days'  stoppages  is  stipulated  for  in  the  con- 
tract, but  it  is  often  a  subject  of  dispute  whether  a  delay  which  the  traveller 
may  consider  necessary,  on  account  of  there  being  too  much  wind  or  for  some 
other  cause,  is  to  be  deducted  from  his  allowance  of  stoppages  or  not.  A  late 
traveller  on  the  Nile  says,  "  There  are  grave  objections  to  hiring  a  boat  by 
time  or  by  trip,  though  you  must  select  one  or  the  other.  If  you  hire  by  time, 
your  dragoman  is  tempted  to  delay  on  every  opportunity ;  not  to  make  the 
most  of  fair  wind,  and  to  prolong  your  journey  unnecessarily.  I  am  inclined, 
however,  to  deem  this  the  lesser  evil.  For  if  you  hire  by  trip,  you  are  infallibly 
hurried  along  in  a  fair  wind,  whatever  the  attractions  on  shore,  and  you  are  in 
perpetual  collision  with  the  dragoman  regarding  stoppages,  and  you  find  in 
the  morning  that  you  have  sailed  in  the  night  by  places  you  especially  wished 
to  visit."  There  can  indeed  be  no  doubt  that  those  to  whom  the  cfcance  of  a 
few  days'  delay  beyond  the  anticipated  time,  and  consequent  increase  in  the 
calculated  expense,  makes  no  difference,  had  certainly  better  choose  the  time 
form  of  agreement,  as  it  leaves  them  much  more  independent  and  free  to  do 
as  they  like.  A  clause,  too,  can  always  be  added  to  time  contracts,  arranging 
for  a  lower  rate  of  payment  per  day  for  every  day  beyond  the  time  agreed  on. 
A  good  dragoman  will  probably  ask  for  taking  4  persons  by  the  trip  to  the 
1st  Cataract  and  back,  with  an  allowance  of  10  or  15  days'  stoppages,  from 
400Z.  to  450Z. ;  to  the  2nd  Cataract  and  back,  with  an  allowance  of  20  days' 
stoppages,  from  450Z.  to  500Z. 

The  traveller  can  have  a  regular  form  of  contract  drawn  up  for  him  at  the 
Consulate,  in  which  he  can  embody  any  particular  points  he  wishes.  The 
charge  for  preparing  this  contract  and  witnessing  the  signatures  is  1Z.  Or 
he  can  draw  up  his  own  contract,  and  merely  pay  5s.  for  having  the  signatures 
witnessed.  The  following  form  of  contract  will  be  found  to  meet  pretty 
nearly  every  requirement. 

Agreement  between  A  B,  dragoman,  and  C.  D.  and  others,  English 
travellers. 

(1 )  (In  time  contract.)  A  B  agrees  to  serve  the  said  C  D  and  his  com- 
panions as  Dragoman  and  general  servant  on  a  voyage  up  the  Nile  to 

and  back  to  Cairo,  through  and  in  Egypt,  and  other  places  they 
may  wish  to  visit ;  the  route  to  be  taken,  and  the  time,  place,  and  duration  of 
halts  and  stoppages,  to  be  entirely  under  their  direction. 


Egypt. 


BY  DAHABEEAH  WITH  DRAGOMAN. 


321 


(1)  (111  trip  contract.)  A  B  agrees  to  serve  the  said  C  D  and  his  com- 
panions as  Dragoman  and  general  servant,  and  to  take  them  to 

and  back  to  Cairo  in  weeks,  with  an  allowance  of         days'  stoppages  ; 

the  time,  place,  and  duration  of  these  stoppages  to  be  entirely  under  their 
direction. 

(2)  The  said  A  B  shall  provide  boat  (approved  of  by  C  D  and  his  com- 
panions), boat  furniture,  service,  canteen,  bedding,  all  necessary  food  in  suffi- 
cient quantity,  and  of  the  best  quality;  lights,  servants,  &c.  He  shall  also 
provide  donkeys  and  guides  for  seeing  the  usual  objects  of  interest,  viz.  Beni 
Hassan,  Asyoot,  Abydus,  Keneh,  Denderah,  Thebes  and  its  environs,  Erment, 
Esneh,  Edfoo,  and  Philse  (and  any  others  that  may  be  specified);  shall  pay  for 
guards  for  the  boat  at  night  when  required,  and  satisfy  all  proper  demands  for 
backsheesh.  He  shall  also  pay  all  the  expenses  for  passing  the  Cataract,  and 
the  wages  of  the  pilot  between  Philse  and  Wady  Halfah. 

(3)  The  said  A  B  engages  that  the  boat  shall  be  clean  and  in  good  repair, 
and  properly  fitted  with  a  good  kitchen,  sails,  oars,  awnings,  cordage,  and 
punt-poles,  and  with  sufficient  spare  ropes,  &c,  on  board  to  remedy  accidents 
without  causing  delay.  That  the  crew  shall  consist  of  a  captain  (reis), 
2nd  captain  or  steersman  (mestdhmel),  the  proper  complement  of  able- 
bodied  men,  and  a  cook-boy.  That  there  shall  be  a  small  boat  (sandal)  in 
good  repair,  and  provided  with  proper  rowlocks  and  oars,  and  if  required,  with 
a  sail. 

(4)  The  said  A  B  agrees  that  he  alone  is  responsible  for  the  safety  of  the 
boat  and  for  all  accidents  that  may  occur,  and  all  injuries,  whether  in  passing 
the  Cataract,  or  from  fire  or  other  casualties.  That  the  whole  boat  shall  be  at  the 
entire  command  of  the  above-named  C  Dand  his  companions,  and  that  no  other 
passengers  or  merchandise  be  admitted  without  their  consent.  He  also  en- 
gages to  keep  the  boat  in  such  a  state  of  cleanliness  (the  decks  to  be  washed 
every  morning)  and  good  order  as  shall  be  agreeable  to  the  passengers. 

(5)  The  said  A  B  undertakes  to  keep  the  crew  in  order  and  obedient  to 
orders,  and  that  they  shall  use  proper  diligence  in  tracking,  punting,  and  row- 
ing ;  and  that  they  shall  stop  for  baking  only  at  Asyoot  and  Esneh  in  going 
up  the  river,  and  at  Esneh  in  coming  down. 

(6)  The  said  A  B  engages  to  be  responsible  for  his  cook  and  servants,  that 
they  are  fitted  for  their  work,  and  are  clean  and  trustworthy. 

(7)  The  said  A  B  engages  to  provide  clean  sheets  at  least  once  a  week,  and 
sufficient  clean  towels,  tablecloths,  napkins,  and  other  linen ;  also  to  have  the 
passengers'  clothes  washed  as  desired. 

(8)  The  said  A  B  engages  to  provide  the  following  meals  daily  — Breakfast, 
consisting  of  tea  or  coffee,  with  milk ;  bread,  butter  when  it  is  to  be  procured ; 
chicken,  roast  or  boiled;  eggs,  marmalade,  or  jam.  Lunch,  consisting  of 
bread  and  biscuit,  cheese,  oranges,  figs,  walnuts,  dates.  Dinner,  to  consist  of 
soup,  roast  and  boiled  meats  (three  dishes  of  meat),  potatoes,  pudding,  &c, 
with  coffee  after  dinner;  and  no  extra  charge  to  be  made  for  an  occasional 
guest.    Coffee  to  be  supplied  whenever  it  is  called  for. 

(9)  (In  time  contract.)  In  consideration  of  the  fulfilment  of  the  above 
articles  on  the  part  of  A  B,  the  above-named  C  D  and  his  companions  agree 
to  pay  to  the  said  A  B  the  sum  of  per  day  each,  or  per  day 
for  the  whole  number,  for  the  space  of  days,  beginning  to  reckon  from  the 
day  of  leaving  Cairo.    Two-thirds  of  the  sum  total  to  be  paid  in  advance,  and 

p  3 


322 


THE  NILE  VOYAGE. 


Sect.  III. 


one-third  on  returning  to  Cairo.  If  the  above  number  of  days  be  exceeded, 
the  rate  of  payment  for  each  extra  day  to  be  less. 

(9)  (In  trip  contract.)  In  consideration,  &c,        the  sum  of  .  Two- 

thirds  to  be  paid  in  advance,  and  one-third  on  returning  to  Cairo. 

Signed  this      day  of  18       ,  at  the  British  Consulate,  Cairo. 

IC  D,  on  behalf  of  the  party 
above-named. 
A  B,  Dragoman. 

If  the  contract  is  for  going  to  the  2nd  Cataract,  it  should  be  distinctly 
understood  that  no  difficulty  will  be  experienced  in  taking  the  boat  up  the 
1st  Cataract,  and  a  clause  should  be  inserted  in  the  contract  binding  the  dra- 
goman to  pay  a  fine  of  from  15?.  to  20L  if  the  boat  be  not  taken  up.  Very 
large  boats  cannot,  of  course,  pass  the  Cataract. 

Information  with  respect  to  dragomen  has  been  already  given  (Sect.  II.,  Caieo, 
Gen.  Inf.,  §  14).  It  only  remains  to  say  that,  as  a  class,  they  are  obliging  and 
honest,  after  an  Eastern  fashion ;  and  that,  though  their  one  aim  and  object 
is  to  make  the  most  of  their  bargain,  they  are,  at  any  rate  the  best  of  them, 
liberal  in  the  fulfilment  of  their  contract.  One  tiling,  however,  the  traveller 
must  not  expect,  and  that  is,  to  obtain  from  them  accurate  information  of  any 
kind.  They  know  absolutely  nothing  about  the  various  objects  of  interest  in 
Cairo,  and  the  old  ruins  on  the  Nile,  which  they  go  to  year  after  year;  and 
though  always  ready  with  an  answer  if  asked  any  question  about  the  countiy 
and  the  people,  the  probability  is  that  the  answer  is  as  inaccurate  as  it  is 
prompt.  The  dragoman  is  in  fact  a  courier  and  maitre  dlwtel  in  one,  but  he 
has  none  of  the  kind  of  information  possessed  by  the  commonest  laquais  de 
place  in  a  continental  town.  People  often  ask  which  nationality  supplies  the 
best  dragoman.  The  following  terse  and  humorous  description  may  be  taken 
cum  grano  as  an  answer :  "  The  dragoman  is  of  four  species  :  the  Maltese,  or 
the  able  knave;  the  Greek,  or  the  cunning  knave;  the  Syrian,  or  the  active 
knave;  and  the  Egyptian,  or  the  stupid  knave." — G.  W.  Curteis.  But  there 
are,  of  course,  many  exceptions. 

d.  Voyage  in  a  Dahabeeah  without  a  Dragoman. 

It  remains  to  supply  the  necessary  information  to  those  who  may  wish  to 
make  the  voyage  without  the  services  of  a  dragoman  under  the  above  con- 
ditions. And  it  may  be  as  well  to  say  at  once  that,  if  they  do  not  speak  Arabic, 
and  do  not  know  the  ways  and  customs  of  the  country,  they  will  find  the  task 
a  difficult  and  disagreeable  one,  unless  indeed,  housekeeping  under  difficulties 
is  their  occupation  -par preference.  Such  a  system  may  be  adopted  by  those  who 
merely  wish  to  spend  so  much  time  upon  the  Nile — four  or  five  months — 
for  the  sake  of  the  climate,  the  shooting,  &c. ;  but  it  will  not  do  for  those  who 
wish  to  go  to  a  certain  point  and  back  within  a  given  time,  and  see  and  do 
all  they  can  within  that  period.  In  catering  for  yourself,  everything,  sup- 
posing you  do  not  speak  Arabic,  will  depend  more  or  less  on  the  intelligence 
and  honesty  of  the  man  whom  you  may  have  engaged  as  interpreter  and 
head-servant.  Some  idea  of  what  the  wages  of  such  a  man  will  be  may 
be  formed  from  the  information  in  Sect.  II.,  Cairo,  Gen.  Inform.,  §  14, 
where  also  the  wages  of  other  servants  are  given.  The  prices  of  boats  too 
will  be  found  under  the  same  heading  (§  15).  The  contract  for  the  boat 
should  be  drawn  up  and  signed  at  the  Consulate.  The  principal  points  to 
be  included  in  it  will  be  found  in  clauses  3,  4,  and  5  of  the  form  of  agreement 
with  a  dragoman.  In  addition  it  should  be  distinctly  specified  whether 
the  boat  is  able  to  go  up  the  Cataract,  if  required,  and  whether  the  expenses 


Egypt. 


BY  DAHABEEAH  WITHOUT  DRAGOMAN. 


323 


of  going  up  are  to  be  paid  by  the  owner  or  hirer.  All  the  dahabeeahs  for 
hire  by  travellers  have  their  cabins  furnished,  but  a  thorough  inspection 
should  be  made,  and  any  necessary  articles  that  are  wanting  obtained  from 
the  owner  before  the  contract  is  signed.  Many  dahabeeahs  have  also  a 
complete  canteen,  with  linen,  &c,  so  that  it  is  not  necessary  to  hire  one 
separately  :  but  few  have  a  cooking  canteen. 

With  regard  to  the  stock  of  provisions  to  be  laid  in,  it  is  impossible  to 
give  a  list  which  shall  meet  the  requirements  of  everybody,  either  as  to  items 
or  quantity.  What  is  a  necessity  to  some  is  a  superfluity  to  others,  and  where 
one  person  will  drink  much  tea  and  little  coffee,  another  will  think  both  an 
abomination,  and  drink  nothing  but  chocolate.  The  following  list  however 
will,  it  is  thought,  be  found  to  comprise  all  that  is  more  essentially  necessary 
in  stocking  a  boat  for  a  voyage  on  the  Nile.  Everything  may  be  bought 
in  Alexandria  or  Cairo,  fairly  good  in  quality  and  reasonable  in  price ;  but 
there  are  certain  things  which  those  who  are  very  particular  as  to  excellence 
and  freshness,  had  better  have  sent  out  from  England.  They  have  been 
mentioned  under  Preliminary  Information,  d. 


List  of  Provisions. 


Arrowroot. 
Bacon  (in  tins). 
Biscuits. 
Butter. 

Candles,  paraffin. 
Ditto,  for  lanterns. 
♦Charcoal. 

Cheese. 
♦Coffee. 

Curry  powder. 

Dates,  dried. 

Figs. 

Flour. 

Hams. 

Jams. 
♦Lemons. 

Liebig's  Extractum  Carnis. 
*Maccaroni. 

Marmalade. 

Matches. 

Mishmish  (dried  apricots). 

Mustard. 

Night  lights. 


Oil,  salad. 
Ditto,  lamp. 
♦Oranges. 

Pepper,  white  and  red. 
Peas,  split. 
Preserved  vegetables. 
Pearl  barley. 
Pickles. 
Potatoes. 
*Kice. 
Salt. 

Sardines. 

Sauces. 

Soap. 

Ditto,  washing. 
Starch. 
Sugar,  white. 

Ditto,  brown. 
Tea. 

Tongues. 
♦Vermicelli. 
Vinegar, 


The  articles  marked  with  an  asterisk  can  be  bought  best  in  the  bazaars,  and 
not  at  a  provision  merchant's,  and  the  stock  of  them  can  be  renewed  at  any 
of  the  large  towns  on  the  Nile.  Many  things  might  be  added  to  the  above 
list,  such  as  chocolate,  olives,  almonds,  raisins,  dried  fruits,  &c.  Preserved 
meats  and  soups  may  be  taken,  but  are  not  necessities,  as  mutton,  chickens, 
pigeons,  and  turkeys  can  always  be  bought,  beef  seldom  or  never  after 
leaving  Cairo.  Fresh  vegetables  are  rarely  procurable :  the  one  exception 
is  the  onion,  which  is  to  be  found  everywhere,  and  is  the  best  in  the  world. 
A  small  broad  bean,  a  kind  of  lettuce,  and  small  cucumbers  may  generally 
be  bought  in  the  villages  on  market-days.  Eggs  are  generally  plentiful,  and 
milk,  principally  buffalo's,  may  always  be  bought  in  the  early  morning  at  any 
village.  Fresh  butter  can  be  procured  some  limes,  and  would  be  good  if  it 
were  properly  made  and  not  so  dirty.    Kishteh,  a  sort  of  Devonshire  cream, 


324 


THE  NILE  VOYAGE. 


Sect.  III. 


is  an  excellent  thing,  but  cannot  often  be  bought  up  the  river.  Any  cook, 
however,  ought  to  be  able  to  make  it.  A  certain  quantity  of  fresh  meat,  and 
some  pigeons,  chicken',  and  turkeys  should  be  laid  in  at  Cairo.  Meat  is  sold 
by  the  oke  (about  2f  lbs.),  or  the  rotl  (rather  more  than  1  lb.).  The  prices 
of  things  vary  very  much,  but  the  following  will  be  found  near  the  mark  : — 


Beef 

6  to 

7 

Mutton    .  . 

5  to 

6 

Chicken,  big 

7  to 

9 

Do.,     small  . 

4  to 

6 

Turkey,  big  . 

50  to 

60 

Do.,  small 

20  to 

40 

Pigeons  . 

6  to 

8 

A  sheep,  big . 

250  to  400 

Eggs  .    .    .  . 

5  to 

6 

Fresh  butter  . 

12  to 

15 

Milk  .     .  . 

1^  to 

2 

the  pair. 

the  dozen, 
the  rotl. 

j  j 

Nearly  all  these  things  are  cheaper  in  Upper  Egypt,  and  it  is  a  good  thing 
to  fill  the  coops  with  turkeys,  chickens,  and  pigeons  at  some  place  where 
they  are  cheap.  This  should  certainly  be  done  before  entering  Nubia,  as 
everything  there  is  scarce  and  dear. 

All  information  with  regard  to  wine,  medicines,  clothes,  and  other  things 
required  alike  by  those  who  go  with,  and  those  who  go  without,  a  dragoman, 
will  be  found  in  the  Introduction,  d,  or  Sect.  I.,  Preliminary  Information,  e,  f. 
A  few  useful  hints,  however,  may  still  be  added. 

e.  General  Hints. 

However  free  the  boat  may  be  from  rats  at  starting,  it  is  very  probable 
that  some  may  come  on  board  from  the  country  boats  near  which  the 
dahabeeah  is  moored  during  the  voyage,  therefore  it  is  a  good  thing  to  take 
one  or  two  iron  rat-traps.  Many  boats  are  provided  with  mosquito-curtains  ; 
but  unless  there  is  any  inducing  reason,  such  as  bilge-water,  to  cause  the 
presence  of  mosquitos,  no  annoyance  ought  to  be  experienced  from  them 
after  leaving  Cairo.  Neither  bugs  nor  fleas  should  be  found  on  any  properly 
clean  boat,  but  it  is  as  well  to  have  some  Persian  flea-powder,  which  is  the 
best  remedy  for  these  unwelcome  visitants.  The  great  plague  on  the  Nile  is 
flies,  and  the  most  effectual  snare  for  them  is  what  is  known  as  "'fly-paper," 
which  can  be  procured  at  Cairo ;  fly-flaps  are  also  very  useful.  If  the  traveller 
be  a  smoker,  he  will  know  how  to  supply  his  own  wants  in  that  line ;  but  even 
though  he  himself  should  not  smoke,  he  ought  to  take  with  him  a  little  Turkish 
tobacco  and  paper  for  cigarettes,  and  Jebely  tobacco  for  pipes,  together  with 
one  or  two  chibooks,  so  as  to  be  able  to  offer  a  smoke  to  any  native  visitors. 
Some  common  tobacco  also  may  be  taken  for  occasional  distribution  among 
the  crew.  Coffee  should  always  be  handed  round  on  the  occasion  of  any 
visit,  and  it  is  well  to  have  a  few  bottles  of  sirop  for  making  the  so-called 
sherbet.  It  is  customary  to  fly  the  national  ensign  of  the  passengers  at 
the  stern  of  the  dahabeeah,  and  a  special  distinguishing  pennant  at  the 
yard-end  :  the  former  can  be  bought  at  Cairo,  and  the  latter  made,  but  it 
is  better  to  bring  them  from  England. 

Insist  upon  your  dragoman  always  helping  to  wait  at  table;  and  never 
allow  him  to  give  himself  the  air  of  being  master  of  the  boat,  the  crew,  the 
servants,  and  yourself ;  but  keep  him  strictly  in  his  place,  as  a  servant  hired 
to  carry  out  your  wishes,  and  not  as  a  great  personage,  condescendingly 
showing  you  up  and  down  the  Nile,  and  hardly  allowing  you  to  choose  where 
you  will  go  or  what  you  will  do. 


Egypt. 


GENERAL  HINTS. 


825 


Strict  discipline  should  be  maintained  with  the  crew,  and  invariable  obedi- 
ence to  orders,  whatever  they  may  be,  with  the  full  understanding  of  course 
that  they  are  reasonable  and*  ju^t.  But  the  stick  need  never  be  resorted  to  : 
firmness  and  the  determination  of  being  obeyed  seldom  fail  to  command 
respect  and  obedience ;  for,  when  they  know  you  ivill  be  obeyed,  they  will 
seldom  disregard  an  order.  "When  once  that  obedience  is  established,  then 
you  may  be  as  indulgent  as  you  like ;  and  every  good  office,  every  reward,  will 
be  received  as  a  favour.  Without  it,  kindness  will  be  construed  into  fear  or 
ignorance ;  every  attempt  will  be  made  to  deceive  the  too  easy  traveller  ;  and 
in  order  to  have  a  moment's  peace,  he  will  be  obliged  to  have  recourse  to  the 
very  means  he  had  been  hoping  to  avoid ;  by  applying  to  some  governor,  or 
by  substituting  too  late  severity,  either  of  which  will  Only  draw  upon  him 
hatred  and  contempt.  One  thing  is,  however  much  they  may  try  to  impose 
on  one  whom  they  think  to  get  the  upper  hand  of,  they  never  harbour  any 
feelings  of  revenge.  They  are  like  the  frogs  in  the  fable  with  the  log  of 
wood.  In  short,  be  strict  and  just,  without  unnecessary  violence,  in  order  to 
have  the  satisfaction  of  being  indulgent.  When  properly  managed,  no  people 
are  so  willing  or  good-natured  as  the  Nile  boatmen;  when  not  understood, 
none  so  troublesome.  When  going  ashore  to  shoot  or  visit  any  ruins,  it  is 
customary  to  be  accompanied  by  one  of  the  crew,  for  the  purpose  of  carrying 
anything  that  may  be  required.  A  few  piastres  to  buy  tobacco  may  occa- 
sionally be  given  in  return  for  this  service. 

The  traveller  will  probably  be  asked  before  leaving  Cairo  for  money  to 
buy  the  crew  a  tambourine  and  a  tarabooka,  a  sort  of  drum,  these  being  the 
musical  instruments  with  which  the  sailors  accompany  their  songs.  There  is 
no  necessity  for  acceding  to  this  request,  and  some  may  not  care  to  encourage 
the  men  in  singing ;  but  few  would  probably  be  disposed  to  put  a  stop  to 
what  is  one  of  the  chief  delights  of  a  Nile  boatman,  and  is  itself  in  moderation 
not  unpleasing  to  the  ear. 

One  very  necessary  precaution  in  sailing  is  to  order  the  reis  to  forbid  the 
boatmen  to  tie  the  sails,  and.  to  insist  upon  their  holding  the  rope  called  shoghool 
in  their  hands,  which  is  termed  keeping  it  khdlus,  "  free ;"  for  to  the  neglect 
of  this  precaution  almost  all  the  accidents  that  happen  on  the  Nile  are  to  be 
attributed.  In  those  parts  where  the  mountains  approach  the  river  it  should 
be  particularly  attended  to,  as  at  Gebel  Sheykh  Umbarak,  Gebel  et  Tayr,  and 
thence  to  Sheykh  Timay,  Gebel  Aboo-Faydah,  Gebel  Sheykh  Here'edee, 
and  Gebel  Tookh  below  Girgeh.  Care  should  also  be  taken  to  have  the 
proper  quantity  of  ballast  on  board,  which  is  often  curtailed  in  order  to  make 
the  boat  lighter  for  towing. 

It  has  been  truly  said  that  "  no  estimate  of  the  expense  of  life  in  Egypt 
would  be  at  all  complete  without  a  due  reference  to  backsheesh ....  Backsheesh 
is  the  first  word  that  meets  the  ear  on  landing  in  the  country ;  it  is  the  last 
that  salutes  it  on  leaving . .  . .  It  is  a  bore  from  which  there  is  no  escape .... 
But  backsheesh  is  not  a  mere  bore,  for  it  is  the  motive  power  of  Egypt.  The 
mechanist,  who  with  a  lever  would  move  the  earth,  could  with  backsheesh  turn 
Egypt  upside  down,  or  put  a  girdle  round  her  deserts  with  the  Nile . .  . .  It 
makes  your  stay  in  Egypt  agreeable,  and  soothes  every  difficulty,  social, 
political,  or  official ....  But  this  potent  djin  must  be  used  with  discretion,  or 
it  will  turn  and  rend  you.  Give  when  it  is  customary  to  give,  and  on  the 
scale  that  is  sanctioned*  by  long  use,  and  you  will  be  respected  and  liked.  Give 
too  often,  inopportunely,  or  in  excess,  and  it  were  better  for  you  not  to  give  at 
all . .  . .  Common  sense  will  here  as  ever  point  out  that  middle  path  so  safe  to 
travel  in,  so  easy  to  stray  from;  and  by  the  observance  of  two  simple  rules 
backsheesh  may  be  made  an  useful  servant.  Never  give  except  Mhere  an 
extra  service  justifies,  or  custom  prescribes  the  gift." — F.  Eden. 

Backsheesh  to  the  crew  is  now  specially  mentioned  iu  the  contract  as 


326 


THE  NILS  VOYAGE. 


Sect.  III. 


devolving  on  the  dragoman ;  and  the  men  have  no  right  to  expect  a  piastre 
from  the  traveller.  He  may,  however,  at  such  places  as  Thebes  and  Assooan 
give  them  a  small  sum,  say  10  francs  between  them,  especially  if  they  have 
behaved  well,  and  have  had  a  good  deal  of  towing.  At  the  end  of  the  voyage 
it  is  customary  to  give  a  present  to  the  reis,  the  steersman,  and  the  crew. 
This  should  be  done  in  the  following  proportion :  three  times  as  much  to  the 
reis,  twice  as  much  to  the  steersman,  and  half  as  much  to  the  cook-boy  as  to 
each  man.  A  fair  present  at  the  end  of  an  ordinary  voyage  to  the  1st 
Cataract  and  back  would  be  11.  to  the  reis,  12s.  to  the  steersman,  6s.  to  each 
man,  and  3s.  to  the  cook -boy.  The  money  for  the  reis,  steersman,  and  cook- 
boy  should  be  given  to  them  separately,  and  that  for  the  men  to  the  member 
chosen  by  them  to  receive  it.  Of  course  if  the  traveller  has  reason  to  be 
dissatisfied  with  his  crew,  he  will  give  nothing  at  all.  In  the  same  way 
circumstances  may  make  him  wish  to  give  more  than  the  sums  above  men- 
tioned, either  to  the  whole  number,  or  to  some  one  in  particular.  The 
cook  and  other  servants  have  no  right  to  expect  any  backsheesh,  but  it 
is  sometimes  given.  When  the  traveller  hires  his  own  boat,  it  is  customary 
for  him  to  give  a  small  sum,  say  4s.  between  them,  to  the  men  at  the  prin- 
cipal towns,  such  as  Minieh,  Asyoot,  Keneh,  Thebes,  Esneh,  Assooan,  and 
Wady  Halfah,  if  they  have  had  much  towing  and  have  worked  well.  A  most 
unnecessary  custom  has  sprung  up  lately  of  leading  the  crew,  cook,  and 
servants  in  a  dahabeeah  to  expect  a  backsheesh  on  Christmas  Day  and  New 
Year's  Day,  and  also  on  certain  Mohammedan  festivals,  when  these  happen 
to  fall  during  the  time  of  the  voyage.  Of  course,  if  the  traveller  chooses  to 
submit  to  it  he  can,  but  there  is  no  necessity  for  his  doing  so. 

/.  Shooting  and  Natural  History. 

Egypt,  above  Cairo,  as  well  as  in  the  Delta,  offers  a  wide  field  to  the 
naturalist,  and' also  to  the  sportsman,  especially  in  the  matter  of  aquatic 
birds.  Of  wild  animals  it  possesses  but  few.  The  wild  boar  {halcof)  is  met 
with  in  the  Delta,  and  on  the  shores  of  the  Birket  el  Korn  in  the  Fyodm  : 
the  hyena  (dhabd)  is  seen  occasionally  on  moonlight  nights  in  the  outskirts 
of  the  desert,  and  among  extensive  ruins,  such  as  Karnak:  the  gazelle 
(cjhazalcL)  is  often  met  with  in  parts  where  the  desert  approaches  the  Nile, 
but  requires  great  patience  and  watching  to  get  at :  the  jackal  (ta'dleb)  is 
very  common ;  and  the  fox  (aboo  hosein)  may  often  be  put  out  of  a  patch  of 
standing  corn  :  a  species  of  the  lynx  or  wild  cat  is  sometimes  seen,  and  also 
the  curious  little  fennec  fox :  wolves  (deeV)  are  rare  :  the  desert  hare  (arneb) 
is  found  in  great  numbers  in  some  places  in  the  Fyoom,  and  now  and  then 
in  the  desert  up  the  Nile. 

The  principal  land-birds  for  the  sportsman  are  sand  grouse,  pigeons,  quail, 
and  snipe.  Sand-grouse  (gattah)  are  often  to  be  found  m  large  numbers  near 
the  edge  of  the  desert,  and  in  barren  sandy  tracts  coveied  with  Ml/eh  grass: 
they  may  sometimes  be  seen  soon  after  sunrise  and  just  before  sunset  coming 
in  flocks  to  the  river  to  drink.  Pigeons  (Jiammam)  should  never  be  shot  at  in  a 
village,  and  care  should  always  be  taken  not  to  shoot  tame  ones  anywhere  ; 
they  may  easily  be  distinguished  from  the  quasi-wild  ones  which  are  kept  in 
the  pigeon-towers  for  the  sake  of  the  manure  they  afford,  and  which  the  natives 
offer,no  objection  to  the  shooting  of  in  moderation  away  from  the  village.  Quails 
{summdn)  are  very  abundant;  they  reach  Egypt  in  their  way  north  in  the 
winter,  and  the  traveller  will  probably  first  meet  with  them  in  any  numbers 
near  Kom  Ombo  in  January  or  February ;  they  then  go  gradually  down  the 
river,  and  reach  the  neighbourhood  of  Cairo  about  the  middle  of  March.  They 
afford  most  capital  sport,  and  are  first-rate  eating,  as  soon  as  they  have  settled 
down  a  bit  and  had  time  to  get  fat  on  the  ripe  corn.  Alternate  patches  of  corn 


Egypt 


SHOOTING  AND  NATCEAL  HISTOET. 


327 


and  green  stuff,  such  as  herseem,  clover,  hummus,  a  kind  of  vetch,  meldneJi, 
chick-pea,  and  ads,  lentils,  are  their  favourite  resort.  Snipe  are  rarely  met  with 
above  Cairo,  but  there  are  places  in  the  Delta  where  they  are  very  numerous 
in  the  winter.  Atfeh  is  an  especially  good  place,  and  there  are  some  capital 
marshes  near  Benha ;  but  the  traveller  will  have  some  difficulty  in  finding 
out  the  best  snipe  preserves  unless  he  happens  to  know  some  resident  in 
the  country  well  up  in  these  matters.  The  painted  snipe  is  often  found  in  the 
Delta. 

The  aquatic  birds  of  Egypt  are  very  numerous  and  varied  in  kind.  Of 
wild  duck  (battali)  and  teal  alone  there  are  more  than  10  kinds,  some  very 
common,  and  others,  such  as  the  ruddy  sheldrake,  the  pintail,  the  gargancy, 
&c,  more  rare.  The  grey  goose  (wiz)  is  extremely  common;  but  his  hand- 
some congener,  the  Egyptian  goose  (Vulpanser,  or  Chenalopex  JEgyptiacus) 
is  not  so  frequently  seen.  These  geese  and  ducks,  together  with  pelicans, 
spoonbills,  storks,  herons,  and  all  kinds  of  birds,  are  to  be  found  in  great 
numbers  on  the  sandbanks  in  the  river  during  the  months  of  November, 
December,  January,  and  February,  and  in  some  small  lakes  and  canals  inland. 
But,  except  under  certain  favourable  circumstances,  it  is  very  difficult  to  get 
within  shot  of  them.  To  do  so  with  any  chance  of  success  requires  a  small 
boat,  in  which  to  sail  up  to,  or  float  down  upon  them.  The  larger  birds  offer 
a  very  good  mark  for  a  light  rifle.  After  February  the  river  sandbanks 
become  comparatively  deserted,  but  rare  birds  are  often  met  with  in  the 
spring  and  summer.  The  Fyodm  is  perhaps  the  best  shooting-ground  in 
Eygpt. 

To  the  naturalist  the  birds  of  Egypt  offer  a  wide  and  varied  field.  Some 
250  kinds  are  already  known.  Among  these  the  vultures,  hawks,  falcons, 
and  kites  occupy  a  prominent  place.  The  roller,  golden  oriole,  and  large 
and  small  bee-eater,  on  land ;  and  the  rosy  pelican,  pink  flamingo,  greater 
and  lesser  egret,  demoiselle  crane,  purple  gallinule,  and  various  kinds  of 
geese  and  ducks  on  the  sandbanks  and  the  water  are  all  remarkable  for  their 
plumage.  Warblers,  chats,  and  all  sorts  of  small  birds  abound.  The  white 
bird,  by  some  miscalled  the  ibis,  and  by  others  the  paddy  bird,  so  commonly 
seen  in  the  fields  of  Egypt,  and  the  constant  friend  and  companion  of  the 
buffalo,  is  the  buff-backed  heron  (Ardetta  russata).  It  is  somewhat  doubtful 
whether  the  sacred  ibis  is  ever  seen  in  Egypt;  but  the  glossy  ibis  (Ibis 
fulcinellus)  is  occasionally  found. 

Of  amphibious  animals,  the  crocodile  (timsdli)  is  the  only  monster  that  the 
ordinary  Nile  traveller  will  see.  Careful  inspection  will  probably  discover  a 
specimen  of  him  under  the  rocks  of  Gebel  Aboo  Feydah,  and  he  may  sometimes 
be  seen  on  the  large  sandbank  near  the  landing-place  for  Keneh ;  but  if  the 
weather  is  at  all  favourable — calm  and  sunny — several  may  often  be  seen 
basking  in  the  sun  on  the  sandbanks  between  Silsilis  and  Kom  Ombo. 
Nubia,  however,  is  the  great  place  for  them,  and  on  the  sandbanks  near 
Derr  and  Ibreem  as  many  as  10  or  15  are  sometimes  basking  in  the  sun 
together.  It  is  by  no  means  easy  to  get  a  shot  at  them,  as  they  are  very  shy, 
and  slip  into  the  water  on  the  slightest  alarm.  Of  course  any  one  devoting 
two  or  three  days  to  waiting  in  a  hole  in  the  sand,  near  where  they  are  in  the 
habit  of  coming  up,  will  be  pretty  certain  to  get  a  shot  at  one,  but  he  must 
hit  the  eye,  or  the  softer  skin  just  behind  the  shoulder,  to  have  much  chance 
of  killing.  There  is  a  kind  of  lizard,  wdrran,  sometimes  found  close  to  the 
river-side  :  the  traveller  will  probably  have  stuffed  ones  offered  him  as  "  young 
crocodiles." 

The  fish  of  the  Nile  are  very  numerous,  but  there  is  not  one  worth  eating  : 
they  are  all  soft  and  woolly,  and  have  a  strong  flavour  of  mud. 

Guns  should  be  brought  from  England.  They  may  sometimes  be  hired  at 
Alexandria  and  Cairo.  If  a  breech-loader  is  taken,  cartridges  (unloaded)  should 


328 


THE  NILE  VOYAGE. 


Sect.  III. 


be  brought  from  England,  though  there  are  now  several  shops  at  Alexandria 
and  Cairo,  where  pin-fire  cartridges  can  generally  be  bought,  but  No.  16  is  the 
bore  most  often  kept.  It  would  not  do  to  reckon  on  finding  central-fire.  If  it  is 
intended  to  go  in  for  snipe  and  quail  shooting,  a  large  number  of  cartridges 
will  be  required.  Shot  of  any  kind  can  be  bought  at  Alexandria,  Cairo,  Port 
Said,  Suez,  &c,  and  at  towns  like  Asyoot  and  Keneh  up  the  river.  Powder  is 
a  great  source  of  difficulty,  as  the  Egyptian  Government  forbid  its  importation 
and  sale  :  consequently,  if  the  traveller  overcomes  the  difficulty  of  getting  it 
conveyed  to  Egypt,  he  will  find  it  seized  at  the  custom-house,  and  be  obliged 
to  apply  to  tbe  consular  authorities,  not  always  successfully,  to  get  it  out  for 
him ;  and  if  he  trusts  to  purchasing  it  under  the  smuggled  name  of  mixed 
pickles,  arrowroot,  &c,  he  will  find  it  scarce,  bad,  and  six  to  seven  shillings 
the  pound.  The  best  plan  is  to  send  out  a  moderate  quantity,  and  apply  in 
time  to  the  Consulate  at  Alexandria  to  get  it  passed.  A  heavy  big  game- 
rifle  is  useless  during  the  ordinary  voyage  in  Egypt.  A  common  rifle  with 
an  explosive  bullet  is  quite  enough  for  a  crocodile.  As  has  been  said, 
no  really  good  wild-fowl  shooting  can  be  had  without  a  small  boat.  The 
native  sandal,  or  small  boat  attached  to  the  dahabeeah,  is  of  no  use  what- 
ever ;  it  draws  a  great  deal  too  much  water,  is  clumsy  to  manage,  and  requires 
two  men  to  row  it.  A  light  English  pair-oar  gig  with  a  small  lugsail  is  the 
best  thing :  it  will  float  in  the  shallows,  and  at  the  same  time  weather  the 
extremely  rough  water  which  is  often  experienced  on  the  Nile  when  the  wind 
is  high  and  the  current  strong.  A  punt  and  duck-gun  is  a  method  of  whole- 
sale slaughter  most  strongly  to  be  reprobated. 

The  hawagha  in  Egypt  is  accustomed  to  go  where  he  likes  in  pursuit  of 
game  :  ripe  standing  crops  offer  no  obstacle  to  him,  and  very  often  the  pro- 
prietor will  look  calmly  on  and  make  no  objection ;  but  this  licence  should  not 
be  abused,  and  a  request  to  keep  off  any  ground  should  instantly  be  complied 
with. 

'  The  Birds  of  Egypt,'  by  Captain  Shelley,  will  no  doubt  prove  a  valuable 
companion  to  the  naturalist  and  the  sportsman.  Some  useful  information  on 
this  subject  will  also  be  found  in  Smith's  '  Attractions  of  the  Nile.' 

g.  Geography,  Products,  &c. 

Above  Cairo,  Egypt  and  the  Valley  of  the  Nile  are  more  than  ever  synony- 
mous terms.  The  Egyptian  territory  certainly  extends  to  the  Red  Sea  on  the 
one  side,  and  the  Oases  on  the  other,  but  the  cultivated  land  on  the  banks  of 
the  river  is  the  real  country.  In  no  part  is  this  more  than  10  miles  wide, 
except  where  the  quasi-oasis  of  the  Fyodm  joins  the  W.  bank  at  Benisooef ; 
and  in  many  places  only  a  few  hundred  yards  of  soil  border  the  river  on  one 
side,  while  the  desert  comes  to  the  water's  edge  on  the  other.  The  general 
name  given  to  the  whole  country  lying  between  Cairo  and  Assooan  is  the 
Saeed,  though  strictly  speaking  the  Saeed,  or  Upper  Egypt,  does  not  begin  till 
past  Minieh.  Aboolfeda  says  that  it  begins  at  Fostat.  or  Old  Cairo,  and  that 
all  the  country  to  the  S.  of  that  city  is  called  Saeed,  and  all  to  the  N.  Eeef. 
At  the  present  day,  however,  Keef  is  the  term  applied  to  all  "the  cultivated 
land,"  in  contradiction  to  "  the  desert." 

The  whole  of  Egypt  is  styled  in  Arabic  Ard-Mmr.  or  simply  JSIusr  (Misr),  a 
name  given  also  to  Cairo  itself;  which  recalls  the  old  Hebrew  Mizraim  (Mizrim), 
"  the  two  Mizrs."  In  the  ancient  Egyptian  language  it  was  called  Kherni,  or 
"  the  land  of  Khem,"  answering  to  the  land  of  "  Ham,"  or  rather  "  Khem," 
mentioned  in  the  Bible ;  and  in  Coptic  Chrae  or  Chemi ;  by  the  Greeks  it  was 
named  Atyvn-ros.  According  to  Arab  tradition,  Mizraim,  the  son  of  Ham,  had 
4  sons,  Oshmoon,  Athreeb,  Sa,  and  Copt.  The  last  of  these  peopled  the  country 
between  Assooan  and  Coptos;  Oshmoon  that  to  the  N.,  as  far  as  Menoof 


Egypt 


GEOGKAPHY. 


329 


(Memphis)  ;  Athreeb  the  Delta  ■  and  Sa  the  province  of  Beheyrah,  as  well  as 
the  land  of  Barbary.  Copt,  however,  having  conquered  the  rest  of  Egypt, 
became  sovereign  of  the  whole  country  and  gave  it  his  name. 

The  two  sides  of  the  valley  seem  at  all  times  to  have  been  distinguished, 
generally  with  reference  to  their  position  E.  and  W.  of  the  river.  By  the 
ancient  Egyptians  the  desert  on  each  side  was  merely  styled  "  the  eastern  and 
western  mountain ;"  and  at  a  later  period,  "  the  Arabian  and  Libyan  shore  ;" 
parts  of  the  mountain  ranges  having  always  had  certain  names  attached  to 
them,  as  at  the  present  day.  They  are  now  called  "  the  eastern  shore  "  and 
"  the  western  shore." 

In  the  time  of  the  Pharaohs  Egypt  consisted  of  two  great  regions,  the  upper 
and  lower  country,  both  of  equal  consequence,  from  which  the  kings  derived 
the  title  of  Lord  of  the  two  Begions.  Each  of  these  had  its  peculiar  crown, 
which  the  monarch  at  his  coronation  put  on  at  the  same  time,  showing  the 
equal  rank  of  the  2  states,  while  they  prove  the  existence  of  2  distinct 
kingdoms  at  an  early  period. 

Egypt  was  then  divided  into  36  nomes  (departments,  or  counties),  from 
Syene  to  the  sea.  In  the  time  of  the  Ptolemies  and  early  Csesars  this 
number  still  conthmed  the  same  ;  "  10,"  says  Strabo,  "being  assigned  to  the 
Theba'id,  10  to  the  Delta,  and  16  to  the  intermediate  province."  Pliny  gives 
44  nomes  to  all  Egypt. 

The  triple  partition  of  the  country  described  by  Strabo  varied  at  another 
time,  and  consisted  of  Upper  and  Lower  Egypt,  with  an  intermediate  province, 
containing  only  seven  nomes,  and  thence  called  Heptanomis.  Upper  Egypt, 
or  the  Thebaid  then  reached  to  the  Thebaica  Phylace  (^vXaKv),  now  Daroot 
esh  Shereef ;  Heptanomis  thence  to  the  fork  of  the  Delta ;  and  the  rest  was 
comprehended  in  Lower  Egypt.  In  the  time  of  the  later  Eoman  emperors,  the 
Delta,  or  Lower  Egypt,  was  divided  into  4  provinces  or  districts — August- 
amnica  Prima  and  Secunda,  and  JEgyptus  Prima  and  Secunda;  being  still 
subdivided  into  the  same  nomes :  and  in  the  time  of  Arcadius,  the  son  of  Theo- 
dosius  the  Great.  Heptanomis  received  the  name  of  Arcadia.  The  Thebaid, 
too,  was  made  into  two  parts,  under  the  name  of  Upper  and  Lower,  the  line  of 
separation  passing  between  Panopolis  and  Ptolemais  Hermii.  The  nomes  also 
increased  in  number,  and  amounted  to  57,  of  which  the  Delta  alone  contained 
34,  nearly  equal  to  those  of  all  Egypt  in  the  time  of  the  Pharaohs. 

Ammianus  Marcellinus  says,  "  Egypt  is  reported  to  have  had  3  provinces 
in  former  times — Egypt  Proper,  the  Theba'id,  and  Libya ;  to  which  posterity 
added  2  others,  Augustamnica,  an  offset  from  Egypt,  and  Pentapolis,  separated 
from  Libya." 

The  northern  part  of  Ethiopia,  or  of  what  is  now  called  Nubia,  had  the 
name  of  Dodeca-Schcenus,  or  "12  schcenes,"  and  comprehended  the  district 
from  Syene  to  Hierasycaminon,  now  Maharraka. 

The  schcene,  according  to  Strabo,  varied  in  different  parts  of  Egypt.  In 
the  Delta  it  consisted  of  30  stadia ;  between  Memphis  and  the  Thebaid  of  120 : 
and  from  the  Thebaid  to  Syene  of  60.  The  Itinerary  of  Antoninus  reckons 
80  m.,  or  640  stadia,  from  Syene  to  Hierasycaminon  :  the  schcene  was  there- 
fore (at  8  stadia  to  a  Boman  mile)  of  53*  stadia  above  Syene. 

Some  of  the  towns  on  the  2  banks  of  the  Nile  are  mentioned  in  the  Itinerary 
of  Antoninus. 


330 


THE  NILE  VOYAGE. 


Sect.  III. 


X.  Alexandria  to.  Hierasycaminon  (in 
Nubia),  by  the  west  bank. 

M.P. 

Alexandria  to  Cliereu       ..     ..  24 

Herniupoli   20 

Andro    21 

Niciu    31 

Letus    28 

Memphi    20 

Peme   20 

Isiu    20 

Cene   20 

Tacona    20 

Oxyrhyncho    24 

Ibiu   30 

Hermupoli        .. .   24 

Chusis    24 

Lyco   35 

Apollonos  Minoris   18 

Hisoris    28 

Ptolemaida    22 

Abydo    22 

Diospoli    28 

Tentyra    27 

Contra  Copto    12 

Papa   8 

Hermunthi    30 

Lato   24 

Apollonos  Superioris       . .     . .  32 

Contra  Thnrois    24 

Contra  Ombos   24 

Contra  Syene   23 

Paremboli    16 

Tzitzi    2 

Taphis    14 

Talmis    8 

Tutzis                                ..  20 

Pselcis    12 

Corte  ..   4 

Hierasycaminon    4 


2.  By  the  east  bank  from  Heliopolis  to 
Contra  Pselcis  and  Hierasycaminon 
in  Nubia. 


Heliopolis  to  Babylon   12 

Scenas  Maudras    12 

Aphrodito   20 

Thimonepsi    24 

Alyi   16 

Hipponon   16 

Musse   30 

Speos  Artemidos    34 

Antinou    8 

Pesla   24 

Hieracon   28 

Isiu    20 

Muthi    24 

Anteu    8 

Selino    16 

Pano   16 

Thomu    4 

Chenoboscio    50 

Copton    40 

Vico  Apollonos    22 

Thebas    22 

Contra  Lato    40 

Contra  Apollonos    40 

Ombos    40 

Syene    30 

Philas    3 

Contra  Taphis   24 

Contra  Talmis   10 

Contra  Pselcis   24 

Hierasycaminon    11 


At  the  present  day  Egypt  is  divided  into  3  parts, — Upper,  Middl?,  and 
Lower  Egypt ;  and  these  again  are  subdivided  into  15  provinces,  as  under  : — 


Lowek  Egypt. 

Province. 
Gharbeeyah. 
Kalioobeeyah. 
Gheezeh. 


Province.  Chief  Town. 

Beheyrah.  Damanhoor. 

Menoofeeyah.  Shibeen. 

Sliarkeeyah.  Zagazig. 

Dakaleeyah.  Mansoorah. 

Middle  Egypt. 

Benisooef.  Benisooef.  I  Minieh. 

Fyoom.  Medeenet  el  Fyoum.  |    Beni  Mazar. 


Chief  Town. 
Tantah. 
Benha. 
Gheezeh. 


Minieh. 
Beni  Mazar. 


Egypt. 


PEODUCTS. 


331 


Upper  Egypt. 


Province, 
Asyoot. 
Girgeh. 


Chief  Town. 
Asyoot. 
Soohag. 


Province. 
Ken  eh. 
I  Esneh. 


Chief  Town. 
Keneh. 
Esneh. 


Each  of  these  provinces  has  a  governor  called  a  Mucleer  ;  and  they  are  sub- 
divided again  into  districts,  each  under  a  Nazir,  or  deputy-governor.  The 
towns  of  Alexandria,  Cairo,  Suez,  Port  Said,  Ismailia,  Rosetta,  and  Damietta 
have  their  own  governing  body,  independent  of  the  provinces  in  which  they 
are  situated. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  common  Arab  appellations  of  towns,  &c. : — 
The  large,  or  market,  towns  have  the  title  of  Bender.  Medeeneh  is  a 
"  capital,"  and  is  applied  to  Cairo,  and  the  capital  of  the  Fyoom.  Bellet,  or 
Beled,  is  the  usual  appellation  of  a  "  town ;"  whence  Ebn  beled,  <;  son  of  a 
town,"  or  "  townsman."  Kafr  is  a  village;  Nezleh,  or  Nezle,  a  village  founded 
by  the  people  of  another  place,  as  Nezlet  el  Pent.  Minieh  (corrupted  into  Mit, 
particularly  in  the  Delta)  is  also  applied  to  villages  colonised  from  other 
places.  Pent,  "  the  sons,"  is  given  to  those  founded  by  a  tribe,  or  family,  as 
Beni  Amran,  "  the  sons  of  Amran,"  and  then  many  villages  in  the  district  are 
often  included  under  the  same  name.  Zow'yeh  is  a  hamlet  having  a  mosk. 
Kasr,  or  Knsr,  is  a  "  palace,"  or  any  large  building.  Boorg  is  a  "  tower  "  (like 
the  Greek  llvpyos) ;  and  it  is  even  applied  to  the  pigeon-houses  built  in  that 
form.  Sahil,  a  level  spot,  or  opening  in  the  bank,  where  the  river  is  accessible 
from  the  plain.  Merseh,  an  anchoring-place,  or  harbour.  Dayr  is  a  "  con- 
vent," and  frequently  points  out  a  Christian  village.  Kom  is  a  "mound," 
and  indicates  the  site  of  an  ancient  town,  and  Tel  is  commonly  used  in  the 
Delta  in  the  same  sense.  Khardb  and  Kooffree  are  applied  to  "  ruins." 
Beerbeh,  or  Birbeh  (which  is  taken  from  the  Coptic),  signifies  a  "  temple." 
Wddy  is  a  "valley;"  Ge'bel,  a  "mountain;"'  and  Birkeh,  a  "lake,"  or  a 
"  reach  "  in  the  Nile.  The  W.  bank  of  the  river  is  called  ghdrbee  and  the 
E.  bank  shurgee,  and  the  common  expressions  for  N.  and  S.  are  bcihree, 
"  seawards,"  and  giiblee,  "  mountainwards." 

The  principal  products  of  Middle  and  Upper  Egypt  are  :  wheat,  maize,  and 
doorah,  of  which  these  provinces  supply  three-fourths  of  the  total  yearly  crop ; 
sugar,  of  which  they  supply  the  whole  crop  ;  beans  and  lentils,  two- thirds  the 
yearly  crop ;  barley,  one-half  the  yearly  crop ;  and  Cotton,  one-sixth  the  yearly 
crop.  The  remaining  portions  of  these  crops  are  from  the  Delta.  Among  the 
many  other  products  may  be  mentioned  indigo,  hemp,  flax,  opium,  clover, 
coffee,  tobacco,  &c.  The  wheat  harvest  in  Upper  Egypt  takes  place  in  March. 
In  some  parts  which  are  carefully  irrigated,  3  and  even  4  crops  of  different 
kinds  are  obtained  off  the  soil  during  the  year. 

The  trees  indigenous  to  the  valley  of  the  Nile  are  few.  Pre-eminent  among 
them  is  the  palm-tree,  alike  for  the  value  of  its  fruit,  trunk,  and  branches, 
and  the  revenue  which  the  tax  on  it  yields  to  the  Government.  This  last  is 
calculated  at  150,000L  yearly.  The  dried  date  is  a  great  article  of  food 
among  the  common  people ;  and  of  the  fibres  of  the  trunk  and  branches 
are  manufactured  baskets,  beds,  chairs,  cord,  and  various  other  things. 
The  other  principal  trees  are  the  lebbekh  acacia,  a  tkick-foliaged  tree  with 
broad  pods  ;  the  sont  acacia,  a  thorny  small-leaved  tree  with  a  small  yellow 
flower,  its  wood  is  largely  used  in  the  construction  of  the  Nile  boats ;  the 
sycamore-fig,  the  finest  tree  in  Egypt,  its  fruit  is  small  and  insipid  ;  the  tama- 
risk, and  the  dom-palm.  Various  fruit-trees  are  cultivated,  principally  in 
gardens  ;  such  as  the  orange-tree,  of  which  there  are  fine  groves  near  Benha  ; 
the  lemon ;  the  olive ;  and  some  others ;  and  a  variety  of  new  trees  and 
plants  are  being  tried  in  many  of  the  Khedive's  gardens. 

The  wild  animals  have  been  already  mentioned.    The  principal  domestic 


332 


INHABITANTS  OF  EGYPT. 


Sect,  III. 


ones  are  the  camel,  the  horse,  the  buffalo,  the  ox,  the  ass,  the  sheep,  the  goat, 
the  pig,  and  the  dog ;  and  of  the  feathered  tribe,  turkeys,  geese,  chickens, 
and  pigeons.  Of  these  it  is  curious  to  remark  that  neither  the  camel,  the 
buffalo,  the  sheep,  nor  the  chicken  are  found  among  the  old  sculptures,  conse- 
quently we  must  suppose  that  they  were  unknown  to  the  ancient  Egyptians ; 
and  the  horse  does  not  appear  till  after  the  return  of  Thothmes  III.  from  his 
conquests  in  Asia.  The  camel  and  the  ass  are  the  most  characteristic  animals 
of  Egypt,  and  they  may  certainly  be  said  to  bear  the  burden  and  heat  of  the 
day  in  the  way  of  work.  The  heavy  baggage  camel  is  the  one  most  commonly 
seen.  The  ass  is  of  many  kinds,  from  the  magnificent  animal  of  14  hands, 
worth  from  1001.  to  200L,  down  to  the  wretched  little  drudge  whose  miserable 
carcase  seems  only  fit  for  the  vultures  and  the  jackals.  Horses  are  compara- 
tively not  numerous,  and  the  possession  of  them  is  confined  principally  to  rich 
people  and  Europeans.  The  old  native  Egyptian  breed  is  nearly  extinct,  but 
the  Khedive  is  endeavouring  to  renew  the  stock.  The  buffalo  is  a  most  useful 
animal,  and  has  to  a  great  extent  taken  the  place  of  the  ox  since  the  last  two 
or  three  outbreaks  of  murrain.  Pigs  are  kept  only  by  the  Copts  and  by 
Europeans.  The  native,  or  pariah,  dog  is  generally  considered  unclean, 
and  a  wretched  miserable  beast  he  is  to  look  at,  but  he  performs,  with  the 
hawks,  the  useful  duty  of  a  scavenger ;  and  when  taken  care  of  as  a  puppy, 
grows  up  a  fine  handsome-looking  animal.  There  is  a  breed  of  big,  rough- 
haired,  black  dogs  to  be  found  at  Erment,  and  one  or  two  villages  near 
Thebes,  that  are  celebrated  for  their  fierceness  and  courage.  The  turkeys  of 
Upper  Egypt  are  famed  for  their  large  size;  and  the  chickens  are  equally 
remarkable  for  their  smallness. 

Ji.  IjfHABITANTS. 

The  population  of  Egypt  Proper  is  estimated  at  about  5,000,000.  It  may  be 
divided  roughly  into  Muslim  Egyptians,  Christian  Egyptians  or  Copts,  Turks, 
and  Europeans. 

The  Muslim  Egyptians  are  of  3  kinds :  the  inhabitants  of  the  towns,  the 
country  population  (Fellaheen),  and  the  wandering  tribes  (Bedaweeri).  Of 
these  the  most  numerous,  and  the  most  important,  amounting  to  more  than 
three-fourths  of  the  whole  population,  are  the  Fellaheen.  The  Fellah  (fern. 
Felldhah)  is  the  representative  of  the  conquering  Arabs  who  came  with 
Amer;  but  these  have  so  mingled  and  intermarried  with  the  original 
inhabitants,  and  with  Abyssinians,  Nubians,  and  others,  that  they  present 
but  very  slight  resemblance  to  the  original  stock.  Indeed  in  many  parts  of 
Egypt  the  peasantry  exhibit  more  likeness  to  the  old  Egyptians,  as  depicted 
on  tlie  monuments,  than  to  the  true  descendants  of  their  Arab  ancestors,  the 
Bedaween.  They  are,  as  a  rule,  a  handsome  well-formed  race,  with  fine 
oval  faces,  bright  deep-set  black  eyes,  straight  thick  noses,  large  well- 
formed  mouths,  full  lips,  beautiful  teeth,  broad  shoulders,  and  good-shaped 
limbs.  It  is  astonishing  that  such  well-shaped,  perfectly-proportioned  men 
and  women  should  grow  out  of  such  pot-bellied,  shrunken-limbed  things  as 
the  children  are.  The  colour  of  the  skin  varies  considerably, — light  and 
tawny  in  the  north  of  Egypt,  and  gradually  getting  darker  in  the  south.  The 
most  beautiful  tint  is  the  deep  bronze  one  of  Upper  Egypt. 

The  Copts  are  considered  to  be  the  descendants  of  the  ancient  Egyptians  ; 
but  they  are  by  no  means  an  unmixed  race.  Their  name  in  Arabic,  Kubtee, 
or  Gubtee,  singular,  Kubt,  or  Gubt,  plural,  may  be  derived  from  Coptos  in 
Upper  Egypt,  now  Kuft,  the  head-quarters  of  the  Christians  till  the  Moham- 
medan conquest ;  but  it  has  probably  some  analogy  with  the  Greek  Alyvimos. 
Much  stress  has  been  laid  upon  their  resemblance  to  the  sculptured  portraits 
of  the  ancient  Egyptians,  but  it  is  difficult  to  trace  the  likeness  much  more  in 


Egypt. 


INHABITANTS — ANTIQUITIES,  EUINS,  ETC. 


333 


them  than  in  their  Muslim  fellow-countrymen,  except  perhaps  in  the  eyes, 
which  are  exceptionally  large  and  almond-shaped,  and  slope  slightly  upwards 
from  the  nose.  The  Copts,  too,  are  slightly  under  the  middle  size,  as  were, 
to  judge  from  the  mummies,  the  ancient  Egyptians.  Their  dress  is  the  same 
as  the  Muslims,  except  that  they  often  wear  a  black  or  blue  turban,  which 
the  latter  never  do.  It  should  be  remembered,  however,  that  there  are 
Muslim  Copts  as  well  as  Christian  Copts,  though  the  name  is  generally 
applied  exclusively  to  the  native  Christians  of  Egypt.  The  number  of  Copts 
has  been  variously  estimated  from  150,000  to  500,000.  In  Upper  Egypt  there 
are  whole  villages  composed  of  them,  and  they  are  numerous  at  Cairo  and  in 
the  Fyoom;  there  are  but  few  in  the  Delta.  They  are  in  general  better 
educated  than  the  rest  of  their  countrymen,  and  are  extensively  employed  in 
all  the  public  offices  as  clerks,  accountants,  &c. 

The  tenets  of  the  Coptic  Church  are  those  of  the  sect  called  Jacobites, 
Eutychians,  Monophysites,  and  Monothelites,  pronounced  heretical  by  the 
Council  of  Chalcedon  in  the  year  581  a.d.  Their  secession  from  the  orthodox 
Oriental  Church  was  the  occasion  of  bitter  enmity  between  them  and  the 
Greeks,  and  they  gladly  welcomed  the  Arabs,  and  helped  to  drive  out  their 
hated  fellow  Christians.  The  orders  in  the  Coptic  Church  are  the  Patriarch 
(Batrak),  Metropolitan  of  the  Abyssinians  (Mitrdn),  Bishop  (Usfaif),  Arch 
Priest  (Kummoos),  Priest  (Kasees),  Deacon  (Shemmds),  and  Monk  {Balifb). 
The  convents  and  churches  are  very  numerous ;  the  most  interesting  are  those 
of  Old  Cairo.  A  full  account  of  them,  and  of  the  various  objects  connected 
with  them,  is  given  in  Sect.  II.,  Descript.  of  Caieo,  Esc.  v. 

The  language  of  the  Copts  of  the  present  day  is  that  of  the  rest  of  the 
country,  the  Egyptian  dialect  of  Arabic.  Coptic  is  only  used  in  some  of 
the  Church  prayers,  and  then  they  are  repeated  in  Arabic  for  the  benefit 
of  the  hearers ;  indeed  the  priests  who  use  them  have  merely  learnt  them  by 
heart,  and  know  nothing  of  the  language.  The  Coptic  language  began  to 
fall  into  disuse  after  the  Mohammedan  conquest,  and  by  the  15th  or  16th 
century  was  quite  replaced  by  the  Arabic.  It  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the 
oldest  used  by  mankind,  and  in  its  original  purity  was  that  of  the  old 
Egyptians.  It  underwent  a  great  change  after  the  conquest  of  Alexander, 
and  the  spread  of  the  Greek  language,  and  especially  after  the  introduction 
of  Christianity  into  Egypt.  It  then  began  to  be  written  from  left  to  right, 
contrary  to  the  ancient  and  Oriental  manner,  and  in  a  character  mostly 
adapted  from  the  Greek,  from  which  the  Copts  also  borrowed  many  words 
and  expressions.  But  notwithstanding  the  modification  it  has  undergone,  it 
is  still  the  language  written  on  the  monumental  walls  of  old  Egypt,  and  to  it 
the  world  is  indebted  for  the  key  by  which  the  hieroglyphics  have  been 
interpreted. 

The  Turks  were  formerly  much  more  numerous  than  they  are  now,  and 
occupied  a  position  of  greater  importance  in  the  country.  Though  many  .of 
the  higher  functionaries  are  still  Turks,  they  no  longer  fill  all  the  important 
civil  and  military  posts. 

The  remaining  classes  of  the  population,  Levantines,  Armenians,  Syrians, 
Jews,  &c,  are  nearly  all  found  in  Cairo  and  Alexandria  and  the  towns  of  the 
Delta.  As  also  are  the  Europeans,  whose  number  may  be  reckoned  at  about 
85,000  in  all. 

i.  Antiquities,  Euins,  &c. 

The  various  interesting  ruins  of  the  country  are  fully  described  in  their 
proper  place,  but  a  few  general  remarks  on  the  history  and  archaeology  may 
help  the  traveller  to  a  better  understanding  of  what  he  is  about  to  see. 

The  monumental  remains  of  Egypt  consist  entirely  of  temples  and  tombs. 


334 


EGYPTIAN  TEMPLES. 


Sect.  III. 


The  Egyptian  temple  was  not  a  place  of  public  worship  like  a  Greek  or  Koinan 
temple,  or  a  Christian  church.  It  was  an  edifice  erected  by  a  king  in  honour 
of  some  divinity,  or  rather  triad  of  divinities,  to  whom  he  wished  to  pay  special 
homage,  either  in  return  for  benefits  conferred,  or  in  the  hope  of  future  favours. 
This  is  shown  by  the  sculptures  on  the  walls,  in  all  of  which  the  king  is  the 
principal  subject.  He  wages  war  with  the  enemies  of  Egypt  and  brings  them 
home  captive ;  or  he  offers,  in  times  of  peace,  gifts  and  sacrifices.  The  prayers 
are  all  recited  in  his  name,  and  he  leads  the  processions  in  which  are  carried 
the  statues  and  emblems  of  the  divinities.  The  temples  are  always  built  of 
stone,  and  surrounded  by  a  high  and  massive  crude-brick  enclosure,  which 
shut  out  from  the  vulgar  gaze  all  that  took  place  inside.  Near  every  temple 
was  a  lake.  The  following  diagrams  will  show  the  various  plans  and  arrange- 
ments usual  in  Egyptian  temples  : — 


Fig.  1  is  a  simple  form  of  a  temple,  consisting  of  (b  b  6)  the  Dromos  of  sphinxes,  sss;  three 
prop'ylons  or  pylons,  a  a  a;  the  pronaos  or  portico,  d ;  and  the  adytum  (sekos)  or  sanctuary,  e, 
which  was  either  isolated,  or  occupied  the  whole  of  the  naos,  as  in  jig.  2.  c  c  are  screens,  reach- 
ing half-way  up  the  columns,  as  seen  in  fig.  3.  In  the  adytum  (e,fi.g.  2)  is  an  altar,/.  W  W, 
the  crude-brick  wall  of  the  temenos,  "  grove,"  or  sacred  enclosure.  Fig.  4,  a,  the  pylon  or  pylone ; 
b,  the  dromos  without  sphinxes;  c  c,  screens;  d,  pronaos  or  portico;  e,  the  hall  of  assembly; 
f,  transverse  ante-room,  or  proselcos,  a  sort  of  transept ;  g,  the  central  adytum,  or  sekos ;  h  h,  side 
adyta.  Fig.  5,  a,  pylon  or  pyloni;  b,  dromos  of  sphinxes;  c  c,  obelisks;  d  d,  propyla  or  pyra- 
midal towers  of  the  propylozum  :  e,  propylozum,  area,  or  vestibulum ;  f  f,  statues  of  the  king; 
g  g,  inner  towers  with  staircases  leading  to  the  top,  as  in  d  d ;  h,  inner  vestibulum ;  i  i,  screens 
from  pillar  to  pillar,  forming  a  sort  of  ante-room  (?)  to  the  hall  of  assembly  (k) :  this  ante-room 


Egypt. 


EGYPTIAN  TEMPLES. 


335 


(j)  may  be  considered  the  portico.  I,  transept;  m,  central  adytum  or  sekos;  n  n,  side  adyta. 
Fig.  6,  a  raised  hypa?tbral  building  of  columus  and  connecting  screens,  -with,  steps  leading  to  it 
from  within  the  dromos  (6).  Tbe  rest  as  jig.  5  to  the  inner  hall  (7),  which  has  several  small 
chambers  at  the  side,  o,  an  isolated  adytum,  with  a  pedestal  in  the  middle  for  holding  the 
sacred  ark  of  the  deity,  p,  qq,n  n  n,  three  adyta  and  other  chambers.  All  behind  the  pronoos, 
or  portico,  is  called  the  naos,  which  includes  the  sekos  within  it,  and  answers  to  the  cella  of 
Greek  temples. 

Fig.  7,  a,  pylon  or  pylone.  Fig.  8  shows  the  pyramidal  towers  (b),  with  the  pylon  (a)  between 
them,  and  the  liues  d  d  {naremvevova-as  ypa/j-fxa^  curving  over  towards  each  other,  with  the 
colossal  figures  commonly  sculptured  on  them.  These  d  d  are  seen  better  in  fig.  9  ;  but  their 
position  is  not,  as  Strata)  says,  on  either  side  of  the  portico  or  jonnaos,  but  of  the  pylon,  being  as 
far  apart  at  the  bottom  as  the  breadth  of  the  pylon  ;  h  h,  the  colossal  figures ;  g  g,  the  flag-staffs ; 
/,  a  torus  that  runs  up  the  wall,  and  under  the  cornice ;  c,  fillet  of  the  cornice. 

Fig.  10,  a  peripteral  temple,   a,  the  pylon;  b,  dromos;  c,  adytum,  surrounded  by  a  peristyle 


336 


EGYPTIAN  TOMBS. 


Sect.  III. 


of  seven  square  pillars  at  each  side,  and  two  round  columns  at  either  end;  the  whole  standing 
on  a  raised  platform.  One  of  these  temples  stood  at  Elephantine,  and  another  at  Eileithyias, 
both  of  the  early  time  of  the  XVIIIth  dynasty. 

With  regard  to  the  use  of  the  word  propylon,  it  may  be  observed,  that  propylon,  pylon,  and 
pylone,  are  all  properly  applied  to  the  gateway  {fig.  7,  or  a,  figs.  4  and  5) ;  but  the  first  of  these 
was  also  used  to  designate  the  pylon  with  its  towers :  to  prevent  confusion,  therefore,  and  to 
avoid  the  long  expression  "  towers  of  the  propyheum,"  the  word  pylon  has  been  adopted  for  the 
gateway,  and  pi-opyla  for  the  towers. 

The  tombs  of  the  old  Egyptians  were  always  situated  either  in  the  desert  or 
in  the  side  of  a  mountain.  For  a  full  description  of  them,  and  a  plan  of  their 
method  of  construction,  the  reader  is  referred  to  Sect.  II.,  Descript.  of  Cairo, 
Exc.  vii.,  h.  The  principal  exception  to  the  account  there  given  is  found  in 
the  Tombs  of  the  Kings  at  Thebes,  which  are  constructed  and  decorated  on 
a  different  principle. 

The  materials  for  a  knowledge  of  the  history,  and  the  manners  and  customs 
of  the  old  Egyptians,  have  been  almost  entirely  derived  from  these  two 
sources.  Their  public  annals  are  written  on  the  walls  of  the  temples — their 
private  history  on  the  walls  of  the  tombs.  It  is  from  the  temples  and  tombs 
too  that  have  been  taken  the  greater  part  of  the  various  objects  in  the  different 
museums,  which  help  to  throw  such  light  on  this  subject. 

First  among  these  is  the  Bosetta  Stone  in  the  British  Museum,  by  means  of 
which  the  hieroglyphics  were  first  deciphered.  It  was  part  of  a  stone  tablet 
found  at  Kosetta,  in  1798,  by  the  French,  containing  three  inscriptions ; 
two  were  in  the  old  Egyptian  language,  one  written  in  the  hieroglyphic 
characters  used  by  the  priests,  and  the  other  with  the  cursive  letters  under- 
stood by  the  people  generally ;  the  third  was  in  Greek.    In  the  Greek  inscrip- 


Egypt. 


ANTIQUITIES.  HISTORY. 


387 


tion  were  several  proper  names,  e.  g.  Ptolemy,  and  it  was  observed  that  in  the 
corresponding  place  in  the  Egyptian  text  were  several  signs  with  a  line  drawn 
round  them,  so  as  to  form  a  kind  of  oval.  This  led  to  the  conclusion  that 
royal  names  were  always  written  in  the  Egyptian  writing  on  this  kind  of 
shield,  to  which  Cliampoliion  gave  the  name  of  cartouche,  and  that  the  signs 
on  this  particular  one  must  represent,  letter  for  letter,  the  name  of  Ptolemy. 
The  gradual  following  up  of  this  discovery  revealed  in  time  more  or  less  of  the 
Egyptian  alphabet ;  and  it  was  further  found  that  the  words  thus  deciphered 
were  Coptic — a  language  which,  though  much  changed  and  altogether  fallen 
into  disuse,  was  not  lost  to  science.  From  that  time  the  hieroglyphics  ceased 
to  be  mere  signs  without  a  meaning. 

The  mutilated  Tablet  of  Abydus  in  the  British  Museum  served  as  an  excel- 
lent guide  towards  the  chronological  arrangement  of  a.  certain  number  of  the 
kings  of  Egypt ;  but  the  perfectly  complete  tablet,  from  which  the  other  was 
copied,  found,  and  still  remaining,  on  a  wall  of  another  temple  at  Abydus,  is 
of  course  a  much  more  valuable  monument.  It  contains  the  names  Of  76  kings 
— a  comparison  of  whose  names  with  the  lists  of  Manetho  has  much  helped 
towards  the  work  of  reconstructing  portions  of  Egyptian  history. 

Of  the  same  character  are  the  Tablet  of  Sakkdrah,  containing  the  names  of 
55  kings ;  the  Hall  of  Ancestors,  a  small  chamber  at  Karnak,  on  whose  walls 
was  a  tablet,  now  in  Paris,  containing  the  names  of  60  kings ;  and  the  Papyrus 
of  Turin,  containing  also  a  list  of  kings,  but  so  mutilated  as  to  be  of  compara- 
tively less  value  than  the  others. 

The  Ritual,  or  Book  of  the  Dead,  is  a  papyrus  found  buried  with  the  mum- 
mies. It  consists  of  chapters  describing  the  adventures  of  the  soul  after  death, 
and  the  prayers  offered  to  the  gods.  The  largest  and  most  complete  specimen 
is  in  the  Turin  Museum.  From  this  book  is  learnt  the  ideas  held  by  the  old 
Egyptians  as  to  a  future  state. 

It  would  be  impossible  to  enumerate  all  the  other  almost  equally  important 
objects,  existing  either  in  museums  or  in  situ,  which  help  to  a  knowledge  of 
the  public  and  private  life  of  the  old  Egyptians.  There  is  hardly  any  one 
of  them  indeed  which  does  not  contribute  its  share. 

The  first  who  attempted  to  write  a  history  of  Egypt  was  Manetho,  an 
Egyptian  priest  who  lived  in  the  reign  of  Ptolemy  Philadelphus,  circ.  263  B.C. 
His  history  was  written  in  Greek,  and  contained  a  list  of  the  kings  who  had 
reigned  in  Egypt  from  the  earliest  times  to  the  conquest  of  Alexander.  The 
his  lory  is  lost;  but  the  lists  are  preserved  in  the  Chronology  of  George  the 
Syncellus,  a  Byzantine  monk  who  lived  at  the  beginning  of  the  9th  century. 
He  had  collected  them,  not  from  the  original  work,  which  had  long  been  lost, 
but  from  copies  made  by  Julius  Africanus  in  the  3rd  century,  and  Eusebius 
in  the  4th.  To  what  extent  credence  can  be  given  to  tht  se  lists,  which,  sup- 
posing them  originally  correct,  had  probably  been  altered  and  manipulated 
by  the  Christian  writers  above  mentioned,  is  a  point  much  disputed  by  modern 
Egyptologists.  Many  are  now  disposed  to  consider  that  recent  discoveries 
have  rather  confirmed  their  title  to  be  looked  upon  as  to  a  certain  extent 
trustworthy  guides. 

What  the  classic  historians  have  to  say  about  Egypt  may  be  read  in  the 
2nd  book  of  Herodotus,  the  1st  book  of  Diodorus,  the  17th  book  of  Strabo,  and 
the  treatise  de  hide  et  Os'.ride  of  Plutarch. 

Mention  has  already  been  made  of  the  group  of  signs,  enclosed  in  an 
elliptical  frame  with  a  base,  which  mark  a  royal  name,  called  by  Champollion 
cartouches,  and  by  others  ovals  or  shields.  When  it  is  a  king's  name  that  is 
signified  there  are  always  two  cartouches  side  by  side,  one  containing  the 
prenomen,  and  the  other  the  nomen.  The  prenomen  is  generally  preceded  by 
the  title  "King  of  Upper  and  Lower  Egypt,"  the  nomen  by  that  of  "Son  of 
file  Sun."  Sometimes  these  are  exchanged,  for  other  titles.  It  is  from  these - 
cartouches  that  the  op  ch  of  the  monument  on  which  they  appear  may  gene- 


338 


EGYPTIAN  DYNASTIES. 


Sect.  III. 


rally  be  known.  They  are  very  numerous,  but  the  eye  will  soon  get  accus- 
tomed to  recognise  those  that  occur  the  oftenest  and  are  the  most  important. 
The  following  list  will  show  the  places  at  which  the  names  of  the  kings  of 
the  different  dynasties  are  to  be  looked  for. 

No  names  of  any  kings  of  the  first  three  dynasties  are  found  anywhere, 
except  perhaps  that  of  Ouenephes  at  tbe  Pyramid  of  Sakkarah. 

Those  of  the  IVth  dynasty,  such  as  Cheops,  Chephren,  Mycerinus,  &c,  are 
found  at  the  Pyramids  and  at  Sakkarah. 

Those  of  the  Vth,  at  Sakkarah  and  Abooseer. 

Those  of  the  'Vlth,  at  Memphis,  San,  Zowyet  el  My'iteen  near  Minieh,  at 
Kasr  es  Svad,  and  some  other  unimportant  places. 

Those  of  the  VTlth,  VHIth,  IXth,  and  Xth,  are  found  nowhere. 

Those  of  the  Xltii,  at  Drah  Aboo  '1  Neggah,  at  Thebes. 

Those  of  the  Xllth,  the  Osirtasens  and  Amenemhas,  at  Heliopolis,  the 
Fyoom,  Beni  Hassan,  Asyoot,  and  Semneh  above  Wady  Halfah. 

Those  of  the  XIHth  and  XlVth,  at  Asyoot,  and  on  the  rocks  at  Assooan 
and  the  Island  of  Sehayl. 

These  of  the  XVth  and  XVIth,  nowhere. 

Those  of  the  X  Yllth,  the  Shepherds,  at  San. 

Those  of  the  XVIIIth,  the  Amunophs  and  Thothmes',  at  Tel  el  Amarna, 
El  Kab,  both  sides  of  the  river  at  Thebes,  Silsilis,  Kom  Ombos,  Amada, 
Wady  Halfah,  &c. 

Those  of  the  XlXth,  the  Eameses',  at  San,  Memphis,  Abydos,  both  sides  of 
the  river  at  Thebes.  Bayt  Wely,  Derr,  Aboo  Simbel. 
Those  of  the  XXth,  at  Thebes. 
Those  of  the  XXIst,  at  San. 

Those  of  the  XXIInd,  the  Sheshonks,  &c,  at  Karnak. 
Those  of  the  XXIIIrd  and  XXIVth,  nowhere. 
Those  of  the  XXVth,  at  Karnak. 

Those  of  the  XXVIth,  Psammetichus  and  others,  at  San,  Sakkarah,  Karnak, 
Luxor. 

Those  of  the  XXVIIth,  on  the  rocks  at  Ha  ma  mat. 

Those  of  the  XXVlIIth,  XXIXth,  and  XXXth,  Nectanebo  and  others,  at 
Sakkarah,  Medeenet  Haboo,  Karnak,  Philse. 
Those  of  the  XXXIst,  nowhere. 
Those  of  the  XXXIInd,  Alexanders,  at  Karnak. 

Those  of  the  XXXIIIrd,  the  Ptolemies,  at  Alexandria,  Sakkarah,  Denderah, 
Thebes,  Erment,  Esneh,  Edfoo,  Kom  Ombos,  Philse,  Kalabsheh,  aud  various 
other  places  in  Nubia. 

Those  of  the  XXXIVth,  the  Eoman  Emperors,  at  Denderah,  Thebes,  Erment, 
Esneh,  Edfoo,  Philae,  and  in  Nubia. 

The  substance  of  some  of  the  above  matter  has  been  culled  from  an  excel- 
lent little  work  by  M.  Mariette,  published  at  Alexandria,  entitled  Itineraire 
de  la  Haute  Egypte.  It  should  be  bought  by  all  who  are  interested  in  the 
antiquities  of  Egypt,  and  will  be  found  a  most  useful  little  companion. 

Some  further  information  on  the  subject  of  Egyptian  antiquities  is  given  in 
the  account  of  the  Museum  at  Cairo  (Sect.  II.,  Description  of  Cairo,  §  17). 
Those  who  intend  to  make  this  subject  their  study  will  find  the  names  of  tome 
of  the  best  works  in  the  list  of  books  given  in  the  Introduction,  d. 

The  interest  attaching  to  the  remains  of  old  Egypt,  and  the  importance  of 
preserving  those  pages  of  its  history  which  cover  every  wall  of  the  ruined 
temples  and  tombs,  ought  to  be  sufficient  to  prevent  visitors  from  civilised 
Europe  and  the  West  from  indulging  in  the  childish  pastime  of  scribbling 
their  names  upon  tnein  and  destroying  them.  But  the  Tomb  of  Tih,  at 
Sakkarah,  the  Tomb  of  Seti  I.,  at  Thebes,  and  indeed  every  sculptured  ruin  in 
the  country,  furnish  lamentable  instances  to  the  contrary.  No  words  can 
condemn  too  strongly  this  mischievous  habit.    There  are  plenty  of  rocks  and 


Egypt 


EOUTE  18.  CAIRO  TO  TKEBES. 


339 


unsculptured  stones  w  here  the  practice  may  be  indulged  in  harmlessly  enough, 
but  to  disfigure  in  any  way  paintings,  sculptures,  or  ttatues,  is  an  act  of  igno- 
rant 1  arbarism,  the  authors  of  which  it  is  to  be  regretted  should  be  allowed 
to  escape  unpunished.  The  following  judgment  may  be  severe,  but  it  is 
deserved.  u  The  first  thing  that  strikes  you  on  approaching  the  monument 
(Pompey's  Pillar),  are  the  proper  names  written  in  gigantic  characters  by 
travellers,  who  have  thus  insolently  engraved  a  record  of  their  obscurity  on 
a  column  centuries  old.  Nothing  can  be  more  silly  than  this  mania,  derived 
from  the  Greeks,  which  disfigures  where  it  does  not  destroy.  Many  hours 
of  patience  have  been  expended  in  cutting  on  granite  the  large  letters  which 
dishonour  it.  How  can  people  give  themselves  the  trouble  to  inform  the 
world  tl.at  a  perfectly  unknown  person  has  visited  a  monument,  and  that 
that  unknown  person  has  mutilated  it  ?  " — J.  Ampere. 

All  excavating  among  the  ruins  is  now  forbidden.  The  so-called  antiquities 
offered  to  the  traveller  for  sale  are  generally  false,  more  especially  at  Thebes, 
where  there  are  several  manufactories  of  them  ;  and  the  imitations  are  some- 
times so  good  that  it  requires  a  practised  eye  and  hand  to  detect  the  difference. 


EOUTE  18. 

CAIRO  TO  THEBES. 

Cairo  (Boolak),  to  Bedre- 
shayn  (for  Sakkarah)  . . 

Zowyeh   

Benisooe'f  

Feshun   

Maghagha  

Aboo  Girgeh   

Golosaneh  

Minieh   

Benihassan   

Khoda   

Mellawee  

Hadji  Kandeel  (for  Tel  el 

Amarna)   

Gebel  Aboo  Faydah 

Manfaloot   

Asyoot   

Abooteeg  

Gow  el  Kebeer  

Tahtah   

Sooha'g 

Mensheeyah   

Girgeh   

Bellianeh  (for  Abydos)   . . 

Farshoot   

How  and  Kasr  es  Syad  . . 
Keneh  (for  Denderah) 

Neggadeh  

Luxor  (Thebes)  


Miles. 


15 

Aft 

18 

19 

1  A 
J4 

15J 

12J 

22^ 

156* 

34i 

11 

6 

7 

17 

Hi 

26 

-  93 

15 

m 

26 

11 

13 

8 

18| 
8 

29± 

22J 

22 

200J 

450 


After  passing  the  palaces  of  Kasr  en 
Nil  and  Kasr  el  Amee;  the  island  of 
Ehoda,  and  Old  Cairo,  to  the  1.,  and 
the  palaces  of  Gezeereh  and  Geezeh, 
and  the  village  of  the  latter  name  on 
the  rt.j  you  may  be  said  to  enter  the 
Saeed.  About  1^  m.  beyond  the  old 
capital  and  the  mounds  of  the  still 
older  Babylon  is  the  picturesque  mosk 
of  Attar  en  Nebbee,  situated  on  a  pro- 
jecting point  of  the  eastern  bank,  at 
the  end  of  an  avenue  of  fine  trees.  Its 
name  is  derived  from  an  impression  of 
" the  prophet's  footstep"  said  to  be 
preserved  there.  Some,  however,  derive 
Attar  from  Athor,  the  Egyptian  Venus. 
A  short  distance  inland,  to  the  east- 
ward, is  a  ruin  of  late  time,  at  the 
southern  extremity  of  a  low  ridge  of 
hills,  which  has  received  the  not  un- 
common name  of  Stabl  Antar.  Here 
is  a  powder-magazine  ;  and  on  the  low 
ground  beyond  it  to  the  E.  are  the 
remains  of  an  aqueduct  of  Arab  con- 
struction. A  long  reach  of  the  Nile 
extends  from  Attar  en  Nebbee  to  the 
village  of  ed  Dayr,  "  the  convent,"  in- 
habited by  Copt  Christians ;  and  in- 
land to  the  E.  is  the  village  of  Bussa- 
teen  once  famed  for  its  "  gardens," 
whence  its  name.  Near  it  is  the 
burial-ground  of  the  Jews,  in  the 
sandy  plain  below  the  limestone  hills 
of  the  Mokattam.  That  range  is  here 
rent  assunder  by  a  broad  valley  called 
Bahr  -  bela  -  me,  "the  Biver  without 
Water,"  which  comes  down  from  the 
eastward,  and  measures  to  its  head 
Q  2 


340 


EOFTE  18.  CAIRO  TO  THEBES. 


Sect.  III. 


about  8  in.  It  separates  that  part  I 
called  Gebel  ej  Jooshee  from  the  rest  j 
of  the  Mokattani  range. 

The  name  Bahr-bela-me  (or  -ma)  is  j 
applied  to  several  broad  deep  valleys,  j 
both  in  the  eastern  and  western  deserts, 
the  most  noted  of  which  lies  beyond 
the  Natron  lakes. 

One  of  the  Suez  roads,  called  Derb 
et  Tarabeen.  passes  over  this  part  of 
the  Mokattam,  and  comes  down  to 
the  Nile  by  this  valley  to  the  village 
of  Bussateen ;  and  immediately  above 
the  brow  of  the  cliff  on  its  N.  side  is 
the  plain  of  petrified  wood  already 
mentioned,  as  well  as  an  ancient  road 
that  led  from  Heliopolis  over  the  hills 
to  this  part  of  the  country.  (See 
Sect.  ii.  Desceipt.  of  Cairo,  Excur- 
sion iii.) 

On  the  rt.  the  majestic  pyramids 
seem  to  watch  the  departure  of  the 
traveller  when  he  quits  the  capital,  as 
they  welcomed  his  approach  from  the 
Delta:  and  those  of  Abooseer,  Sakkarah 
and  Dashoor,  in  succession,  present 
themselves  to  his  view,  and  mark  the 
progress  of  his  journey. 

(E.)  A  little  below  Toora,  on  the 
E.  bank,  are  some  low  mounds  of 
earth,  probably  ancient  walls  of  de- 
cayed crude  bricks,  belonging  to  an 
enclosure,  once  square,  but  now  partly 
carried  away  by  the  river ;  and  to  the 
E.  of  it  is  another  long  mound,  through 
which  a  passage  led  to  the  plain  behind. 
The  name  of  Toora  signifies  "  a  canal," 
but  it  is  more  likely  to  have  been 
originally  derived  from  that  of  the 
ancient  village  that  once  stood  near 
this  spot,  called  Troja,  or  Troicus 
pagus ;  the  conversion  of  an  old  name 
into  one  of  similar  sound  in  Arabic 
being  of  common  occurrence  in  modern 
Egypt. 

(2?.)  The  wall  stretching  across  the 
plain  to  the  hills,  and  the  fort  above, 
were  built  by  Ismail  Bey,  whose  name 
they  bear.  On  the  recovery  of  Egypt 
by  the  Turks  under  Hassan  Pasha, 
in  1837,  Ismail  Bey  was  appointed 
Sheykh-Beled  of  Cairo;  and  Murad, 
with  the  other  Memlook  Beys,  being 
confined  to  Upper  Egypt,  this  wall 
was  erected  to  prevent  their  approach 
to  the  capital.    But  Ismail  Bey  dying 


of  the  plague  in  1790,  Ibrahim  and 
Murad  shared  Upper  and  Lower  Egypt 
between  them  till  the  French  invasion. 

A  short  distance  to  the  S.  of  the  fort, 
on  the  top  of  the  same  range  of  hills, 
are  the  ruins  of  an  old  convent,  called 
Dayr  el  Bughleh,  which  is  mentioned 
by  Arab  writers,  and  was  discovered 
by  Linant-Bey. 

(E.)  El  Masarah,  or  Toora  Masara, 
about  If  m.  further  to  the  S.,  claims, 
with  Toora,  the  honour  of  marking 
the  real  site  of  the  Tro'icns  pagus, 
which,  according  to  Strabo.  stood  near 
to  the  river  and  the  quarries.  Strabo 
and  Diodorus  both  report  that  it  was 
built  and  named  after  the  Trojan  cap- 
tives of  Menelaus,  with  what  proba- 
bility it  is  difficult  now  to  decide ;  and 
some  ancient  Egyptian  name  of  similar 
sound  is  as  likely  to  have  been  changed 
by  the  Greeks  and  Bon.ans  into  Troja, 
as  by  the  modern  Arabs  into  Tooia. 
The  mountain  to   the   eastward  is 
evidently  the  Troici  lapidis  mons,  or 
Tpcoiicov  opos  of  Ptolen.y  and  Strabo. 
and  from  it  was  taken  the  stone  used 
in  the  casing  of  the  pyramids.  It  is  to 
the  same  mountain  that  Herodotus 
and   Diodorus  allude  vhm  they  say 
the  stone  for  building  the  great  pyra- 
mid came   "from   Alalia,"   or  the 
J  eastern  side  of  the  Nile, 
j     The  quarries  are  <  f  great  extent ; 
1  and  that  they  were  worked  from  a 
i  very  remote  period  is  evident  from  the 
!  hieroglyphic  tables,  and  the  names  of 
i  kings  inscribed  within  them.  Those 
•to  ihe  N.,  to  which  a  railway  has  been 
I  laid  down,  are  sometimes  distinguished 
|  by  the  name  of  the  quarries  of  Toora ; 
j  those  to  the  S.,  of  Masarah.    At  the 
I  former  are  tablets  bearing  the  names  of 
i  Amun-m-he,  of  Amunoph  II.  and  III., 
'and  of  Neco;  at  the  latter  are  those 
'  of  Ames,  Amyitaeus,  Acoris  (Hakori), 
and  Ptolemy  Philadtl]  hus,  with  Ar- 
1  sinoe ;   and  other  tablets  have  the 
J  figures  of  deities,  as  Athor  and  Thoth, 
'  and  the  triad  of  Thebes — Amun,  Maut, 
and  Khonso — without  royal  ovals.  In 
:  one  of  those  at  the  quarries  of  Masarah. 
sculptured  in  the  22nd  year  of  Ann  s 
or  Amos;s,  the  leader  of  the  XVIIith 
dynasty,  is  the   representation  of  a 


ROUTE   18.  QUARRIES  OF  TOORAK-MASARAH. 


341 


sledge  bearing  a  block  of  stone  drawn  i 
by  0'  oxen.    The  hieroglyphic  inscrip- 
t  on  above  it  is  much  defaced ;  but  in 
the  legible*  portion,  besides  the  titles  of , 
the  king  and  queen,  "  beloved  of  Phtah  \ 
ami  Atmoo  "  (Atum),  we  find  that  in 
his  22nd  year  Ames  took  stones  from 
these  quarries  both  for  the  temple  of  j 
Phtah  at  Memphis,  and  for  the  temple  j 
of  Aniun  at  Thebes  ;  showing  that  he  i 
ruled  both  Upper  and  Lower  Egypt,  | 
In  another  quarry  towards  the  S.  is  a 
large  tablet,  representing  king  Amyr-  j 
tarns  (ur,  as  some  suppose  him  to  be,  } 
Xectanebo)  offering  to  the  triad  of  the 
place,  Thoth,  the  goddess  Nehiineou,  j 
and  Horus  (Nofre-Hor,  "the  lord  of 
the  land  of  Bahet "),  and  below  the 
king  stands  a  small  figure  in  the  act 
of  cutting  the  stone  with  a  chisel  and 
mallet.  Besides  the  hieroglyphic  ovals 
of  the  kings,  are  numerous  inscriptions  \ 
enchorial,  particularly  in  the  southern  ■ 
quarries,  with  numbers  and  quarry-  i 
marks ;  and  here  and  there  the  encho-  j 
rial  inscriptions  begin  with  the  year  | 
and  m  >nth  <  if  the  king's  reign  in  which 
that  part  of  the  quarry  was  commenced. 

The  quarries  are  not  only  interesting 
from  Their  extent  and  antiquity,  but 
from  their  showing  how  the  Egyptian 
masons  cut  the  stone.  They  first  began 
by  a  trench  or  groove  round  a  square 
space  on  the  smooth  perpendicular  face 
of  the  rock ;  and  having  pierced  a 
horizontal  shaft  to  a  certain  distance, 
by  cutting  away  the  centre  of  the 
square,  they  made  a   succession  of 
similar  shafts  on  the  same  level;  after 
which  they  extended  the  work  down- 
wards in  the  form  of  steps,  removing 
each  tier  of  stones  as  they  went  on  till 
they  reached  the  lowest  part  m  in- 
tended floor  of  the  quarry.  Sometimes 
they  began  by  an  oblong  shaft,  which 
they  cut  downwards  to  the  depth  of 
one  stone's  length  ;  and  they  then  con- 
tinued horizontally  in  steps,  each  of ! 
thes  •  forming  as  usual  a  standing-place  ' 
while  they  cut  away  the  row  above  it.  i 
A  similar  process  was  adopted  on  the  j 
opposite  side  of  the  quarry,  till  at 
length  two  perpendicular  walls  were  j 
left,  which  constituted  its  extent ;  and 
here  again  new  openings  were  made.  | 
and  another  chamber,  connected  with  ; 


the  first  one,  was  formed  in  the  same 
manner ;  pillars  of  rock  being  left  here 
and  there  to  support  the  roof.  These 
communications  of  one  quarry,  or 
chamber  of  a  quarry,  with  the  other, 
are  frequently  observable  in  the  moun- 
tains of  Masarah,  where  they  follow  in 
uninterrupted  succession  for  a  con- 
siderable distance ;  and  in  no  part  of 
Egypt  is  the  method  of  quarrying  more 
clearly  shown.  The  lines  traced  on 
the  roof,  marking  the  size  and  division 
of  each  set  of  blocks,  were  probably 
intended  to  show  the  number  hewn  by 
particular  workmen.  Instances  of  this 
occur  in  other  places,  from  which  we 
may  infer  that,  in  cases  where  the 
masons  worked  for  hire,  this  account 
of  the  number  of  stones  they  had  cut 
served  to  prove  their  claims  for  pay- 
ment; and  when  condemned  as  a 
punishment  to  the  quarries,  it  was  in 
like  manner  a  record  of  the  progress 
of  their  task  —  criminals  being  fre- 
quently obliged  to  hew  a  fixed  number 
of  stones  according  to  their  offence. 
The  mountain  of  Masarah  still  con- 
tinues to  supply  stone  for  the  use  of 
the  metropolis,  as  it  once  did  for 
Memphis  and  its  vicinity ;  and  the 
floors  of  the  houses  of  Cairo  continue 
to  be  paved  with  flags  of  the  same 
magnesian  limestone  which  the  Egyp- 
tian masons  employed  iOOO  years  ago. 

The  occasional  views  over  the  plain, 
the  Nile,  and  the  several  pyramids  on 
the  low  Libyan  hills  beyond  the  river, 
which  appear  between  openings  in  the 
quarries  as  you  wander  through  them, 
have  a  curious  and  pleosing  effect  : 
and  on  looking  towards  the  village  of 
Masarah,  you  perceive  on  the  left  a 
causeway  or  inclined  ro<d.  leading  to- 
wards the  river,  by  which  the  stones 
were  probably  conveyed  to  the  Nile. 

(E.)  Helwdn,  a  village  on  the  E. 
bank,  is  known  as  having  been  the 
first  place  where  the  Arabs  made  a 
Nilo:ueter,  under  the  Caliphate  of  Abd 
el  Melek,  about  the  year  700  a.d.  It 
was  built  by  Abd  el  Azeez,  the  brother 
of  the  caliph ;  but  being  found  not  to 
answer  there,  a  new  one  was  made  by 
El  Weleed,  his  successor,  about  10 
years  afterwards,  at  the  Isle  of  Koda. 


342 


EOUTE  18.  CAIBO  TO  THEBES. 


Sect.  III. 


where  it  has  continued  ever  since. 
Part  of  the  pillar  of  this  Helwan 
Nilometer  was  found  near  the  village. 
Aboolfeda  speaks  of  Helwan  as  a  very- 
delightful  village,  and  it  was  perhaps 
from  this  that  it  obtained  its  name, 
liel toa  signifying  "sweet;"  though,  as 
Norden  observes,  it  possesses  nothing 
more  to  recommend  it  on  this  score 
than  its  opposite  neighbour.  It  has, 
however,  some  remarkable  sulphur- 
springs,  which,  though  known  to  the 
peasantry,  were  not  brought  into 
general  notice  till  a  few  years  ago, 
since  which  time  they  have  been 
visited  both  by  Europeans  and  Turks, 
and  a  bath-house  with  a  plunging-bath 
has  been  built  at  one  of  the  springs  for 
the  accommodation  of  those  who  fre- 
quent them.  They  are  a  little  dis- 
tance from  the  village,  in  the  desert 
plain  between  it  and  the  hills,  and 
near  one  of  them  are  low  mounds 
abounding  in  fragments  of  a  common 
greenish  glass,  which  appears  to  have 
been  made  there  of  old,  and  is  fre- 
quently found  amidst  the  mounds  of 
Memphis.  The  water  is  clear  with  a 
slightly  salt  and  sulphurous  taste,  and 
issues  from  the  spring  at  a  temperature 
of  110°  Fahr.  In  its  composition  it 
resembles  that  of  Aix  in  Savoy,  and  is 
said  to  be  very  efficacious  in  all  cases 
in  which  sulphurous  waters  are  usually 
employed.  These  sulphur-springs  are 
probably  the  very  place  to  which  king 
Amenophis  sent  "the  leprous  and 
other  cureless  persons,  in  order  to 
separate  them  from  the  rest  of  the 
Egyptians,"  as  related  by  Mane!  ho. 
It  was  said  to  be  at  the  quarries  on 
the  E.  side  of  the  Nile ;  and  the  king 
may  have  had  the  double  motive  of 
curing  them,  and  of  profiting  by  the 
labour  of  those  who  were  able  to  work ; 
or  Josephus  may  have  misinterpreted 
the  statement  of  Manetho,  and  sug- 
gested their  labours  in  the  quarries, 
from  being  unacquainted  with  the 
springs  that  were  to  effect  their  cure. 

(W.)  Bedreshayn  (15  m.,  Eailway 
Stat.)  is  nearly  opposite  Helwan.  The 
village  is  a  little  way  from  the  bank ; 
and  a  short  distance  further  inland  may 
be  seen  the  mounds  of  Mitrahenny 


marking  the  site  of  Memphis,  with  the 
pyramids  of  Abooseer,  Sakkarah,  and 
Daskoor,  in  the  distance.  This  is  the 
best  point  on  the  river  from  which  to 
make  the  excursion  to  Sakkarah  (see 
Sect.  II.,  Desckipt.  op  Cairo,  Excur. 
vii.).  About  4  m.  farther  up  the  stream 
you  pa^s  Shobuk,  with  the  pyramids 
of  Dashdor  4  m.  inland  to  the  rt. ;  and 
Masghoon,  2  m.  to  the  westward  of 
which  is  El  Kafr,  a  small  village,  from 
which  one  of  the  principal  roads  leads 
to  the  Fyodm  across  the  desert.  The 
scenery  here  on  the  W.  bank  is  very 
iovely  in  the  winter  ;  glades  of  young 
bright-green  corn  run  up  into  groves  of 
beautiful  palms,  with  here  and  there  a 
splendid  sycamore-fig  filling  up  the 
open  spaces  in  the  landscape.  The 
sandbanks  in  this  part  of  the  river, 
beginning  indeed  from  a  little  way  S. 
of  Cairo,  will  be  found  covered  with 
wild-fowl  and  large  flocks  of  pelicans 
in  the  early  winter. 

(IT.)  In  this  neighbourhood,  pro- 
bably near  Dashdor,  were  "  the  city  of 
Acanthus,  the  temple  of  Osiris,  and 
the  grove  of  Thebaic  gum-producing 
Acanthus,"  mentioned  by  Strabo ; 
which  last  may  be  traced  in  the  many 
groves  of  that  tree  (the  sont.  or  AcaHa 
Nilotica)  which  still  grow  there  at  the 
edge  of  the  cultivated  land.  The  town 
of  Acanthus  was,  according  to  Dio- 
dorus,  120  stadia,  or  15  m.  p.,  from 
Memphis,  equal  to  13;}  or  nearly  14 
Eng.  nr.,  which,  if  correct,  would 
place  it  much  further  S.,  to  the  west- 
ward of  Kafr  el  Iyat,  though  it  is 
generally  suppose  d  to  have  stood  near 
JDashodr. 

( W.)  In  the  hills  near  El  Kafr  are 
some  small  tombs  not  worth  visiting. 

(  HP".)  On  the  same  bank,  and  near 
Kafr  el  Iyat  (Aiat),  at  the  extremity 
of  a  large  bend  of  the  river,  is  the  sup- 
posed  site  of  Menes'  Dyke  (see  Sect.  II., 
Descript.  of  Cairo,  Excur.  vii.,  c). 

(TT.)  At  Tahaneh,  about  lj  m.  from 
Kafr  el  Iyat,  and  near  the  edge  of  the 
desert,  are  mounds,  but  no  remains 
except  small  fragments  of  stone ;  and 
the  same  at  Babayt,  about  1  m.  N.N.W. 
from  Kafr  el  Iyat. 

Already,  before  reaching  Kafr  el 
Iyat,   are  descried  the  two  ruined 


Egypt 


ROUTE  18.  PYRAMID  OF  MAYDOOM. 


343 


pyramids  of  Lisht,  built  of  small  blqcks 
of  limestone,  which  were  probably  once 
covered  with  an  exterior  coating  of 
larger  stones. 

(  W.)  3  m.  to  the  N.W.  is  a  conical 
hill  resembling  a  pyramid.  It  is,  how- 
ever, merely  a  rock,  with  no  traces  of 
masonry ;  and  in  this  part  of  the  low 
Libyan  chain  are  a  great  abundance 
of  fossils,  particularly  oyster  -  shells, 
with  which  some  of  the  rocks  are  j 
densely  filled,  in  some  instances  re- 
taining their  glossy  mother-of-pearl 
surface. 

(E.)  Wady  Ghomyer  (or  El  Gho- 
meir)  opens  upon  the  Nile  at  Es  Suf 
on  the  E.  bank.  By  this  valley  runs 
the  southernmost  of  tue  roads  across 
the  desert  to  Suez. 

( W.)  About  4  m.  inland  from  Bigga 
is  the  pyramid,  of  Maydoom,  near  the 
village  of  that  name.  It  is  called  by 
the  Arabs  Haram  el  Keddb,  or  "  the 
False  Pyramid,"  from  the  idea  that  the 
nucleus  is  of  rock  built  round,  so  as  to 
give  the  shape  of  a  pyramid.  Whether 
this  is  so  or  not  it  is  impossible  to  say, 
as  the  pyramid  has  never  b>  en  opened ; 
but  there  is  enough  evidence  to  show 
that  it  was  the  most  carefully  con- 
structed pyramid  in  Egypt.  It  is  built 
in  stories  or  degrees,  the  triangular 
spaces  being  afterwards  filled  in  with 
a  triangular  mass  of  masonry  to  com- 
plete the  external  slope  of  the  pyramid : 
but  it  is  remarkable  that  the  parts 
against  which  this  was  placed  are 
smooth,  not  left  rough,  nor  in  steps; 
and  the  stones  of  the  triangular  part 
are  placed  very  irregularly,  except 
towards  the  outer  face,  where  the 
masonry  is  beautiful,  the  stones  being 
fitted  together  witii  great  precision. 
Some  of  them  in  the  triangular  part 
lie  nearly  at  the  complement  of  the 
exterior  angle,  and  not  horizontally,  as 
in  other  monumeuts.  It  has  been  con- 
jectured that  this  pyramid  was  built 
by  Senefroo,  the  predecessor  of  Cheops. 
All  round  it  are  the  remains  of  a  ne- 
cropolis belongiug  principally  to  that 
period.  In  the  most  southern  mastabuh 
two  statues,  now  in  the  Cairo  Museum, 
were  discovered  in  1872.  At  the  vd- 
lage  of  Maydoom  near  the  False 


Pyramid  are  the  mounds  of  an  ancient 
town;  and  also  at  Surf,  about  1  m.  to 
to  the  N.  The  canal,  which  runs  close 
by,  will  often  be  found  in  the  late 
winter  and  early  spring  covered  with 
wild-duck,  which  can  easily  be  got  at 
from  the  banks. 

(E.)  At  Atfeeyah  are  the  mounds  of 
Aphroditopolis,  or  the  city  of  Athor, 
the  Egyptian  Venus.  It  presents  no 
monuments ;  but  a  stone  with  the 
name  of  Ramesis  II.  has  been  found  in 
a  ruined  mosk :  it  may  be  well  to  re- 
mind those  who  are  particularly  in- 
terested in  the  discovery  of  monuments, 
that  an  occasional  visit  to  the  sites  of 
old  cities,  even  when  reputed  to 
have  no  remains,  may  be  repaid  by 
some  monument  accidentally  laid  open 
by  the  peasants  while  removing  the 
nitre  for  their  lands.  The  Coptic 
name  of  Aphroditopolis  is  Tpeh,  or 
Petphieh,  easily  converted  into  the 
modern  Arabic  Atfeeyah.  It  was  the 
capital  of  the  Aphroditopolite  nome, 
and  noted,  as  Strabo  tells  us,  for  the 
worship  of  a  white  cow,  the  emblem  of 
the  goddess. 

{E.)  Opposite  Zow'yeh,  at  the  N. 
corner  of  the  low  hills  overlooking  the 
Nile,  is  Broombel,  where  mounds  mark 
the  site  of  an  old  town,  probably  Ancy- 
ronpolis.  That  city  is  supposed  to 
have  owed  its  name  to  the  stone 
anchors  said  to  have  been  cut  in  the 
neighbouring  quarries. 

(TT.)  Zoutyeh  (40  m.)  appears  to  be 
Iseum,  in  the  Coptic  Naesi,  the  city  of 
Isis,  which  stood  near  the  canal  lead- 
ing to  Pousiri,  or  Nilopolis,  and  thence 
to  the  Crocodilopolite  nome.  This 
canal  on  the  N.,  with  part  of  the  pre- 
decessor of  the  Ba'ir  Yoosef  on  the  W., 
and  the  Nile  on  the  E.,  formed  the 
island  of  the  Heracleopolite  nome ; 
and  the  city  of  Hercules  was,  according 
to  Strabo,  towards  the  southern  extre- 
mity of  the  province,  of  which  it  was 
the  capital.  And  this  agrees  with  the 
position  of  Anasieh,  or  Om  el  Keeman, 
"  the  Mother  of  the  Mounds,"  as  it  is 
often  called  by  the  Arabs,  from  the 
lofty  mounds  of  the  old  city,  which  are 
seen  inland  about  12  m.  to  the  west 
ward  of  Benisooef. 


344 


ROUTE  18.  CAIRO  TO  THEBES. 


Sect,  III. 


(/?.)  Wasta  (Railway  Stat.)  close  to 
Zow'yeh.  This  is  the  junction  station 
for  the  Fyodm  There  is  one  train  a 
day  each  way,  leaving  Medeenet  el 
Fyoom  at  9.40  a.m.,  and  Wasta  on  its 
return  at  2.10  p.m.  This  last  departure 
however  is  very  uncertain,  as  the  train 
from  up  the  river  has  to  be  waited  for. 
It  takes  hr.  to  go  from  Wasta  by 
train  to  Medeeneh,  the  distance  being 
25  miles,  and  there  being  one  station 
on  the  way,  El  Edwah,  near  to  which 
at  the  proper  season  is  some  excellent 
shooting.    (See  Kte.  15). 

Nothing  of  interest  is  met  with  on 
the  Nile  between  Zow'yeh  and  Beni- 
soo  ef. 

(W.)  Tnland,  about  9  m.  to  the 
S  W.  of  the  former,  is  Abooseer,  the 
site  of  Busiris  or  Nilopolis,  in  Coptic 
Pousiri,  upon  the  canal  already  men- 
tioned, bounding  the  Heracleopolite 
nome  to  the  W.  The  position  of  the 
city  of  the  Nile,  at  a  distance  from  the 
river,  was  evidently  chosen  in  order  to 
oblige  th3  people  to  keep  the  canal  in 
proper  repair,  that  the  water  of  the 
sacred  stream  might  pass  freely  into 
the  interior,  and  reach  the  town,  where 
the  god  Nil  us  was  the  object  of  par- 
ticular veneration;  a  motive  which 
M.  de  Pauw  very  judiciously  assigns 
to  the  worship  of  the  crocodile  in 
towns  situated  far  from  the  river. 

(TF.)  Zaytoon  has  succeeded  to  an 
ancient  town  called  in  the  Coptic  Phan- 
nigoit.  It  was  in  the  district  of 
Poushin,  the  modern  Boosh,  which  is 
distant  about  3  m.  to  the  S.,  and  is 
marked  by  lofty  mounds.  It  is  re- 
markable that  Zaytoon,  signifying 
"olives,"  is  an  Arabic  translation  of 
the  old  name  Pha-fi-ni-goit,  '■  the  Place 
of  Olives,"  probably  given  it  to  show 
a  quality  of  the  land  winch  differed 
from  the  rest  of  the  Heracleopolite 
nome. 

(W)  Dallas,  about  a  mile  to  the 
S.W.  of  Zaytoon,  appears  to  be  the 
Tgol  (or  Tlog)  of  the  Copts;  and  at 
Shenoweeyah,  close  to  Boosh,  are 
mounds  of  an  ancient  town  whose 
name  is  unknown. 

(E.)  El  Marazee,  a  picturesque  vil- 
lage shortly  before  reaching  Boosh. 
Two  miles  from  it  is  a  Coptic  convent.  I 


(TF.)  Boosh  is  a  large  village  with 
about  600  inhabitants,  half  of  whom 
are  Copts ;  and  it  has  a  large  depot  ,of 
monks,  which  keeps  up  a  constant 
communication  with  the  convents  of 
St.  Anthony  and  St.  Paul,  in  the 
eastern  desert,  supplying  them  with 
all  they  require,  furnishing  them  occa- 
sionally with  fresh  monastic  recruits, 
and  superintending  the  regulations  of 
the  whole  corps  of  ascetics. 

(W.)  Benisooef  (IS  m.  Eailway  Stat., 
4  hrs.  by  train  from  Cairo,  and  4£ 
foom  Mmieh),  a  large  and  important 
town,  73  m.  from  Cairo.  It  is  the 
capital  of  the  province  of  the  same 
name,  and  the  residence  of  the  Mudeer 
or  governor.  Population  about  500  ). 
At  the  railway  station  are  a  telegraph 
office  and  a  post  office.  The  bazaar  is 
tolerably  well  supplied,  and  there  is  a 
weekly  market.  The  chief  industry 
is  the  manufacture  of  woollen  carpets 
and  coarse  linen  stuffs  for  the  fellaheen. 
In  the  time  of  Leo  Africanus  it  was 
fimous  for  its  linen  fabrics,  and  sup- 
plied the  whole  of  Egypt  with  flax, 
and  exported  great  quantities  to  Tunis 
and  other  parts  of  Barbary.  This 
industry  was  revived  by  Mohammed 
Ali,  who  built  a  manufactory  here  in 
ls26.  The  view  of  Benisooef  from  the 
river  is  rather  pretty :  the  banks  being 
well  covered  with  trees  and  presenting 
an  animating  appearance. 

Here  may  be  watched  the  ordinary 
scenes  common  to  all  the  large  towns 
on  the  Nile;  among  which  are  nume- 
rous boats  tied  to  the  shore— buffaloes 
standing  or  lying  in  the  water — women 
at  their  usual  morning  and  evening 
occupation  of  filling  water-jars  and 
washing  clothes — dogs  lying  in  holes 
they  have  scratched  in  the  cool  earth — 
and  beggars  importuning  each  newly- 
arrived  European  stranger  with  the 
odious  word  "  backsheesh." 

Though  the  idle  occupation  of  lying 
in  the  water  gives  no  very  exalted 
notion  of  the  utility  of  the  buffalo,  it 
is  justly  prized  for  many  very  useful 
qualities.  Being  hardier  and  stronger 
than  the  ox,  it  is  employed  in  its  place 
for  many  agricultural  purposes :  its 
milk,  too,  is  excellent,  and  makes  very 


Egypt. 


ROUTE  18.  BENISOOEF  BIBB  EH. 


345 


good  butter,  and  the  best  kishteh,  a  sort 
of  Devonshire  cream,  which  may  be 
ma  le  very  well  on  a  Nile  boat. 

From  Benisooe'f  is  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal routes  to  the  Fyoom  (see  Sect.  II.. 
Ete.  15);  and  the  brick  pyramid  of 
Illahodn,  at  its  N.E.  entrance,  may  be 
seen  from  the  town.  On  the  opposite 
bank  is  the  Wady  Byad,  by  which 
the  road  leads  to  the  monasteries  of 
St.  Antony  and  St.  Paul,  situated  in 
the  desert  near  the  Bed  Sea.  (See 
Ete.  17.) 

(E.)  The  village  of  Dayr  Byad,  in 
an  island  opposite  Benisooef,  so  called 
from  a  neighbouring  convent,  is  in- 
habited by  people  originally  of  the 
tribe  of  Beni-Wasel  Arabs. 

(E.)  Some  small  mounds,  called  Tel 
en  Nassara  and  Tel  et  Teen,  inland  on 
the  S.  of  the  island/ mark  the  site  of 
ancient  villages;  and  on  the  opposite 
bank  are  many  mounds  of  larger 
towns,  whose  ancient  names  are  un- 
known. 

(W.)  Isment,  between  2  and  3  m. 
S.  of  Benisooef,  on  the  river-side,  has 
mounds,  but  no  vestiges  of  ruins,  n  >r, 
indeed,  any  relic  of  antiquity,  except 
the  margin  of  a  well.  It  is  called 
Isment  el  Bahr  ("of  the  Bivcr"),  to 
distinguish  it  from  Isment  (miscalled 
Sidment)  eg  Gebel  ("  of  the  Mountain  "), 
which  stands  at  the  foot  of  the  hills 
separating  the  Fyoom  from  the  valley 
of  the  Nile.  This  name  cannot  fail  to 
call  to  mind  Ismendes,  and  may,  per- 
haps, be  the  Shbent  of  the  Coptic  list 
of  towns  in  this  district. 

(IT.)  Anasieh,  or  Urn  el  Ke'emin, 
"the  Mother  of  the  Mounds,"  the 
anci»  nt  city  of  Hercules,  lies  9  m. 
inland  from  Isment.  It  marks  the 
site  of  the  ancient  city  of  Hercules, 
Heracleopolis.  The  Coptic  name  of 
that  town,  Ehnes  or  Hnes,  is  readily 
traced  in  the  modem  Anasieh,  as  its 
position  by  the  lofty  mounds  on  which 
it  stands.  That  this  is  the  site  of 
Heracleopolis  there  is  no  question, 
though  the  Arabic  and  Coptic  names 
bear  no  resemblance  to  that  of  the 
deity,  Sem  or  Gom,  the  Egyptian 
Hercules.  It  was  here  that  the  ich- 
neumon, the  enemy  of  the  crocod.le, 


was  particularly  worshipped ;  and  the 
respect  paid  to  that  animal  by  the 
Heracleopolites,  the  immediate  neigh- 
bours of  the  Arsinoite  or  Crocodilo- 
polite  nome,  led,  m  late  times,  during 
the  rule  of  the  Eomans,  to  serious 
disputes,  which  terminated  in  blood- 
shed, and  made  the  contending  parties 
forget  the  respect  due  to  the  sacred 
monuments  of  their  adversaries.  And 
judging  from  what  Pliny  says  respect- 
the  injuries  done  to  the  famous  Laby- 
rinth, there  is  more  reason  to  attribute 
the  destruction  of  that  building  to 
the  superstitious  prejudices  of  the 
Heracleopolites  than  to  the  ordinary 
lavages  of  time. 

(W.)  At  Tanseh,  Brangeh,  Bibbeh, 
Sits,  and  other  places,  are  the  mounds 
of  old  towns,  with  whose  names  we 
are  unacquainted.  Pococke  supposes 
Brangeh  (or,  as  he  calls  it,  Beran- 
gieh)  to  be  Cynopolis ;  but  the  posi- 
tion of  that  town  was  farther  to  the  S. 

Bibbeh  (Ely.  Stat.),  a  rising  village 
which  has  succeeded  to  an  ancient 
town,  is  noted  for  a  Copt  convent, 
and  for  an  imaginary  Moslem  santon, 
thence  called  El  Bibbawee.  This 
holy  individual  is  the  offspring  of  a 
clever  artifice  of  the  Christians ;  who, 
to  secure  their  church  from  outrage 
during  the  disturbances  that  formerly 
took  place  in  Egypt,  gave  out  that  a 
Moslem  sheykh  presided  over  and  dwelt 
in  its  precincts;  and  the  priests  to 
this  day,  as  they  show  the  picture  of 
St.  George,  tell  them  a  heterodox  story 
of  his  exploits,  and  his  wars  against 
the  infidels.  The  name  of  infidel  is 
indefinite ;  it  may  satisfy  the  Moslem 
or  the  Christian,  according  to  his 
peculiar  application  of  the  word  -;  and 
the  "pious  fraud"  is  at  all  events  as 
true  as  the  scene  represented  by  the 
picture.  So  well  indeed  has  it  suc- 
ceeded, that  visits  are  frequently  paid 
by  the  passing  Moslem  to  the  sanc- 
tuary of  this  revered  personage;  he 
reads  the  Fat' ha  before  the  likeness  of 
a  man  (though  so  strictly  foi  bidden  by 
his  religion),  and  that  too  within  the 
walls  of  a  Christian  church;  and  he 
gladly  contributes  a  few  paras  for  the 
lamps  burnt  before  it,  with  the  full 
Q  3 


346 


ROUTE  18.  CAIRO  TO  THEBES. 


Sect.  III. 


persuasion  that  his  voyage  will  be 
prosperous,  through  the  good  offices  of 
the  saint.  But  while  the  priest  who 
receives  the  boon  tells  the  plausible 
tale  of  the  power  of  the  "  sheykh,"  the 
indifferent  spectator,  who  recognises 
the  usual  representation  of  St.  G<  orge 
and  the  Dragon,  may  smile  at  the 
credulity  and  the  ignorance  of  the 
donor.  The  conversion  of  St.  George 
into  a  Moslem  saint  may  appear 
strange  to  an  Englishman;  but  it  is 
found  to  be  far  less  difficult  to  deceive 
an  Egyptian  by  this  clumsy  imposition, 
than  to  persuade  a  Copt  Christian  that 
his  guard  an  saint,  with  the  same 
white  horse,  green  dragon,  and  other 
accessories,  holds  a  similar  tutelary 
post  in  England.  The  most  credulous, 
as  well  as  the  most  reasonable  Copt, 
immediately  rejects  this  statement  as 
a  glaring  impossibility ;  and  the  ques- 
tion, "What  can  our  St.  George  have 
to  do  with  England?"  might  perplex 
the  must  plausible,  or  the  most  pious, 
of  the  Crusaders. 

(E.)  Nearly  opposite  Bibb  eh  is 
Shekh  Aboo  Noor,  the  site  of  an  an- 
cient village  ;  and  beyond  Bibbeh  the 
pos.tions  of  some  old  towns  are  marked 
by  the  mounds  of  Sits,  Miniet  eg  Geer, 
and  Feshun. 

(W.)  Feshun  (19  m.  Ely.  Stat.)  The 
country  near  the  river-bank  is  very 
well  cultivated,  and  there  are  several 
nicely-kept  gardens  with  pomegranate 
trees,  palms,  tobacco,  and  a  variety  of 
shrubs  and  vegetables. 

A  little  higher  up  the  river,  on  the 
E.  bank,  behind  the  island  that  lies 
half-way  between  Feshun  and  el  Fent, 
is  el  Haybee,  or  Medeenet  eg  Gahil, 
where  some  remains  mark  the  site  of  a 
small  town  of  considerable  antiquity, 
whose  name  as  found  in  the  hiero- 
glyphics was  Isembheb.  They  consist 
of  crude-brick  walls  and  remains  of 
houses.  On  the  N.  side  is  a  large  mass 
of  building  of  some  height,  founded  on 
the  rock.  It  is  the  strongest  part  of 
the  defences  .  of  this  fortified  place, 
and  one  end  runs  out  upon  the  rocks 
to  the  N.W.,  following  the  irregular 
direction  of  the  river.  It  is  built  of 
smaller  brick,  and  between  every  4th 


course  are  layers  of  reeds,  serving  as 
bindeis.  Inland,  a  very  short  distance 
out  of  the  town,  is  an  isolated  square 
enclosure  surrounded  by  a  crude-brick 
wall;  and  in  the  centre  of  the  open 
space  it  encloses  is  a  grotto  or  cavern 
cut  in  the  rock,  probably  sepulchral,  a 
tomb  biing  also  found  between  this 
and  the  wall  of  the  town.  The  tombs 
are  probably  of  a  later  time  than  the 
buildings  themselves.  Near  the  water's 
edge  are  the  remains  of  a  stone  quay ; 
and  some  fragments  of  unsculptured 
blocks  are  met  with  in  different  places. 
This  place  affords  an  interesting  illus- 
tration of  the  old  Egyptian  mode  of 
fortification;  though  from  the  irre- 
gularity of  the  ground  it  does  not 
possess  all  the  usual  peculiarities  of 
their  system  of  defence.  Another 
remarkable  feature  in  the  ruins  at  el 
Haybee  is  the  style  of  the  bricks  in  its 
outer  walls,  which  have  2  hieroglyphic 
legends  stamped  upon  them,  sometimes 
one  containing  the  ovals  of  a  king, 
sometimes  another,  with  the  name  of 
"the  high-priest  of  Amun,  Pisham, 
deceased."  Pisham  .  was  one  of  the 
military  pontiffs,  recorded  at  Thebes, 
who  held  the  sceptre  immediately 
before  the  Sheshonks  of  the  21st  dy- 
nasty; and  who  were  probably  from 
Tanis.  Indeed  this  town  seems  to  be 
mentioned  in  the  same  legend.  Herr 
Brugsch  has  discovered  among  the 
inscriptions  the  name  of  Thothmes  III. 

( W.)  At  Mala teeah  are  other  mounds, 
and  at  the  S.W.  corner  of  Gebel  Sheykh 
Embarak  is  an  old  ruined  town,  long 
since  deserted,  which  affords  one  of 
many  proofs  that  the  Egyptians  availed 
themselves  of  similar  situations,  with 
the  double  view  of  saving  as  much 
arable  land  as  possible,  when  a  town 
could  be  placed  on  an  unproductive 
though  equally  convenient  spot,  and 
of  establishing  a  commanding  post  at 
the  passes  between  the  mountains  and 
the  Nile. 

(E.)  Gebel  Sheykh  Embarak  is  a 
lofty  table  mountain,  approaching  very 
close  to  the  river,  and  detached  from 
the  main  chain  of  the  Gebel  el  Bazam, 
which  stretches  far  inland  to  the  S.E. 

( W.)  MagMgha,  (14  m.  Ely.  Stat.). 


Egypt- 


ROUTE  18.  MAGHAGA  BEHNESA. 


347 


2  hrs.  by  train  from  Benisooe'f,  and  1\ 
from  Minieh.  This  is  one  of  the  most 
important  sugar-factory  stations  of  the 
Khedive,  and  an  immense  extent  of 
ground  in  the  neighbourhood  is  devoted 
to  the  cultivation  of  the  sugar-cane. 
A  branch  line  for  the  purpose  of  bring- 
ing the  cane  to  the  mills  extends  inland 
to  Abn-el-Wakf  and  Beni  Mazar,  but 
it  is  only  used  during  the  cane-harvest 
season.  The  sandbanks  above  Mag- 
hagha  are  a  favourite  resort  of  various 
kinds  of  water-birds.  A  little  above 
Maghagha  is  the  Hagar  es  Salam,  or 
"  Stone  of  Welfare,"  a  rock  in  the 
stream  near  the  shore,  so  called  from 
the  idea  of  the  boatmen,  "  that  a 
journey  down  the  Nile  cannot  be 
accounted  prosperous  until  after  they 
have  passed  it."  The  mountains  here 
recede  from  the  Nile  to  the  eastward ; 
and  at  Sharona  are  the  mounds  of 
an  ancient  town,  perhaps  Pseneros  or 
Shenero.  Pococke  supposes  it  to  be 
Musa  or  Muson.  The  sites  of  otlier 
towns  may  also  be  seen  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  river,  as  at  Aba,  3  or  4  m. 
inland,  and  at  Aboo-Girgeh  some  dis- 
tance to  the  S.  A  few  miles  above 
Sharona,  on  the  E.  bank,  is  Kom 
Ahmar,  "  the  Red  Mound,"  with  the 
remains  of  brick  and  masonry,  perhaps 
of  Muson,  and  a  few  rude  grottoes. 
To  the  E.  of  this  are  several  dog- 
mummy  pits,  and  the  vestiges  of  an 
ancient  village,  in  the  vicinity  of 
Hamatha. 

(TT.)  Aboo  Girgeli  (15£  m.),  a  large 
village  with  extensive  mounds,  situated 
in  a  rich  plain  about  2  m.  from  the 
Nile. 

About  7  m.  further  inland  is  Bdhnesa, 
the  ancient  Oxyrhinchus,  in  Coptic 
Pemge.  The  peculiar  worship  of  the 
Oxyrhinchus  fish  gave  rise  to  the 
Greek  name  of  this  city ;  and,  from  the 
form  of  its  "pointed  nose,"'  this  fish 
was  perhaps  the  Mizzeh  or  Mizdeh  of 
the  present  day,  which  may  be  traced 
in  the  Coptic  emge.  The  modem  name 
of  the  place  is  Bahnasa  or  Behnasa, 
in  which  some  have  endeavoured  to 
trace  that  of  the  Benni,  one  of  the 
many  fish  of  the  Nile,  conveniently 
transformed  into  the  oxyrhinchus  for 


an  etymological  purpose,  and,  it  is 
needless  to  say,  without  the  least 
shadow  of  reason. 

The  position  of  Behnesa  is  far  from 
being  advantageous  ;  the  Libyan  desert 
having  made  greater  encroachments 
there  than  in  any  part  of  ihe  valley. 
Downs  of  sand  overgrown  with  bushes 
extend  along  the  edge  of  its  cultivated 
land;  to  the  W.  of  which  is  a  sandy 
plain  of  great  extent,  with  a  gentle 
ascent,  towards  the  hills  of  the  Libyan 
chain ;  and  behind  these  is  a  dreary 
desert.  On  the  S.  side  are  some  mounds 
covered  with  sand,  on  which  stand 
several  sheykhs'  tombs;  and  others, 
consisting  of  broken  pottery  and  bricks, 
sufficiently  mark  the  site  of  a  large 
town,  whose  importance  is  proved  by 
the  many  granite  columns,  fragments 
of  cornices,  mouldings,  and  altars  that 
lie  scattered  about.  Little,  however, 
remains  of  its  early  monuments ;  and 
if  the  size  of  its  mounds  proclaims  its 
former  extent,  the  appearance  of  its 
modern  houses  and  the  limited  number 
of  three  mosks  show  its  fallen  con- 
dition. 

Like  other  towns,  Behnesa  boasts  a 
patron  saint.  He  is  called  et  Tak- 
rcory,  and  is  known  in  Arab  songs  and 
legendary  tales.  He  is  even  believed 
to  appear  occasionally  to  the  elect, 
outside  his  tomb,  accompanied  by  a 
numerous  retinue  of  horsemen,  but 
without  any  ostensible  object. 

There  are  said  to  be  some  caverns 
on  the  N.W.  side  of  the  town  filled 
with  water,  and  round  one  of  them  a 
row  of  columns. 

Behnesa  in  the  time  of  the  Mem- 
looks  enjoyed  considerable  importance, 
being  one  of  the  principal  towns  of 
modern  Egypt.  The  Bahr  Yoosef 
once  passed  through  the  centre ;  but 
the  eastern  portion  of  the  city  of 
Oxyrhinchus  is  no  lunger  part  of 
B.-hnesa,  and,  being  now  call.d  San- 
dofeh,  may  be  considered  a  distinct 
village.  At  the  period  of  the  Arab 
conquest  Be'hnesa  was  a  place  of  great 
importance,  and  of  such  strength  that, 
of  the  16,000  men  who  besieged  it, 
5000  are  said  to  have  perished  in  the 
assault.  The  account  of  this  conquest 
and  of  the  previous  history  of  the  city, 


348 


KOUTE  18. — CAIRO  TO  THEBES. 


Sect.  III. 


given  by  the  Arab  historian  Aboo 
Abdillahi  ben  Mohammed  el  Mukkari,  j 
is  more  like  fable  than  a  real  history. 

(W.)  Above  Aboo-Girgeh  are  el 
Kays,  Aboo-Azees,  and  other  places, 
whose  mounds  mark  the  positions  of 
old  towns.  El  Kays  (or  Gays),  the 
Kais  of  the  Copts,  which  is  laid  down 
in  Coptic  MSS.  between  Nikafar  and 
Oxyrkinchus,  is  the  ancient  Cynopolis, 
the  "  City  of  the  Dugs ;"  and  it  is 
worthy  of  remark,  that  one  of  the 
principal  repositories  of  dog-mummies 
is  found  on  the  opposite  bank,  in  the 
vicinity  of  Sheykh  Fodl.  It  was  not 
unusual  for  a  city  to  bnry  its  dead, 
as  well  as  its  sacred  animals,  on  Ihe 
opposite  side  of  the  Nile;  provided 
the  mountains  were  near  the  river,  or 
a  more  convenient  spot  offered  itself 
for  the  construction  of  catacombs  than 
in  ifs  own  vicinity ;  and  such  appears 
to  have  been  the  case  in  this  instance. 
There  is  reason  to  believe  that  one 
branch  of  the  Nile  has  been  stopped 
in  this  spot,  which  once  flowed  to  the 
W.  of  el  Kays;  and  this  would  accord 
with  the  position  of  Cynopolis,  in  an 
island,  according  to  Ptolemy,  and  ac- 
count for  the  statement  of  el  Mukkari 
that  el  Kays  was  on  the  E.  bank.  Co, 
which  Ptolemy  places  opposite  Cyno- 
polis, should  be  some  miles  inland  to 
the  W.  Beni-Mohammed-el-Kofodr  has 
succeeded  to  the  old  Nikafar  mentioned 
in  the  Coptic  MSS.  It  was  above  Kais ; 
but  another  town,  called  Tamma,  is 
placed  by  them  between  Cynopolis  and 
Oxyrhinchus. 

(R)  At  Sheykh  Fodl,  on  the  E. 
bank,  nearly  opposite  el  Kays,  are  the 
sites  of  two  small  temples.  In  the  low 
hills  to  the  S.E.,  and  about  2  m.  from 
the  river,  are  several  tombs  contain- 
ing dog-mummies ;  from  which  it  is 
evident  that  more  than  one  breed  was 
common  in  Egypt,  as  the  sculptures 
also  show.  Most  of  the  large  tombs 
belonged  to  individuals :  one  of  them 
with  8  square  pillars  is  called  el 
Keneeseh,  "  the  Church."  Some  of 
the  many  mummy-caves  are  only  small 
square  holes,  or  coffins  in  the  rock. 
On  the  way  to  them  from  the  village 
you  pass  over  an  open  space,  purposely 
levelled  for  a  considerable  distance ; 


and  here  and  there  are  oblong  coffins 
cut  in  the  surface  of  this  rocky  plain. 
Th-re  are  also  some  large  tombs,  to 
one  of  which  you  descend  by  8  steps ; 
and  as  the  Nile  water  percolates,  and 
rises  in  it  during  the  inundation  to  the 
height  of  at  least  H  ft.,  it  has  obtained 
the  name  of  Beer  Mareea  (or  Ber  Sitti 
Mariam),  "  Mary's  Well."  It  consists 
of  a  large  central  chamber,  7  paces  by 
4J,  with  4  recesses  on  each  side  and 
2  at  the  end,  each  containing  a  coffin 
cut  like  the  rest  of  it  in  the  rock.  It 
is  much  respected  by  the  Christians, 
who  still  bury  their  dead  in  a  mound 
in  the  vicinity. 

(E.)  In  the  hills  behind  Sheykh 
Hassan,  on  the  E.  bank,  are  extensive 
limestone-quarries.  Near  them  are 
some  crude-brick  remains,  with  broken 
pottery ;  and  in  a  chapel  or  niche  in 
the  rock  is  a  Christian  inscription.  A 
singular  isolated  ro^k  stands  in  the 
plain  behind  Nazlet  es  Sheykh  Has- 
san; and  similar  solitary  masses  of  rock, 
left  by  the  stone-cutters,  are  met  with 
to  the  S.,  with  other  quarries,  and  a 
few  small  tombs.  About  2  \  m.  to  the 
S.  of  Nezlet  es  Sheykh  Hassan  are  the 
vestiges  of  an  ancient  village;  and  in 
the  plain  within  the  mouth  of  the 
Wady  es  Serareeyah  are  an  old  station, 
or  fort,  built  of  crude  brick,  and  another 
village.  The  river  makes  a  consider- 
able bend  to  the  W.,  just  before  reaching 

(W.)  Goldsaneh  (12f  m.,Ely.  Stat.), 
a  large  village,  standing  on  mounds 
high  above  the  Nile.  The  river  has 
eaten  into  the  bank  here  very  c 
siderably,  and  stones  have  been  pi 
to  check  its  encroachments. 

(E.)  At  the  edge  of  the  low  rocky 
hills,  just  beyond  the  village  of  el 
Serareeyah,  are  the  remains  of  two 
ancient  towns  or  villages ;  and  a  little 
farther  to  the  S.  these  hills  recede  to 
the  S.E.,  and  form  the  northern  side 
of  the  Wady  ed  Dayr.  On  the  N.W.  of 
its  mouth  are  some  large  limestone 
quarries,  in  which  were  two  painted 
grotto  temples  dedicated  to  Athor,  and 
bearing  the  name  of  Menephtah,  the 
son  of  Barneses  II. 

The  custom  of  placing  quarries  and 
other  localities   under  the  ptculiar 


Egypt. 


ROUTE  18.  GEBEL  ET  TAYR. 


349 


protection  of  some  god  was  observed  • 
by  the  Egyptians  from  the  earliest  to 
the  latest  periods ;  the  quarries  of 
Toora-Masarah,  and  the  hills  of  the 
pyramids,  were  under  their  tutelary 
deity;  and  the  Latin  inscription  of 
Garacalla  at  Assooan  speaks  of  "  Jupi- 
ter-Ammon,  Cenubis,  and  Juno,  under 
whose  guardianship  the  hill  was 
placed,"  where  new  quarries  had  been 
opened. 

Bound  the  corner  of  the  rock,  out- 
side these  grottos,  king  Rameses  III.,  is 
represented  with  the  crocodile-headed  j 
god  Savak  and  Athor,  receiving  the 
honourable  distinction  of  "  president 
of  the  assemblies ;"  and  at  the  side  are 
two  large  ovals  of  the  same  Pharaoh. 
In  the  low  rocks  just  below  to  the  west- 
ward is  a  tomb,  consisting  of  3  small 
chambers,  without  sculptures. 

At  the  extreme  end  of  the  hills,  on 
the  S.  side  of  Wady  ed  Dayr,  are  ves- 
tiges of  a  small  town,  and  near  it  some 
tombs  and  quarried  rocks. 

A  ruined  wall  of  crude  brick  as- 
cends the  low  northern  extremity  of 
the  Gebel  et  Tayr ;  and  some  distance 
further  up  to  the  E.,  near  the  spot 
where  the  mountain  road  descends 
into  the  Wady  ed  Dayr,  about  E.S.E. 
from  the  convent,  is  a  bed  of  trap 
rock,  rarely  met  with  in  the  valley  of 
the  Nile.  The  wall  appears  again  at 
the  ravine  called  Wady  el  Agoos,  4 
or  5  m.  further  S. 

(W.)  Semalooi  lies  a  short  distance 
inland,  about  5  miles  S.  of  Goldsaneh. 
It  is  rather  a  large  village,  remark- 
able at  a  distance  for  a  tall  and  grace- 
ful minaret  rising  from  amidst  a  thick 
grove  of  palm-trees. 

(E.)  We  now  appioach  the  lofty 
and  precipitous  cliffs  of  Gebel  et  Tayr, 
which  rise  abruptly  from  "the  river  to 
a  height  of  several  hundred  feet.  On 
its  fiat  summit  stands  the  convent 
of  Sitteh  (Sittina)  Mariam  el  Adra, 
"  Our  Lady  Mary  the  Virgin,"  hence 
called  Dayr  el  Adra,  and  by  some 
Dayr  el  Bukkar,  '*  of  the  Pulley." 
It  is  inhabited  by  Copts,  who  fre- 
quently descend  the  face  of  the  rocks 
to  the  river,  and,  swimming  off  to  a 
passing  boat,  beg  for  charity  from 


the  traveller,  not  without  being  some- 
times roughly  handled  by  the  Arab 
boatmen.  The  importunity  of  land 
beggars  every  one  has  experienced  : 
but  these  water  mendicants  will  be 
found  not  inferior  to  any  of  the  fra- 
ternity ;  and  long  before  an  European's 
boat  comes  abreast  of  the  convent,  the 
cry  of  "ana  Christian  ya  Hawagha," 
u  I  am  a  Christian,  0  Hawagha,"  from 
the  water  announces  their  approach. 

The  easiest  way  of  reaching  the  con- 
vent is  to  land  at  the  bank  close  to  the 
N.  end  of  the  cliffs,  and  walk  up;  it  is 
only  a  short  distance,  and  is  worth 
doing,  if  time  is  not  valuable,  for  the 
sake  of  the  view  from  the  platform  out- 
side the  convent,  which  is  one  of  the 
most  striking  to  be  obtained  on  the 
Nile.  The  convent  itself  offers  no 
great  objects  of  interest.  Like  all  the 
Coptic  ''Da)rs"  in  Egypt,  it  is  a 
walled  village  with  a  church,  a  few 
monks,  and  a  few  lay  inhabitants,  men, 
women,  and  children.  The  church, 
which  is  under  ground,  is  curious. 
There  is  an  interesting  account  given 
of  a  visit  to  this  convent  in  '  Monas- 
teries of  the  Levant.' 

Gebel  et  Tayr,  "  the  Mountain  of 
the  Bird,"  has  a  strange  legendary  taie 
attached  to  it.  All  the  birds  of  the 
country  are  reported  to  assemble  an- 
nually at  this  mountain ;  and,  after 
having  selected  one  of  their  number 
to  remain  there  till  the  following  year, 
they  fly  away  into  Africa,  and  only 
return  to  release  their  comrade,  and 
substitute  another  in  his  place.  The 
story  is  probably  another  version  of 
that  mentioned  by  iElian,  who  speaks 
of  two  hawks  being  deputed  by  ti.e 
rest  of  the  winged  community  to  go  to 
,  certain  desert  islands  near  Libya,  for 
no  very  definite  purpose. 

(E.)  Between  3  and  4  m.  S.  of  the 
convent  is  the  Gisr  (or  Hayt)  el  Agoos, 
"  the  Dyke  (wall)  of  the  Old  Man,"  or 
rather  ''  Old  Woman,"  already  noticed. 
It  is  built  across  the  ravine,  which  is 
called  after  it  Wady  el  Agoos,  and 
is  evidently  intended  to  prevent  any 
approach  from  the  desert  into  the  val- 
ley of  the  Nile.  It  is  reported  to  have 
I  been  built  by  an  ancient  Egyptian 


350 


ROUTE  18.  CAIEO  TO  THEBES. 


Sect.  nr. 


queen,  whose  name  was  Delooka,  and 
to  have  extended  from  the  sea  to  As- 
sooan,  at  the  edge  of  the  cultivated 
land  on  either  bank,  and  many  vestiges 
of  it  may  be  seen  in  various  places. 
That  this  wall  was  raised  to  check  the 
incursions  of  those  robbers  par  excel- 
lence, the  Arabs  (for  the  deserts  were 
formerly,  as  now,  inhabited  by  similar 
wandering  tribes),  is  highly  probable; 
and  the  object  of  it  was  evidently  to 
prevent  an  ingress  from  that  quarter, 
since  it  extends  along  the  opening  of 
the  ravines,  and  is  not  carried  over  those 
cliffs  whose  faces  being  precipitous 
and  impassable  obviated  the  necessity 
of  its  continuation.  Diodorus  says 
that  Sesostris  "  erected  a  wall  along 
the  eastern  side  of  Egypt,  to  guard 
against  the  incursions  of  the  Syrians 
and  Arabs,  which  extended  from  Pe- 
lusium,  by  the  desert,  to  Heliopolis, 
being  in  length  1500  stadia "  (about 
173J  English  m.)  ;  and  it  is  not  im- 
probable that  the  Gisr  el  Agoos  may 
be  a  continuation  of  the  one  he  men- 
tions. But  the  observation  of  Vol- 
taire, "a'il  construisit  ce  mur  pour 
n'etre  point  vole,  c'est  une  grande 
presomption  qu'il  n'alla  pas  lui-meme 
voler  les  autres  nations,"  is  by  no 
means  just,  unless  the  fortified  sta- 
tions built  by  the  Eomans  in  the  de- 
sert for  the  same  purpose  are  proofs 
of  the  weakness  of  that  people.  The 
Arabs  might  plunder  the  peasant 
without  its  being  in  the  power  of  any 
one  to  foreses  or  prevent  their  ap- 
proach ;  and  every  one  acquainted 
with  the  habits  of  those  wanderers  is 
aware  of  the  inutility  of  pursuing 
them  in  an  arid  desert  with  an  armed 
force.  Besides,  a  precaution  of  this 
kind  obliged  them  to  resort  to  the 
towns  to  purchase  corn ;  and  thus  the 
construction  of  a  wall  had  the  double 
advantage  of  preventing  the  plunder 
of  the  peasant,  and  of  rendering  the 
Arabs  dependent  upon  Egypt  for  the 
supplies  necessity  forced  them  to  pur- 
chase ;  nor  did  the  Government  incur 
the  expense  of  paying  their  chiefs,  as 
at  the  present  day,  to  deter  them  from 
hostility. 

(E.)  At  the  Gisr  el  Agoos  are  the 
remains  of  an  ancient  village,  and  a 


|  few  grottoes ;  and  above  the  town  of 
Gebel  et  Tayr  are  other  grottoes. 

(E.)  Two  m.  beyond  this  is  the  site 
of  an  ancient  town,  now  called  Te'hneh. 
or  Te'hneh  oo  Mehneh.  Its  lofty  and 
extensive  mounds  lie  at  the  mouth  of 
Wady  Te'hneh,  §  m.  from  the  river, 
under  an  isolated  rocky  eminence  of 
the  eastern  chain  of  hills,  whose  pre- 
cipitous limestone  cliffs  overhang  the 
arable  land  that  separates  them  from 
the  Nile. 

Above  a  rough  grotto  in  the  lower 
part  of  the  rock,  about  J  m.  to  the 
S.  of  the  ancient  town,  is  a  Greek 
inscription  of  the  time  of  Ptolemy 
Epiphanes ;  which,  from  the  word 
Acoris  in  the  third  line,  appears  to 
indicate  the1  position  of  the  city  of 
that  name.  This,  however,  is  not 
certain.  Acoris,  the  individual  who 
put  up  the  dedication,  may  have  had 
the  same  name  without  its  proving 
anything  respecting  the  site  of  the 
city ;  and  the  position  of  Tehneh  does 
not  sufficiently  agree  with  that  of 
Acoris. 

The  inscription  is 

YnEPBA2IAE122nTOAEMAIOY 
©EOYEni$ANOY2MErAAOYhYX  APIS- 
TOY 

AKOPI2EPrEn2I2IAIMOXIAAI20TEI- 
PAI 

*'  For  the  welfare  of  King  Ptolemy,  the  God 
Epiphanes,  the  Great  Eucharistes,  Ae6ris  the 
Son  of  Ergeus,  to  lsis  Mochias,  Soteira  (the 
Saviour  Goddess)." 

On  one  side,  below  the  inscription, 
is  the  figure  of  a  goddess ;  on  the 
other  that  of  a  god,  probably  Osiris ; 
and  it  was  perhaps  intended  that  the 
king  should  be  introduced  in  the 
centre,  offering  to  the  two  seated 
deities. 

Above  this  is  a  flight  of  steps  cut  in 
the  rock,  leading  to  a  grotto,  which 
has  a  niche,  but  no  sculptures.  Fol- 
lowing the  path  to  the  S.,  along  the 
western  face  of  the  cliffs,  you  come  to 
a  tablet  of  Eameses  III.  receiving  the 
falchion  from  the  hand  of  the  croco- 
dile-headed god  Savak,  or  Savak-Be, 
in  the  presence  of  Amun ;  and  beyond 
this  is  a  large  oval,  the  noinen  of  the 
same  Pharaoh. 


Egypt 


ROUTE   18.  TEHNEH. 


351 


Eeturning  thence  to  the  S.  side  of 
the  isolated  rock  that  stands  above 
the  town,  you  perceive  at  the  upper 
part  of  it  two  figures  in  high  relief, 
each  holding  a  horse.  They  represent 
two  Eoman  emperors  (rather  than 
Castor  and  Pollux,  as  some  have  ima- 
gined), and  between  them  appears  to 
have  been  another  figure,  perhaps  of  a 
god. 

The  base  of  this  hill  is  perforated 
with  tombs,  some  of  which  have  Greek 
inscriptions,  with  the  names  of  their 
owners.  At  the  door  of  one  is  a 
Eoman  figure  standing  before  an  altar, 
who  holds  in  one  hand  some  twigs, 
and  apparently  presents  incense  wTith 
the  other.  Within  is  the  same  person 
and  his  son  before  four  gods,  but 
without  hieroglyphics  ;  and  the  archi- 
tecture of  the  grotto  is  more  Eoman 
than  Egyptian.  It  was  closed  as  usual 
with  folding-doors,  secured  by  a  bolt. 
There  is  also  a  figure  of  the  god 
Nilus  bringing  offerings  and  a  bull 
for  sacrifice. 

In  one  of  these  tombs  is  an  encho- 
rial inscription  much  defaced ;  and 
some  have  mouldings  and  ornamental 
devices  of  Eoman  time. 

Near  the  above-mentioned  grotto, 
and  below  the  isolated  rock  overhang- 
ing the  town,  is  a  niche  of  Eoman 
time,  with  the  remains  of  a  mutilated 
figure  in  relief  within  it ;  and  on 
either  side  of  it  is  this  Greek  inscrip- 
tion,— 

TPAMMMATA  AXPHMATI2T02  E22H, 

— which  shows  that  people  made  mis- 
takes in  orthography  in  those  times 
as  at  the  present  day.  About  760  ft. 
to  the  S.  of  this  isolated  rock  are 
other  grottoes ;  then  a  small  quarry 
at  the  point  of  the  hill ;  turning  round 
which  to  the  rt.,  you  enter  a  ravine, 
and  on  reaching  the  mountain  summit 
to  the  S.W.  you  come  to  some  curious 
trenches  and  workings  in  stone.  Dur- 
ing the  ascent  you  pass  some  crevices 
in  the  rock,  incrusted  with  a  thin  de- 
posit of  crystallised  carbonate  of  lime, 
here  and  there  assuming  a  stalactitic 
form;  numerous  fossils  may  also  be 
observed. 

The  trenches  at  the  top  of  the  hill 


are  curious,  from  their  showing  a  pe- 
culiar mode  of  opening  a  quarry,  and 
of  hewing  square  blocks  of  stone ;  an- 
other instance  of  which  is  met  with 
near  the  N.W.  angle  of  the  second 
pyramid  of  Geezeh.  They  began  by 
levelling  the  surface  of  the  rock  to 
the  extent  admitted  by  the  nature 
of  the  ground,  or  the  intended  size  of 
the  quarry,  and  this  space  they  sur- 
rounded by  a  deep  trench,  forming  a 
parallelogram ;  with  one  of  its  sides 
open,  to  facilitate  the  removal  of  the 
stones.  They  then  cut  other  parallel 
trenches  along  its  entire  length,  about 
7  or  8  ft.  apart,  and  others  at  right 
angles  to  them,  until  the  whole  was 
divided  into  squares.  The  blocks 
were  then  cut  off  according  to  their 
required  thickness.  One  of  the  quar- 
ries of  Tehneh  has  been  divided  in 
this  manner,  and  the  outer  trenches 
of  two  others  have  been  traced,  even 
to  the  depth  of  21  ft.  in  parts,  though 
their  direction  is  less  regular  than  in 
the  former.  In  this  the  trenches  are 
about  1J  and  2  ft.  broad,  and  the 
squares  measure  from  65  to  7  ft.  1  in. 
each  way ;  the  whole  length  of  the 
quarry  being  126  ft.  by  32  ft.  in 
breadth ;  and  so  conveniently  is  it 
placed,  that  the  stones,  when  sepa- 
rated from  the  rock,  were  rolled  down 
to  the  valley  beneath,  without  the 
trouble  of  carriage.  The  division  into 
squares  enabled  them  to  take  off  a 
succession  of  blocks  of  the  same  di- 
mensions ;  and  layer  after  layer  was 
removed,  according  to  the  depth  of 
the  quarry,  which  continued  to  be 
worked  downwards  as  long  as  the 
rock  remained  good.  Where  circular 
blocks  wTere  required  for  the  drums, 
bases,  or  capitals,  of  columns,  they 
had  only  to  round  off  the  corners ; 
and  this  was  evidently  done  in  some 
instances  at  the  quarry  of  Tehneh. 

On  the  summit  of  the  hills,  about 
500  ft.  to  the  S.  of  these  trenches,  the 
stone  has  been  quarried  to  a  great 
extent ;  and  about  100  ft.  from  the 
edge  of  the  cliffs  overhanging  the 
cultivated  land  are  some  chambers 
sunk  in  the  rock,  two  of  which  are 
coate  l  with  red  stucco.  One  of  these 
is  round,  and  measures  17  ft.  in  dia- 


352 


ROUTE  18.  CAIRO  TO  THEBES. 


Sect.  III. 


meter.  It  has  a  doorway  leading  into 
it,  from  a  staircase  communicating 
with  some  small  roi  >ms ;  and  on  one 
side  is  a  ledge  or  hollow,  as  if  in- 
tended for  a  water-wheel.  The  other 
is  square :  it  has  a  flight  of  7  steps 
leading  down  into  it  from  the  top, 
and  appears  to  have  been  a  reservoir 
to  hold  water  for  the  use  of  the  work- 
men. It  was  doubtless  filled  by- 
buckets  lowered  from  the  brow  of 
the  cliff  to  the  water  below,  which 
accounts  for  it  being  made  in  this 
spot,  close  to  the  precipitous  face  of  the 
hills,  which  rise  abruptly  to  the  height 
of  400  or  500  feet  above  the  plain. 
Indeed  it  is  evident  that  the  Nile 
formerly  ran  immediately  below  them, 
and  even  now,  during  the  inundation, 
it  rises  to  the  height  of  5  ft.  4  in.  at 
their  base,  covering  the  narrow  strip 
of  alluvial  soil  it  has  deposited  be- 
tween them  and  its  retiring  channel. 

On  the  S.  of  the  reservoir  is  an- 
other square  chamber,  like  all  the 
others,  cut  in  the  rock.  In  the  centre 
of  it  is  a  four-sided  isolated  mass, 
having  an  arched  door  or  opening  on 
each  face,  which  probably  once  sup- 
ported the  centre  of  the  roof;  for  they 
were  doubtless  all  covered  over ;  and 
on  the  S.  side  of  this  chamber  are 
two  niches,  and  another  on  the  E. 
Adjoining  its  S.W.  corner  is  a  square 
pit. 

The  story  of  the  300  ravens  that 
assemble  over  this  spot  every  year,  in 
the  month  of  Eebeeah-el-owel,  and, 
after  soaring  above  it  with  repeated 
cries,  fly  away  to  the  desert,  is  evi- 
dently another  version  of  the  tale  of 
Gebel  et  Tayr,  already  mentioned. 

(W.)  Inland,  on  the  opposite  bank, 
is  Taha,  or  Taha  el  Amoodayn,  in 
Coptic  Touho,  once  said  to  have  been 
a  large  place,  equal  in  size  to  Minieh. 
Its  mounds  still  mark  it  as  the  suc- 
cessor of  an  ancient  town,  as  well  as 
the  epithet  uel  amoodayn"  "of  the 
two  columns.  '"It  is  supposed  to  oc- 
cupy the  site  of  Theodosiou,  and  ap- 
pears from  some  Coptic  and  Arabic 
MSS.  to  have  been  distinguished  from 
a  village  of  the  same  name  beyond 
Oshmoonayn,  by  the  additional  title 
of  Mede&neh,  signifying  "  city." 


There  is  nothing  worth  noticing 
between  Tehneh  and  Minieh ;  but  in 
the  desert  behind  Dowadeeyah  on  the 
E.  bank  is  an  alabaster-quarry. 

(W.)  Minieh  (22J  m.,  Riy,  Stat..), 
a  large  and  important  town,  capital  of 
the  province  of  the  same  name,  and 
residence  of  the  Mude'er,  prettily  situ- 
ated on  the  1.  bank  of  the  river.  It  is 
about  160  m.  from  Cairo  by  water, 
and  150  by  rail.  There  is  a  post  and 
telegraph  office  in  the  town.  A  market 
is  held  every  Sunday.  The  first  sugar- 
factory  established  in  Egypt  was  built 
at  Minieh,  and  it  still  exists,  greatly 
enlarged  and  improved.  During  the 
cane-harvest,  and  when  the  mills  are 
in  full  activity,  the  town  presents  a 
busy  and  animated  appearance.  On 
the  river-bank  to  the  N.  of  the  factory 
is  a  palace  of  the  Khedive. 

Minieh  is  generally  styled  Miniet 
ebn  Khaseeb,  which  is  the  name  given 
it  by  Ebn  Said.  It  was  also  called 
Monieh,  and,  according  to  some,  Miniet 
ebn  Fusseel ;  and  they  pretend  that 
tradition  mentions  a  Greek  king  of 
the  place,  with  the  (Arabic)  name  of 
Kasim.  In  Coptic  it  is  called  Moone', 
or  TmOne,  and  in  the  Memphitic  dialect 
Thmone,  signifying  "  the  Abode."  It 
is  from  the  Mone,  "  Mansion,"  as 
Champollion  observes,  that  the  Arabic 
Minieh  or  Miniet  (by  abbreviation 
Mit),  so  frequently  applied  to  Egyptian 

:  villages,  has  been  derived. 

I  Leo  Africanus  says,  "Minieh,  on 
the  W.  bank  of  the  Nile,  is  a  very  neat 
town,  built  in  the  time  of  the  Mos- 
lems, by  Khaseeb,  who  was  appointed 
governor  under  the  caliphate  of  Bag- 
dad. It  abounds  in  every  kind  of 
fruit,  which,  though  sent  to  Cairo, 
cannot,  on  account  of  the  distance, 
arrive  fresh  in  that  city,  being  170  m. 
off.  It  boasts  many  handsome  build- 
ings, and  the  remains  of  ancient  Egyp- 
tian monuments.  The  inhabitants  are 
wealthy,  and  commercial  speculation 
induces  them  to  travel  even  as  far  as 
the  kingdom  of  Soodan." 

Over  the  doorway  of  a  mosque,  near 
the  river,  are  a  few  fragments  of  Ko- 
man-Greek  architecture.  Within  are 
several  granite  and  marble  columns, 


Egypt. 


ROUTE   18. —  MINIEH  ZOWYET   EL  MY1TEEN. 


353 


some  with  Corinthian  capitals ;  and 
the  devout  believe  that  water  flows 
spontaneously  every  Friday  from  one  of 
their  shafts,  for  the  benefit  of  the  faith- 
ful. A  sheykh's  tomb,  overshadowed 
by  a  sycamore-tree,  on  the  N.  side  of 
the  town,  near  the  spot  where  boats 
generally  moor,  has  a  picturesque  effect, 
and  the  numerous  figures  on  the  bank, 
am  I  boats  on  the  river,  make  up  a  pretty 
and  very  typical  picture  at'  Nile  river- 
bank  scenery.  Numerous  wild-fowl 
aud  other  aquatic  birds  frequent  the 
sandbanks  near  Minich. 

(E.~)  At  the  projecting  corner  of  the 
mountain  behind  EI  Bowarte,  on  the 
E.  bank,  are  the  remains  of  an  old 
town,  which  stands  on  either  side  of  a 
ravine.  Above  it  are  tombs,  which, 
like  the  houses,  are  built,  of  crude 
brick.  Judging  from  their  appearance,  j 
and  the  Coptic  characters  now  and 
then  met  with  on  the  stones,  they  are 
of  Christian  time.  But  the  town,  | 
though  inhabited  at  a  later  period  by  i 
Christians.,  succeeded,  like  most  of 
those  in  Egypt,  to  one  of  earlier  date  ; 
and  the  discovery  i  f  a  stone,  bearing 
part  of  the  name  and  figure  of  an 
ancient  king,  would  have  removed  all 
doubts  on  this  head,  if  any  had  really 
existed.  Mr.  Harris  also  found  the 
name  of  Amunoph  III.  on  a  stone  in 
these  ruins. 

The  Egyptians  invariably  built  a 
small  town,  or  fort,  on  the  ascent  of 
the  mountains  on  the  E.  bank,  wher- 
ever the  accessible  slope  of  the  hdls  j 
approa.htd  the  cultivated  plain,  and  1 
left  a  narrow  passage  between  it  and 
the  Nile ;  as  may  be  seen  at  Sheyfch 
Embarak.   Gebel  et  Tayr,  Te'hneh, 
Kom-Ahmar,    Isbayda,    and  several 
other  places ;  having  the  twofold  ob- 
ject of  guarding  these  passes  from  the 
Arabs  of  the  desert,  and  of  subatitu-  I 
ting  the  barren  rock,  as  a  foundation  | 
to  their  houses,  for  the  more  useful ! 
soil  of  the  arable  land. 

(E.)  Near  Sooadee  are  several  ex- 
tensive  sugar-plantations.  The  village 
has  probably  succeeded  to  the  site  of 
an  ancient  town.    It  has  mounds,  and  ! 
a  few  stones  of  old  buildings ;  and  | 


above,  at  the  corner  of  the  mountain, 
are  some  grottoes,  or  tombs,  in  the 
rock. 

(/?.)  Between  Sooadee  and  Zowyet 
el  Myitee'n.  is  the  small  village  of 
Neslet  ez  Zowyeh,  and  to  the  S.  of  it 
are  vestiges  of  an  ancient  village,  with 
a  small  fortress  of  rectangular  shape  on 
the  N.  side  of  the  ancient  village.  To 
the  N.  and  N.E.  of  Neslet  ez  Zowyeh 
are  extensive  quarries,  extending  also 
between  two  hills,  on  on  each  side  of 
the  ravine  that  sep. nates  them.  In 
one  are  remains  of  mouldings  painted 
over  a  niche  of  Christian  time,  the 
pilasters  having  rude  capitals.  The 
rock  is  nummulite. 

(E.)  Ti  e  modern  cemetery  of  Mi- 
nieh  is  at  Zowyet  el  Myitee'n,  on  the 
eastern  bank,  between  Sooadee  and 
Kom-Ahmar.  Thrice  every  year  they 
pay  a  visit  of  ceremony  to  the  tombs, 
in  the  months  of  bhowal  ('Eed  es  Sog- 
heiyer),  of  Zulhag  ('Eed  el  Kebee'r),  and 
Begeb.  The  visit  lasts  7  days;  the 
15th  of  the  month,  or  the  full  moon, 
being  the  principal  day.  The  mode 
of  ferrying  over  the  bodies  of  the  dead, 
accompanied  by  the  ululations  of  wo- 
men, and  the  choice  of  a  cemetery  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  cannot 
fail  to  call  to  mind  the  customs  of  the 
ancient  Egyptians ;  and  it  is  remark- 
able that  they  have  not  selected  a  spot 
immediately  in  front  of  the  town,  but 
have  preferred  one  near  the  tombs  of 
their  pagan  predecessors.  It  was  the 
old  Egyptian  custom  of  ferrying  over 
the  dead  that  gave  rise  to  the  fable  of 
Charon  and  the  Styx,  which  Diodoius 
very  consistently  traces  from  the  fune- 
ral ceremonks  of  Egypt. 

(E.)  About  2  m.  beyond  Sooadee 
are  some  old  limestone-quarries;  and 
at  Kom-Ahmar  are  tue  mounds  of  an 
ancient  town.  Its  name  signifies  the 
"  Bed  Mound,"  which  it  has  received 
from  the  quantity  of  pottery  that  lies 
scattered  over  it,  and  the  burnt  walls 
of  its  crude-brick  houses.  It  is  uncer- 
tain of  what  place  it  occupies  the  site. 
Some  have  supposed  it  to  be  Muson; 
but  it  is  possible  that  Alabastron  may 
have  stood  here. 

(E.)  A  short  distance  beyond  Kom 


354 


EOUTE  18.  CAIRO  TO  THEBES. 


Sect.  III. 


All  mar  is  Metdhara  ;  and  in  the  hills 
near  it  are  some  curious  sepulchral 
grottoes  with  names  of  old  kings,  and 
a  singular  instance  of  columns  sur- 
mounted by  capitals  in  the  form  of  the 
full-blown  lotus.  Anil  here  it  may  be 
well  to  observe  that  the  usual  bell- 
formed  capitals,  frequently  said  to 
represent  the  lotus,  are  taken  from  the 
papyrus. 

(E.)  The  caves  to  the  E.  of  Nesleh 
Metal iara  are  very  old;  and  from  the 
form  of  their  round  lintels  anpear  to  be 
of  the  IVth  or  Vlth  dynasty.  They 
have  be  en  occupied  by  the  early  Chris- 
tians, who  have  painted  the  Egyptian 
Tau,  or  sign  of  life,  in  lieu  of  the  cross, 
accompanied  by  the  words  EIc  ©EOc, 
Others  have  vestiges  of  Coptic  inscrip- 
tions. 

(IT'.)  At  Sharara,  on  the  W.  Bank, 
are  the  mounds  of  an  ancient  town. 
About  1  m.  beyond  Welad  Noayr.  on 
the  E.  bank,  are  some  grottoes,  with- 
out sculpture ;  and  2  m.  further,  the 
celebrated  grottoes  of  Beni  Hassan. 

(E.)  Beni  Hassan  (14J  m.).— The 
grottoes  or,  as  they  are  indiscriminately 
called,  tombs,  catacombs,  or  caves)  of 
Beni  Hassan  are  excavated  in  the  rock, 
at  the  side  of  the  hills  that  overhang 
the  valley  of  the  Nile.  The  bank  below, 
a  detritus  of  sand  and  gravel,  has  been 
cut  through  by  the  river,  which  for- 
merly encroached  on  this  side,  but 
which  has  again  retired  to  the  west- 
ward, to  the  great  inconvenience  of 
travellers,  who.  when  the  water  is  low, 
are  obliged  to  walk  nearly  two  miles 
from  the  nearest  point  their  dahabetah 
can  approach. 

The  Speos  Artemidos,  call,  d  by  the 
Arabs  Stabl  Antar,  is  about  3  m.  to 
the  S.  of  the  grottoes,  near  the  village 
of  Beni  Hassan,  and  the  best  way  in 
coming  down  ihe  river  is  to  stop  at  the 
village,  visit  the  Speos  first,  a' id  then 
walk  to  the  grottoes,  the  boat  being- 
sent  on  to  the  nearest  point  to  the 
last-named.  This  will  be  an  excursion 
of  8  or  7  hours.  The  Speos  may,  how- 
ever, without  any  great  loss  be  omitted 
from  the  programme,  and  a  long  and 
wearisome  walk  saved.    It  niav  be  well 


to  repeat  here  the  advice  already  given 
to  those  travellers  who  are  intending 
to  do  the  voyage  up  and  down  the  Nile 
within  a  certain  time,  that  they  should 
not  stop  on  the  way  up  to  see  anything, 
unless  an  unfavourable  wind  prevents 
the  boat  making  any  progress,  and 
then  of  course  the  delay,  if  it  occurs 
near  anything  worth  seeing,  may  be 
utilised,  and  so  much  time  will  be 
saved  on  the  way  down.  As  a  rule, 
the  north  wind  blows  merrily  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Beni  Hassan,  and 
the  traveller,  sitting  on  the  deck  of  his 
boat  as  it  breasts  the  stream  on  its 
way  south,  will  content  himself  with  a 
view  through  his  glass  of  the  terrace 
of  tombs  in  the  wall-like  limestone 
range. 

The  ancient  approach  to  the  grot- 
toes of  Beni  Hassan  was  evidently 
from  t lie  westward ;  roads  of  consider- 
able breadth  lead  to  them,  up  the  slope 
of  the  hill  fiom  the  bank,  which  are 
readily  distinguished  by  the  stones 
ranging  on  either  side,  as  in  the  roads 
made  by  the  ancients  across  the  desert, 
and  before  some  of  the  tombs  of 
Thebes.  These  stones  consist  in  a 
great  measure  of  the  large  rounded 
boulders  which  abound  here ;  and 
which  are  not  met  with,  in  such  num- 
bers at  least,  in  any  other  part  of  the 
valley.  They  are  calcareous,  and  full 
of  shells,  containing  much  silex,  very 
htavy  and  hard,  and  externally  of  a 
dark-brown  colour. 

The  grottoes  are  cut  in  one  of  the 
strata,  which  was  found  to  be  best 
suited  for  such  excavations ;  and.  from 
the  subjects  and  hieroglyphics  on  the 
walls,  they  were  evidently  intended 
for  sepulchral  purposes.  The  variety 
of  the  scenes  represented  in  them  is 
particularly  interesting;  and  if  the 
style  and  proportions  of  the  figures  are 
not  equal  to  those  in  the  catacombs 
of  Thebes,  they  are  not  less  curious 
from  the  light  they  throw  on  the 
manners  and  customs  of  the  Egyptians. 
They  have  also  the  merit  of  being  of 
an  earlier  date  than  those  of  Thebes  ; 
and  in  the  elegant  chaste  style  of 
j  their  architecture  these  tombs  may  vie 
j  with  any  in  the  valley  of  the  Nile.  • 
I     The  northern  differ  considerably 


Egypt. 


ROUTE  18. — : 


BENI  HASSAN. 


355 


from  the  southern  grottoes,  though  so 
close  together  and  of  nearly  the  same 
date,  and  may,  perhaps,  be  thought  to 
excell  them  in  the  beauty  of  their 
plan,  as  in  the  simplicity  of  their  co- 
lumns, which  seem  to  be  the  proto- 
type of  the  Doric  shaft.  They  are 
polygons,  of  sixteen  sides,  each  slightly 
fluted,  except  the  inner  face,  which 
was  left  flat  for  the  purpose  of  intro- 
ducing a  line  of  hieroglyphics.  Each 
flute  is  8  in.  broad.  It  has  no  fillet ; 
and  the  deepest  part  of  the  groove  is 
barely  half  an  inch.    The  shaft  is  16  ft. 

in.  in  height,  and  of  5  ft.  diameter, 
with  a  very  trifling  decrease  of  thick- 
ness at  the  upper  end,  which  is  crowned 
by  an  abacus  scarcely  exceeding  in 
diameter  the  summit  of  the  column. 
The  ceiling  between  each  architrave, 
cut  in  imitation  of  a  vault,  has  the 
form  of  a  segment  of  a  circle ;  and  lias 
once  been  ornamented  with  various 
devices ;  the  four  pillars  being  so  ar- 
ranged as  to  divide  the  chamber  into 
a  central  nave  and  two  lateral  aisles. 

In  these,  as  in  all  the  excavated 
temples  and  grottoes  of  Egypt,  we 
have  decided  proofs  of  their  having 
been  imitations  of  buildings  ;  which 
is  contrary  to  the  opinion  of  some 
persons,  who  conclude  that  the  earliest 
were  excavations  in  the  rock,  and  that 
constructed  monuments  were  of  later 
date  in  Egypt.  But  independent  of 
our  finding  stone  buildings  existing 
in  the  country,  as  about  the  pyramids, 
of  the  same  early  date  as  the  oldest 
excavated  monuments,  we  have  a  proof 
of  these  last  having  imitated  in  their 
style  the  details  of  constructive  archi- 
tecture. Thus,  an  architrave  runs 
from  column  to  column ;  the  abacus 
(originally  a  separate  member)  is 
placed  between  the  shaft  and  the 
architrave,  neither  of  which  would  be 
necessary,  or  have  been  thought  of,  in 
mere  excavations  ;  and  so  obviously 
unnecessary  were  they,  that  in  later 
times  the  Egyptians  frequently  omit- 
ted both  the  abacus  and  the  archi- 
trave in  their  excavated  monuments, 
as  in  the  tombs  of  the  kings,  and 
several  grottoes,  at  Thebes.  But  this 
was  an  after-thought,  and  the  oldest 
excavated  monuments  have  the  imi- 


tated features  of  constructive  archi- 
tecture. And  following  out  the  same 
train  of  reasoning,  is  it  not  allowable 
to  suppose  that  the  vaulted  form  of 
the  ceilings  of  these  grottoes  of  Beni 
Hassan  were  an  imitation  of  the  arch? 
It  was  used,  if  not  in  temples,  at  least 
in  the  houses  and  tombs  of  the  Egyp- 
tians; for,  whatever  may  be  the  date 
of  stone  arches,  crude- brick  ones  have 
been  found  of  a  very  early  period. 

The  columns  in  the  southern  grottoes 
of  Beni  Hassan  are  also  of  the  earliest 
Egyptian  style,  though  very  different 
from  those  already  mentioned.  They 
represent  the  stalks  of  four  water- 
plants  bound  together,  and  surmounted 
by  a  capital  in  form  of  a  lotus  or  a 
papyrus-bud,  which  is  divided,  as  the 
shaft  itself,  into  four  projecting  lobes. 
The  transverse  section  of  these  grottoes 
is  very  elegant,  and  the  architrave 
resembles  a  depressed  pediment  ex- 
tending over  the  columns,  and  resting 
at  either  end  on  a  narrow  pilaster. 

All  the  caves  of  Beni  Hassan  are 
ornamented  with  coloured  figures,  or 
other  ornamental  devices:  and  the 
columns,  with  the  lower  part  of  the 
walls  in  the  northern  grottoes,  are 
stained  of  a  red  colour  to  resemble 
granite,  in  order  to  give  them  an  ap- 
pearance of  greater  solidity  and  splen- 
dour of  material.  Tin  se  imitations  of 
hard  stone  and  rare  wood  were  very 
commonly  practised  by  the  Egyptians, 
though  it  is  a  singular  fact  that  gra- 
nite, and  other  stone  used  in  their 
monuments,  are  very  often  coloured, 
and  could  not  then  be  distinguished. 
But  when  the  real  surface  of  the  gra- 
nite was  seen,  and  it  was  not  painted, 
the  hieroglyphics  were  of  one  uniform 
green,  or  bine,  colour.  The  walls  in 
the  grottoes  at  Beni  Hassan  have  been 
prepared  as  usual  for  receiving  the 
subjects  represented  upon  them  by 
overlaying  them  with  a  thin  coating 
of  lime,  the  parts  where  the  rock  was 
defective  having  been  filled  up  with 
mortar.  The  principal  part  of  the 
figures  and  the  hieroglyphics  were 
merely  painted ;  and  some  of  the 
latter,  in  a  long  series  of  perpendicular 
lines  round  the  lower  pait  of  the  walls 


356 


ROUTE  18.  CAIRO  TO  THEBES. 


Sect.  III". 


of  the  second  tomb,  are  merely  of  one 
uniform  green  colour,  as  on  granite. 

The  date  of  these  grotto-tombs  is  the 
beginning  of  the  Xllth  dynasty,  the 
names  of  Osirtasen  I.  and  II.  being 
found  in  them  ;  and  the  personages 
buried  in  them  were  state  function- 
aries, belonging  to  the  town  whose 
necropolis  was  situated  in  the^e  moun- 
tains. The  principle  of  their  con- 
struction and  decoration  is  th<-  same  as 
those  at  the  Pyramids  and  Sakkarah, 
— 1.  an  exterior  chamber,  which, 
built  inside  a  mastabah  there,  is  here 
hollowed  out  of  the  rock ;  2.  a  well, 
opening  from  the  centre  or  corner  of 
the  chamber  ;  and  3.  the  subterranean 
tomb  at  the  bottom  of  the  well,  con- 
taining the  sarcophagus  and  mummy. 
The  paintings  represent  scenes  in  the 
life  of  the  deceased;  they  are  in  fact 
a  sort  of  pictorial  biography,  and  the 
mystic  signs  and  divinities  common  to 
a  later  epoch  are  absent  here  as  at  the 
Pyramids  and  Sakkarah.  (See  further 
on  this  subject,  Sect.  II.,  Descbipt.  of 
Caiko,  Excur.  vii.,  h.) 

The  most  interesting  tombs  are  the 
two  northernmost  with  the  polygonal 
fluted  columns.  The  first  to  the  north 
is  that  of  Ame'ui-Ameuemha,  who,  ac- 
cording to  the  inscription  on  the  two 
sides  of  the  entrance  door,  was  an  in- 
fantry commander  in  the  reign  of 
Osirtasen  L,  with  whose  son  he  made 
a  campaign  against  the  Apoo,  and 
another  against  Ethiopia  :  he  was  after- 
wards made  governor  of  Sah,  and  by 
his  skilful  administration  of  the  pro- 
vince merited  and  obtained  the  appro- 
bation and  favour  of  his  sovereign. 

It  would  be  impossible  to  give  a 
detailed  description  of  the  scenes  de- 
picted in  this  and  the  other  tombs  ;  'and 
indeed  the  visitor  would  h  ive  some 
trouble,  without  lights  and  a  ladder,  in 
making  out  <my  of  those  above  the  line 
of  sight.  It  will  be  suffici  nt  to  in- 
dicate some  of  the  principal  incidents. 

In  the  tomb  of  Ame'ni-Amt  nemha 
are  represented  various  trades  :  water- 
ing the  flax,  and  its  employment  for 
the  manufacture  of  linen  cloth;  agri- 


cultural and  hunting  scenes ;  wrest- 
ling :  attacking  a  fort  under  cover  of 
thetestudo:  dancing;  and  the  presen- 
tation of  offerings  to  the  deceased, 
whose  life  and  occupations  are  also 
alluded  to.  In  one  place  scribes  register 
their  accounts ;  in  another  the  basti- 
nado is  inflicted  unsparingly  on  de- 
linquent servants  ;  nor  is  it  confined 
to  men  and  boys,  but  extended  to  the 
other  sex,  the  difference  being  in  the 
mode  of  administering  the  stripes. 
The  former  were  thrown  prostrate 
on  the  ground,  and  held  while  pun- 
ished; the  latter  sat,  and  were  beaten 
on  the  shoulders.  Here  cliasseurs 
transfix,  with  stone-tipped  arrows,  the 
wild  animals  of  the  desert,  and  the 
mountains  are  represented  by  the 
waved  line  that  forms  the  base  of  the 
picture.  Seme  are  engaged  in  drag- 
ging a  net  full  of  fish  to  the  shore, 
others  in  catching  geese  and  wild-fowl 
in  large  clapnets ;  in  another  part 
women  play  the  harp ;  and  some  are 
employed  in  kneading  paste  and  in 
making  bread. 

The  next  tomb  is  that  of  Noom-hotep, 
governor,  like  Ameni-Amenemha,  of 
the  province  of  Sah  in  the  reign  of 
Amenemha  II.  of  the  Xllth  dynasty. 
In  the  inscription  which  runs  round 
the  bottom  of  the  tomb  Noom-hotep 
recounts  the  history  of  his  life,  and 
tells  us  that  his  father,  mother,  and 
ancestors  lived  in  the  town  of  Menat- 
Khoofoo  (perhaps  Minieh).  The  style 
of  the  paintings  in  the  tomb  is  very 
superior  and  more  highly-finished  than 
in  the  other,  but  they  have  suffered 
sadly  from  the  hand  of  time  and  the 
idiotic  barbarity  of  travellers,  who 
seem  to  think  that  the  more  valuable 
the  monument  the  better  adapted  it 
is  for  writing  their  names  on.  It  is 
worthy  of  notice  that  the  feeding  of 
the  oryx  on  the  north  corner,  and  par- 
ticularly the  figure,  in  perspective, 
holding  one  of  the  animals  by  the 
horns,  are  divested  of  the  formality  of 
an  Egyptian  drawing ;  and  the  fish  on 
the  wall  opposite  the  entrance  are 
admirably  executed.  It  is  remarkable 
that  the  phagrus,  or  eel,  is  there  intro- 
duced, and  apparently  the  two  other 


ROUTE  18.  BEN  I  HASSAN. 


357 


sacred  fish,  the  oxyrhinchus  and  lepi- 
dotus. 

On  the  upper  part  of  the  N.  wall  is 
a  very  curious  scene,  unfortunately 
fast  disappearing.  Noorn-hotep  is 
depicted  standing  with  his  favourite 
dogs  beside  him,  and  towards  him 
is  advancing  a  procession  which  was 
at  one  time  supposed  to  represent 
the  arrival  of  Joseph's  brtthren  in 
Egypt ;  but  the  date  at  which  the 
tombs  were  excavated,  several  cen- 
turies before  the  age  of  Joseph,  and 
the  name  and  number  written  over  the 
people,  show  the  incorrectness  of  this 
idea. 

The  first  figure  is  an  Egyptian 
scribe,  who  presents  an  account  of  the 
arrival  of  the  strangers  to  his  master 
Noom-hotep.  The  next,  also  an  Egyp- 
tian, ushers  them  into  his  presence  ; 
and  two  advance,  bringing  presents, 
consi&t'ng  of  an  ibex  or  wild-goat,  and 
a  gazelle, — the  productions  of  their 
country,  or  caught  on  the  way.  Eour 
men,  carrying  bows  and  clubs,  follow, 
leading  an  ass,  on  which  two  children 
are  placed  in  panniers,  accompanied 
by  a  boy  and  four  women ;  and  last  of 
all,  another  ass  laden,  and  two  men, 
one  holding  a  bow  and  club,  the  other 
a  lyre,  which  he  plays  with  the  plec- 
trum. All  the  men  have  aquiline 
noses,  and  pointed  black  beards.  The 
wearing  a  beard  was  contrary  to  the 
custom  of  the  Egyptians,  but  very 
general  in  the  East  at  that  period, 
and  noticed  as  a  peculiarity  of  foreign 
uncivilised  nations  throughout  their 
sculptures.  The  men  have  sandals, 
the  women  a  sort  of  boot  reaching  to 
t;.e  ankle,  both  which  were  worn  by 
n.any  Asiatic  people,  as  well  as  by  the 
Greeks  and  the  people  of  Etruria. 

The  number  of  these  strangers  is 
37,  and  their  name  Amoo.    The  inter- 
est of  this  picture  lies  in  the  fact  that 
it  represents  the  most  ancient  known  j 
immigration  of  Asiatic   tribes    into  j 
Egypt.     According  to  M.  Mariette,  j 
Amoo  signifies  "  shepherd,"  or  "  cow-  j 
herd,"  and  was  the  generic  name  of ' 
the  Syro-Aramaic  races,  who  subse- ! 
quently  peopled  the  eastern  part  of 
the  Delta,  and  perhaps  were,  with  the  ! 


Israelites,  the  Shepherds,  cr  Hyksoe 
of  Manetho. 

Two  of  the  southern  grottoes  are 
particularly  worthy  of  mention.  The 
first  of  tht  m  contains  the  usual  hunt- 
ing scene ;  but  here  the  name  of  each 
animal  is  written  above  it  in  hiero- 
glyphics ;  and  below  are  the  birds  of 
the  country,  distinguished  in  like 
manner  by  their  Egyptian  name.  In 
one  part  women  are  performing  feats 
of  agility  :  and  various  modes  of  play- 
ing at  ball,  throwing  up  and  catching 
3  in  succession,  and  other  diversifica- 
tions of  the  game,  are  represented 
amongst  their  favourite  amusements. 
In  another  part  is  a  subject  repre- 
senting a  barber  shaving  a  customer  ; 
Their  numerous  occupations  are  here 
pointed  out  by  the  introduction  of 
the  most  common  trades;  among 
which  the  most  remarkable  are 
glassblowers,  goldsmiths,  statuaries, 
painters,  workers  in  flax,  and  pofters; 
and  the  circumstance  of  the  cattle 
being  tended  by  decrepit  herdsmen 
serves  to  show  in  what  low  estimation 
this  class  of  people  was  held  by  the 
Egyptians.  On  the  eastern  wall  are 
wrestlers  in  various  attitudes  ;  and  to 
distinguish  more  readily  the  action  of 
each  combatant,  the  artist  has  availed 
himself  of  a  dark  and  a  light  colour; 
one  being  painted  red,  the  other 
black:  and  indeed,  in  the  figures 
throughout  these  tombs,  the  direction 
of  the  arms  when  crossing  the  body 
is  in  like  manner  denoted  by  a  differ- 
ent colour,  or  by  a  lighter  outline. 
On  the  southern  wall  some  peasants 
are  sentenced  to  the  bastinado,  and  a 
woman  is  subjected  to  the  same  mode 
of  correction.  In  the&e  the  figures 
are  smaller  than  in  the  northern 
grottoes,  and  their  style  and  propor- 
tions are  very  inferior. 

The  next  tomb  but  one  is  a  oopy 
of  that  just  mentioned ;  but  the  figures 
are  very  badly  executed.  In  addition 
to  the  other  subjects  common  to  them 
both,  we  find  men  playing  chess  (or 
rather  draughts),  some  curious  bird- 
traps,  and  on  the  S.  wall  a  square  of 
magazines  with  circular  roofs,  which 
appear  to  point  out  the  existence  of 


358 


ROUTE   18.  CAIEO  TO  THEBES. 


Sect.  III. 


the  crude-brick  vault  in  the  time  of 
these  early  Pharaohs.  It  is  in  these 
tombs  that  we  find  the  greatest  va- 
riety of  games,  trades,  and  illustra- 
tions of  the  manners  and  customs  of 
the  Egyptians,  which  have  been  so 
useful  in  the  insight  they  have  afforded 
into  the  habits  of  that  ancient  people, 
and  which  have  been  copied  and 
described  in  Sir  G.  Wilkinson's  book, 
'  The  Ancient  Egyptians.'  In  look- 
ing at  these  pictures,  we  are  struck 
with  the  singular  custom  of  writing 
over  each  subject  or  object  the  name  of 
whatever  the  artist  intended  to  repre- 
sent, even  the  animals  and  most 
ordinary  figures :  which  may  have 
been  the  remnant  of  an  old  custom 
when  they  began  drawing,  these  highly 
conservative  people  continuing  to  the 
latest  times  to  adopt  the  early  usages 
of  their  ancestors.  And  this  calls  to 
mind  a  remark  of  iElian,  that,  "  when 
painting  was  in  its  infancy,  they  drew 
so  rudely,  that  artists  wrote  over  the 
pictures,  '  this  is  an  ox,'  '  that  a  horse,' 
'  this  a  tree.' " 

The  tombs  beyond  to  the  S.  present 
defaced  paintings  not  worthy  of  notice. 
Among  other  singular  customs  with 
which  the  grottoes  of  Beni  Hassan 
have  made  us  acquainted,  is  that  of 
admitting  dwarfs  and  deformed  per- 
sons into  the  suite  of  the  grandees ; 
and  these,  as  well  as  buffoons,  were 
introduced  at  a  later  time  into  differ- 
ent countries  of  Europe,  in  imitation 
of  an  usage  common  from  the  earliest 
ages  in  the  East.  Dwarfs  were  em- 
ployed at  Kome  even  before  the  time 
of  the  empire.  Marc  Antony  had 
them ;  and  subsequently  Tiberius  and 
Domitian.  The  latter  kept  a  band  of 
dwarf  gladiators.  Alexander  Severus 
banished  this  custom.  It  was  revived 
in  the  middle  ages. 

On  the  wall  of  one  of  the  tombs  is 
a  Greek  alphabet,  with  the  letters 
transposed  in  various  ways,  evidently 
by  a  person  teaching  Greek,  who  ap- 
pears to  have  found  these  cool  recesses 
a  comfortable  resort  for  himself  and 
his  pupils. 

In  observing  the  number  of  animals, 
and  the  various  customs,  represented 


,  in  the  tombs  of  Beni  Hassan,  and  in 
j  those  about  the  pyramids,  every  one 
j  must  be  surprised  at  the  omission  of 
■  the  horse :  and  it  has  been  supposed 
j  that  the  use  of  the  horse  and  the  cha- 
riot was  introduced  into  Egypt  by  the 
Shepherds,  or  by  Thothmes  III.  on 
his  return  from  Asia.    The  first  notice 
of  it  is  on  the  monuments  of  the 
XVIIIth  dynasty. 

The  villages  of  Beni  Hassan  were 
destroyed  many  years  ago  by  Ibra- 
him Pasha,  the  inhabitants  being  in- 
corrigible thieves;  and  even  now  it  is 
as  well  to  keep  a  good  watch  at  night, 
while  anchored  near  this  spot.  In- 
deed the  inhabitants  of  all  the  vil- 
lages from  Beni  Hassan  to  the  vicinity 
of  Manfaloot  are  addicted  to  thieving, 
and  additional  precautions  are  neces- 
sary throughout  the  whole  of  that 
district.  The  present  village  of  Beni 
Hassan  stands  2  m.  to  the  S.  of  the 
grottoes,  and  nearly  1  m.  to  the  S.E. 
of  it  is  the  Speos  Artemidos,  to  which 
the  common  name  of  Stabl  Antar  has 
been  applied  by  the  modern  Egyp- 
tians. It  is  situated  in  a  small  rocky 
valley,  or  ravine,  about  J  m.  from  its 
mouth. 

To  the  rt.,  on  entering  the  ravine, 
are  several  pits  and  tombs  cut  in  the 
rock.  Some  of  these  last  have  had 
well-shaped  doorways  with  the  usual 
Egyptian  cornice,  and  round  one  are 
still  some  traces  of  coloured  hiero- 
glyphics. Three  are  larger  than  the 
rest.  In  the  first  of  these  (going 
from  the  valley  of  the  Nile)  the 
paintings  have  been  blackened  with 
smoke,  and  few  of  them  can  be  dis- 
tinctly traced.  Near  its  S.E.  corner 
are  some  water  -  plants,  and  here 
and  there  some  Greek  inscriptions 
scratched  on  the  stucco.  Beyond  this, 
to  the  E.,  is  another  with  a  cornice 
over  the  door,  bearing  the  names  of 
Alexander,  the  son  of  Alexander  the 
Great,  Ptolemy  Lagus  being  at  that 
time  governor  of  Egypt  in  his  name. 
In  the  centre  are  the  globe  and  asps ; 
and  on  the  architrave  below  the  king 
is  kneeling  to  present  the  figure  of 
Truth  to  the  lioness-headed  goddess 
of  the  place,  Pasht  or  Bubastis.  Be- 


Egypt 


ROUTE  18.  SPE08  ARTEMIDOS. 


359 


hind  liim  stands  Athor,  the  Egyptian 
Venus.  On  one  side  of  the  two  centre 
compartments  the  king  is  standing  in 
the  presence  of  Ainun  and  Horus,  on 
the  other  of  Thoth  and  Moui  (Gem, 
Gom,  Sent,  or  Hercules). 

The  next  large  grotto  to  the  E.  is 
the  Speos  Arttmidos  ("  the  Gave  of 
Diana  ")  itself.  Like  the  others,  it  is 
wholly  excavated  in  the  rock.  It  was 
begun  by  Thothmes  III.,  and  other 
sculptures  were  added  by  Sethi,  or 
Osirei,  the  father  of  Kemeses  the 
Great;  but  it  was  never  completed. 
It  consists  of  a  portico  with  two  rows 
of  square  pillars,  four  in  each,  of  which 
the  outer  one  alone  remains ;  and 
though  rough  on  one  side  and  un- 
finished, they  each  bear  the  name  of 
those  two  kings,  and  of  the  goddess 
Pasht,  the  Egyptian  Diana,  whose 
legend  is  followed  by  a  lioness  (not  a 
cat)',  as  throughout  the  sculptures  of 
this  grotto.  A  door,  or  passage,  leads 
thence  into  the  naos,  which  measures 
8 1  by  9  paces,  and  at  the  end  wall  is  a 
niche  about  6  ft.  deep,  and  raised  8  ft. 
from  the  floor,  intended  no  doubt  for 
the  statue  of  the  goddess,  or  of  the 
sacred  animal  dedicated  to  her.  It  is 
also  unfinished;  but  on  one  of  the 
jambs  is  a  figure  of  Pasht.  In  the 
doorway  or  passage  leading  to  the  naos 
are  two  recesses,  cut  in  the  side  wall, 
which,  if  not  of  later  date,  may  have 
been  intended  as  burying-places  for 
the  sacred  animals.  There  are  others 
in  the  portico. 

Animal  worship  was  probably  of 
African  origin;  and  the  lion,  cyno- 
cephalus,  and  others  were  not  natives 
of  Egypt. 

The  only  finished  sculptures  are  on 
the  inner  wall  of  the  portico.  They 
are  of  the  early  time  already  men- 
tioned, and  therefore  of  a  good  period 
of  Egyptian  art;  but  they  vary  in 
style,  some  being  in  relief,  others  in 
intaglio.  On  one  side  Thothmes  III. 
is  making  offerings  to  Pasht  and 
Thoth ;  on  the  other  Sethi,  or  Osirei, 
is  kneeling  before  Amun,  attended  by 
Pasht ;  and,  in  a  line  of  hieroglyphics 
behind  him,  mention  is  made  of  the 
sculptures  added  by  liim  in  honour  of 


';  his  mother  Pasht,  the  beautiful  lady 
of  the  Speos."  In  the  portico,  one  of 
those  singular  changes  appears,  so 
common  in  ancient  Egyptian  monu- 
ments. The  name  Amun  has  been 
introduced  instead  of  other  hierogly- 
phics ;  and  that  this  has  here  been 
done  in  the  time  of  king  Sethi  is  evi- 
dent from  the  fact  of  its  being  in 
intaglio  like  his  name,  which  has  been 
substituted  for  that  of  Thothmes. 
Changes  have  also  been  made  in  the 
legends  over  some  of  the  twelve  deities 
seated  on  the  1.  of  the  picture,  which 
have  been  altered  by  Sethi  in  intaglio. 

Pasht  occurs  again  twice  over  the 
door,  and  once  in  the  doorway  of  the 
naos.  She  has  always  the  head  of  a 
lioness,  and  the  title,  Lady  of  the 
Excavation"  or  Speos."- 

On  the  face  of  the  rock,  over  the 
facade  of  the  portico,  are  some  lines 
of  hieroglyphics.  There  are  several 
pits  and  smaller  grottoes  on  this  and 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  valley, 
where  lions  and  cats,  the  animals 
particularly  sacred  to  Pasht,  were  pro- 
bably buried.  In  some  of  them  the 
bones  of  cats,  and  even  dogs,  are  said 
to  have  been  discovered. 

(E.)  At  Sheykh  Timay  are  some 
catacombs  and  limestone-quarries,  and 
traces  of  the  crude-brick  wall  of  Gisr 
el  Agoos  are  seen  on  the  low  hills  near 
the  river.  The  story  of  it  here  is,  that 
a  queen  built  it  to  protect  her  son 
from  the  crocodiles — a  fair  •  specimen 
of  Arab  tradition. 

There  are  no  sculptures  in  the  ex- 
cavated tombs  of  Sheykh  Timay,  but 
the  curious  mummulitic  rocks,  and 
large  rounded  boulders  full  of  fossils, 
are  worth  the  trouble  of  a  walk  to  the 
hills  if  there  is  time  to  spare. 

(E.)  The  river  here  has,  except  at 
high  Nile,  almost  deserted  its  ancient 
course  beneath  the  mountains,  and 
takes  a  considerable  bend  to  the  W. 
Near  the  S.  end  of  the  old  channel  is 
the  site  of  Antinoe,  or  Antinoopolis, 
the  few  ruins  of  which  still  existing 
lie  among  the  magnificent  palm- 
groves  of  the  modern  village  of  Sheykh 
Abadeh.    It  was  built  by  Adrian,  and 


360 


ROUTE  18.  CAIRO  TO  THEBES. 


Sect.  III. 


called  after  his  favourite,  Antinoiis ; 
who,  having  accompanied  him  to 
Egypt,  drowned  himself  in  the  Nile, 
with  the  idea  of  securing  the  happiness 
of  the  Emperor  (which  an  oracle  had 
declared  conld  only  be  obtained  by  the 
sacrifice  of  what  was  most  dear  to 
him) ;  in  commemoration  of  which 
Adrian  founded  this  city  near  the  spot, 
and  instituted  games  and  sacrifices  in 
his  honour. 

The  modern  name  of  Antinoe  was 
given  it,  according  to  Wansleb,  from 
a  M  oslem  who  was  converted  to  Chris- 
tianity, and  afterwards,  under  the  name 
of  Ammonius  el  abed  ("  the  Devout  '), 
suffered  martyrdom  there.  It  is  also 
called  Ansina  or  Insina,  and  Medeenet 
Ontholae,  in  Coptic  Antnuou ;  and  the 
old  town  of  Arsinoe  itself  succeeded  to 
one  of  earlier  time,  which  some  sup- 
pose to  have  been  the  ancient  Be&a, 
famed  for  its  oracle.  Ammianus  Mar- 
cellinus  places  Be-a  in  the  vicinity  of 
Abydus,  though  the  combined  name 
of  Besantinoopoiis,  given  to  the  former, 
seems  conclusive  e.idence  of  its  real 
position ;  and  some  suppose  that  a 
village  called  Abydus  stood  here. 

Aboolfeyda  describes  Antinoe  under 
the  name  of  Ansina,  as  having  "  ex-  i 
tensive  remains  of  ancient  monuments,  j 
and  much  aral  >le  land : "  and  he  adds, 
"  t!  at  the  Nubian  geographer,  Edrisi, 
speaks  of  it  as  an  ancient  city  remark- 
able for  the  fertility  of  its  land,  and 
said  by  common  report  to  be  the  city  j 
of  the  magicians,  who  were  sent  for  i 
thence  by  Pharaoh." 

Enough  could  be  seen  of  its  remains  | 
at  the  beginning  of  the  present  cen- 
tury to  show  that  it  was  a  large  and 
important  city,  filled  with  public  build- 
ings worthy  of  the  magnificence  and 
taste  of  its  founder.  The  usefulness 
of  the  limestone,  of  which  they  were 
constructed,  for  modern  building  pur- 
poses has  been  the  cause  of  these  com- 
paratively modern  ruins  having  di*- 
appe.ired,  while  others  of  far  more  an-  j 
cient  date,  whose  material  was  granite 
or  other  hard  stone,  are  still  in  ex- 
istence. 

Antinoe  was  the  capital  of  a  nome, 
called  after  it  the  Antinoi'te,  to  which 
Ptolemy  says  the  two  Oases  were  at- 


tached. This  was  one  of  the  new  pro- 
vinces or  departments  of  Egypt,  added 
at  a  late  period,  when  Egypt  was  under 
the  rule  of  the  Romans,  and  Heptano- 
mis  was  then  condemned  to  signify, 
or  at  least  to  contain,  8  nomes. 

(TF.)  At  Bhoda  (11  miles),  opposite 
the  remains  of  Antinoe,  is  one  of  the 
largest  sugar-factories  on  the  Nile, 
well  worthy  a  visit.  Close  to  them  is 
a  new  palace  of  the  Khedive. 

The  river  again  makes  a  great  bend, 
and  reaches  on  the  same  bank  Bya- 
deeyah,  a  village  inhabited  by  Copts. 

(JE.)  A  short  distance  to  the  south- 
ward of  Antinoe  are  some  crude-brick 
ruins  called  Medeeneh,  "  the  City ; " 
probably  from  the  village  having  suc- 
ceeded to,  or  being  peopled  from,  An- 
tinoe. The  modern  peasants  believe 
them  to  be  ancient.  They  appear  to  be 
wholly  of  Christian  time  ;  and  though 
now  deserted,  the  houses  in  many 
parts  are  nearly  entire.  Beyond  these 
again  is  a  modern  Christian  village 
called  Ed  Dayr,  or  Dayr  Aboo  Honnes, 
"  the  Convent  of  Father  John ;  "  and 
near  the  summit  of  the  hill  behind  it, 
and  to  the  N.  of  the  ravine,  is  a  very 
ancient  church  or  chapel,  in  one  of 
the  extensive  quarries  with  which  it 
is  honeycombed.  It  was  first  noticed 
by  Mr.  Harris  a  few  ye.irs  ago.  On 
the  walls  are  painted  several  subjects 
from  the  New  Testament,  as  Eierod 
(HF&-THC)  ordering  the  slaughter  of 
the  Innocents,  the  Flight  into  Egypt. 
Elizabeth  ("  Elissa  ")  and  Zacharias, 
and  on  the  side  wall  numerous  saints, 
with  their  names  written  over  them. 
In  an  adjoining  chapel  in  the  same 
quarry  are  the  marriage  in  Cana  (in 
which  the  Saviour  uses  a  wand  while 
turning  the  water  into  wine) ;  the 
raising  of  Lazarus  treated  in  the  same 
way  as  on  a  tomb  of  one  of  the  exarchs 
at  Bavenna) ;  the  meeting  of  Mary 
and  Elizabeth;  and  other  subjects. 
They  are  of  a  better  hand  than  those 
of  the  other  chapel,  though  of  the 
same  date.  At  the  entrance  is  an  in- 
scription in  Coptic,  which  (like  others 
lower  down  the  hill)  appears  to  have 
the  date  of  one  of  the  Indict  ons.  Some 


Egypt. 


ROUTE  18.  COLOSSUS  ON  A  SLEDGE. 


361 


of  the  saints  here  represented  are  ''like 
"  St.  Damianus")  of  the  Gth  century, 
but  the  chapels  were  probably  made 
long  before.  From  not  having  been 
altered  by  later  occupants,  they  have 
an  interest  which  the  underground 
church  at  Aboo  Honnes  itself  has 
ceased  to  have,  though  it  has  the 
reputation  of  dating  from  the  time 
,  of  Helena.  These,  like  other  rock- 
chapels,  had  no  stone  altar.  The  Copts 
indeed  have  always  had  a  table. 

On  the  same  hill  are  the  remains  of 
a  tablet,  apparently  of  the  XVIIIth 
dynasty,  and  report  speaks  of  another 
with  the  name  of  Amunoph  III.  Little 
more  than  a  mile  farther  is  another 
convent,  or  Christian  village,  called 
Ed  Dayr  en  Nakhl,  "  of  the  Palm-tree," 
close  to  which  is  the  burial-ground, 
with  a  church  called  Ed  Dayr. 

(EV)  In  one  of  the  grottoes  on  the 
hills  immediately  behind  the  last- 
mentioned  village  is  one  of  the  most 
interesting  subjects  found  in  any  of 
the  Egyptian  tombs.  It  represents  a 
colossus  on  a  sledge,  which  a  number 
of  men  are  dragging  with  ropes ;  and 
is  one  of  the  few  paintings  that  throw 
any  light  on  the  method  employed  by 
the  Egyptians  for  moving  weights. 

Though  it  is  the  statue  of  the  person 
of  the  tomb,  it  does  not  follow  that  it 
was  hewn  in  this  hill ;  and  it  merely 
commemorates  an  event  that  happened 
during  his  lifetime,  like  the  fowling 
scenes  and  other  subjects  connected 
with  his  amusements.  But  the  con- 
sequence of  this  individual,  Thoth-otp, 
is  fully  shown,  not  only  by  the  fact 
of  his  having  the  honour  of  a  colossal 
statue,  but  by  the  employment  of  so 
many  foreign  captives  in  moving  it ; 
and  an  important  proof  is  obtained  by 
the  last-mentioned  circumstance  of  the 
conquests  of  the  Egyptians  over  an 
Asiatic  people  at  the  early  period  of 
Amenemha  II.  and  Osirtasen  II.,  in 
i  whose  reigns  he  lived.  He  was  a 
person  of  distinction  in  the  military 
caste  :  he  is  styled  in  the  hieroglyphics 
"the  king's  friend;"  and  one  of  his 
children  was  named  Osirtasen,  after 
the  king.  One  hundred  and  seventy- 
two  men,  in  4  rows  of  43  each,  pull 

[Egypf] 


the  ropes  attached  to  a  ring  in  front 
of  the  sledge ;  and  a  liquid,  perhaps 
grease,  or  water,  is  poured  from  a  vase 
by  a  person  standing  on  the  pedestal 
of  the  statue,  in  order  to  facilitate  its 
progress  as  it  slides  on  the  ground, 
!  which  was  probably  covered  with  a 
'  bed  of  planks,  though  they  are  not 
indicated  m  the  picture. 

Some  of  the  persons  engaged  in  this 
laborious  duty  appear  to  be  Egyptians  * 
others  are  loreign  slaves,  who  are  clad 
in  the  costume  of  their  country ;  and 
behind  the  statue  are  4  rows  of  men, 
in  all  12  in  number,  representing 
either  the  architects  and  masons,  or 
those  who  had  an  employment  about 
the  place  where  the  statue  was  to  be 
conveyed.  l3elow  are  others,  carrying 
vases,  apparently  of  water,  and  some 
machinery  connected  with  the  trans- 
port of  the  statue,  followed  by  task- 
masters with  their  wands  of  office.  On 
the  knee  of  the  figure  stands  a  man 
who  claps  his  hands  to  the  measured 
cadence  of  a  song,  to  mark  the  time  and 
ensure  their  simultaneous  draught ; 
for  it  is  evident  that,  in  order  that  the 
whole  power  might  be  applied  at  the 
same  instant,  a  sign  of  this  kind  was 
necessary ;  and  the  custom  of  singing 
at  their  work  was  common  to  every 
occupation  in  Egypt,  as  it  now  is  in 
that  country,  in  India,  and  many  other 
places. 

The  height  of  the  statue  appears  to 
have  been  about  24  ft.,  including  the 
pedestal ;  and  it  is  stated,  in  the  line 
of  hieroglyphics  behind  the  picture,  to 
be  "13  cubits,"  or  22-370  ft.  It  was 
bound  to  the  sledge  by  double  ropes, 
tightened  by  means  of  long  pegs  in- 
serted between  them  and  twisted  round 
until  they  were  completely  braced ; 
and,  to  prevent  injury  from  the  friction 
of  the  ropes,  a  compress  of  leather, 
lead,  or  other  substance  was  intro- 
duced between  them  and  the  stone. 
Before  the  figure  a  priestly  scribe  is 
presenting  incense  in  honour  of  the 
person  it  represents;  and  at  the  top 
of  the  picture  are  seven  companies  of 
men  marching  in  an  opposite  direc- 
tion. They  are  probably  the  reliefs 
for  dragging  the  statue.  Beyond  are 
men  slaying  an  ox  and  bringing  the 
B 


362 


ROUTE  18.— CAIRO  TO  THEBES. 


Sect.  III. 


joints  of  meat  before  the  door  of  the 
building  to  which  the  statue  was  to 
be  conveyed ;  and  below  this  the  per- 
son of  the  tomb  is  seated  under  a 
canopy.  Boats,  and  other  subjects, 
are  figured  under  the  compartment  of 
the  colossus ;  and  on  the  opposite  wall 
are  an  agricultural  scene,  potters,  a 
garden  with  a  vineyard,  and  women 
working  in  thread.  The  last  subject 
is  remarkable  for  a  new  kind  of  loom, 
and  the  mode  of  reeling  off  thread 
from  balls  turning  in  a  case.  On  the 
end  wall,  to  the  left  of  the  niche,  are 
some  f^h  well  drawn,  with  the  colours 
in  a  good  state  of  preservation. 

Among  other  subjects  in  this  tomb 
are  the  ceremony  of  pouring  a  liquid 
from  a  vase  (probably  ointment)  over 
the  deceased;  sprinkling  the  ground 
before  him  as  he  walks  ;  the  bearing  of 
offerings ;  fishing  and  fowling  scenes ; 
and  on  the  outside  a  chase,  and  other 
spirited  sculptures.  Unfortunately  a 
great  portion  of  the  roof  and  walls  has 
fallen  in,  and  the  paintings  have  been 
much  injured,  besides  being  defaced 
in  many  places  by  the  mistaken  piety 
of  the  Copts,  who  have  drawn  numerous 
dark-red  crosses  on  the  bodies  of  the 
figures,  and  over  various  parts  of  these 
interesting  subjects.  This  grotto  is  at 
the  left  hand  of  the  ravine,  behind  the 
convent  and  village  of  Dayr  en  Nakhl, 
near  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  a  little 
way  to  the  right  of  a  sort  of  road, 
which  is  seen  from  below  running 
upon  the  upper  part  of  the  hill-side. 
The  following  are  the  bearings,  by 
compass,  of  the  principal  objects  from 
its  entrance : — Antinoe  ,S32^°  ;  Eera- 
moon  276°  (or  6°  N.  of  W.) ;  Dayr  en 
Nakl  288°,  f  of  a  mile;  and  El  Ber- 
sheh  236°,  2  miles. 

Kemains  of  sculpture  may  be  found 
in  a  neighbouring  tomb,  and  in  a 
quarry  beyond  (on  the  same  side  of 
the  ravine  or  valley)  is  a  tablet  in  the 
rock,  bearing  the  date  of  the  33rd  year 
of  Thothmes  III. 

There  are  also  some  tombs  along 
the  face  of  the  hill  on  the  other  side 
of  the  ravine,  though  they  are  of  little 
consequence.  But  they  are  very  old ; 
and  in  one  is  the  name  of  Papi. 


(E.)  In  the  ravine,  about  ^  a  mile 
from  the  mouth,  on  the  right-hand 
side,  are  some  large  limestone-quar- 
ries, with  a  few  royal  ovals  and  in- 
scriptions in  enchorial  written  with 
red  ochre,  like  those  in  the  quarries 
of  Toora-Masarah. 

(IT.)  Nearly  opposite  Ed  Dayr  en 
Nakhl  is  Raramoon,  some  distance 
inland  from  which  is  Oshmoonayn, 
which  occupies  the  site  of  Hermopolis 
Magna.  The  modern  name_is  derived 
from  the  Coptic  Shmoun  B,  or  the 
"  two  eights,"  and  the  prefix  O  or  E  is 
added  for  euphony,  from  the  hostility 
of  Arabic  against  all  words  beginning 
with  an  S  or  Sh,  followed  by  a  con- 
sonant. The  Arabs  pretend  that  it 
was  called  after  Oshmoon,  the  son  of 
Misr,  or  Misraim. 

Hermopolis  was  a  city  of  great  an- 
tiquity, and  it  was  the  capital  of  one 
of  the  early  nomes  of  Egypt.  Its  ori- 
ginal Egyptian  name  was  evidently 
Shmoun,  Hermopolis  being  a  Greek 
appellation  derived  from  the  worship 
of  Thoth,  the  god  who  presided  there, 
and  who  was  supposed  to  answer  to 
Hermes,  or  Mercury.  He  was  the  pa- 
tron of  letters,  the  scribe  of  Heaven, 
and  the  same  as  the  Moon :  his  office 
was  not  less  important  in  imparting  in- 
tellectual gifts  from  the  Deity  to  man, 
than  in  superintending  the  final  judg- 
ment of  the  soul,  and  in  recording  the 
virtuous  actions  of  the  dead  when  ad- 
mitted to  the  regions  of  eternal  hap- 
piness. The  modern  town  stands  on 
the  southern  extremity  of  the  mounds, 
which  are  of  great  extent ;  and  objects 
of  antiquity  are  occasionally  found  by 
the  peasants  while  removing  the  nitre. 

( W.)  The  tombs  of  the  ancient  city 
lie  at  the  base  of  the  Libyan  hills 
to  the  westward,  where  numerous  ibis- 
mummies  have  been  buried,  many  of 
which  are  found  deposited  in  small 
cases,  and  perfectly  preserved.  The 
cynocephalus  ape  is  also  met  with, 
embalmed  and  buried  in  the  same  con- 
secrated spot.  It  is  here  that  Ibeum, 
or  the  Nhip  (of  the  Copts),  probably 
stood ;  for  it  is  evident  that  the  posi- 
tion given  it  in  the  Itinerary  of  Anto- 


Egypt 


ROUTE  18 .  HEEMOPOLIS  MELLAWEE. 


363 


ninus  is  incorrect;  and  Ibeum,  the 
burying-place  of  the  sacred  birds  of 
Hermopolis,  could  not  have  been  24 
m.  distant  to  the  N".  of  that  city.  Not 
far  from  these  tombs  is  a  curious  sculp- 
tured stela,  on  the  nummulite  rock  of 
Gebel  Toona,  representing  the  king 
Amunoph  IV.  or  Khoo-en-Aten,  with 
his  queen,  worshipping  the  Sun,  which 
darts  forth  rays  terminating  in  human 
hands ;  a  subject  similar  to  those  in  the 
grottoes  of  Tel  el  Amarna.  They  are 
accompanied  by  two  of  their  daughters, 
holding  s/'stra.  Below  the  figures  are 
between  20  and  80  lines  of  hiero- 
glyphics much  defaced;  and  near  it 
are  2  headless  statues  supporting  a 
sort  of  tablet,  with  3  daughters  of  the 
king  on  the  side  in  intaglio.  Beyond 
are  2  other  statues,  and  at  the  side  of 
this,  as  of  the  other  group,  are  2  small 
mutilated  figures. 

Several  years  ago  a  peasant  disco- 
vered a  large  sum  of  money  buried  in 
the  ground  near  this  spot,  which  had 
been  concealed  there  by  one  of  the 
Memlooks,  in  their  retreat,  after  being 
defeated  by  Mohammed  Ali,  the  year 
before  the  massacre  in  the  citadel. 
Linant-Bey  had  been  told  of  it  some 
years  before,  by  a  person  who  was  pre- 
sent on  the  occasion,  who  even  de- 
scribed the  spot,  and  the  stone  that 
covered  it,  the  accidental  removal  of 
which  led  to  the  discovery.  Treating 
it,  however,  as  one  of  the  many  idle 
tales  told  in  Egypt,  he  thought  no 
more  about  the  matter,  until  the  good 
fortune  of  the  peasant  recalled  it  to 
his  recollection.  This  discovery  be- 
came the  talk  of  the  whole  neigh- 
bourhood, and  confirmed  the  popular 
belief  in  the  existence  of  the  kens,  or 
"treasures,"  supposed  to  be  buried 
near  ancient  ruins.  But  the  good  for- 
tune of  the  finder  was  soon  converted 
into  a  misfortune.  The  Turkish  go- 
vernor of  the  district  arrested  him, 
took  from  him  all  he  had  found,  and 
bastinadoed  him  (their  usual  custom), 
to  make  him  confess  if  any  portion  had 
been  concealed.  Such  is  the  Turkish 
mode  of  claiming  the  rights  of  a  lord 
of  the  manor. 

(Tf.)  From  Byadeeyah  to  this  part  of 


the  mountain  is  a  ride  of  about  3|  hrs. 
on  donkeys,  at  a  quick  walk ;  and  Osh- 
moonayn  is  a  little  more  than  half-way 
from  Byadeeyah  to  the  Bahr  Yoosef, 
which  in  March  has  very  little  water, 
the  deepest  part  then  reaching  very 
little  above  the  knee.  There  is  a  town 
not  far  off,  called  Toona,  or  Toona  eg 
Gebel  ("  of  the  Mountain  ") :  in  Coptic, 
Thoni.  Another,  called  Daruot-Osh- 
moon,  is  the  Terdt  Shmoun  of  the 
Copts. 

(IF.)  Aboosir.  the  Pousiri  of  the 
Coptic  MSS.,  was  on  the  W.  of  the 
Bahr  Yoosef,  near  the  Libyan  hills. 

(W.)  Dardot-Oshmdon,  or,  as  it  is 
sometimes  called,  Daroot  en  Nakhl 
("  of  the  Palms ")  has  the  usual 
mounds  of  old  towns,  but  no  remains 
in  stone.  It  stands  on  the  E.  bank  of 
the  Bahr  Yoosef,  and  from  its  name 
and  position  probably  occupies  the 
site  of  the  Hermopolitana  Phylace 
($v\a.Kr)),  as  Daroot  esh  Shereef  does 
that  of  the  Theban  castle. 

(IT.)  Mellawee  (6  m.)  claims  the 
rank  of  a  town  (bender),  and  has  a 
market,  held  every  Sunday.  Tts 
mounds  probably  mark  the  site  of  an 
ancient  town. 

(E.)  A  little  higher  up  the  river, 
at  the  projecting  corner  of  the  eastern 
mountains,  is  a  place  called  Isbdyda, 
or  Sebayda,  behind  and  to  the  north- 
ward of  which  are  several  grottoes 
and  modern  quarries.  Some  have  the 
usual  agricultural  and  other  scenes, 
and  the  various  subjects  common  to 
tombs.  In  2  of  them  is  the  name 
of  Papi  in  a  square ;  and  another 
has  2  ovals  together,  one  of  Shoofoo 
(.Suphis,  or  Cheops),  the  other  of  As- 
ses-kef. In  others  are  specimens  of 
the  false  doors  and  architectural  or- 
naments found  at  the  tombs  near  the 
pyramids,  and  some  figures  in  relief. 
Osiris  is  here  frequently  styled  "  Lord 
of  the  land  of  Tat,"  or  "  Tot,"  which 
is  expressed  by  the  emblem  of  sta- 
bility. 

Before  several  of  the  grottoes  are 
crude-brick  walls,  built  when  inhabited 
by  the  Christians,  who  converted  one 
of  them  into  a  church,  cutting  a  circu- 
it 2 


364 


EOUTE  13.  CAIRO  TO  THEBES. 


Sect.  III. 


lar  niche  into  the  rock  opposite  the 
entrance.  At  Isbayda  there  is  another 
portion  of  the  Gisr  el  Agoos,  and  a 
ruined  town,  which  commanded  the 
mountain-pass  up  the  ravine  behind 
Gebel  esh  Sheykh  Said.  This  road 
passed  by  a  stone  quarry  at  the  top  of 
the  hills,  and  then  descended  into  a 
valley  coming  from  the  eastward,  and 
opening  upon  the  level  plain.  Here 
it  joined  an  old  road  of  considerable 
breadth,  which  ran  in  a  southerly 
direction  behind  the  town,  whose  ex- 
tensive mounds  lie  to  the  S.  of  the 
modern  village  of  Tel  el  Amarna. 

On  the  summit  of  the  same  hills  is 
a  large  limestone-quarry,  in  which  is  a 
bed  of  oriental  alabaster,  from  3  to  6 
ft.  thick,  which,  like  the  quarry,  was 
long  worked  by  the  ancients.  A  road 
10  paces  broad,  cut  in  the  rock,  leads 
into  the  quarry,  and  on  the  rt.  side 
are  small  niches,  once  apparently 
holding  tablets  or  inscriptions.  The 
best  way  to  this  quarry  is  up  the 
valley,  or  ravine,  just  to  the  N.  of  Is- 
bayda. It  is  on  the  hill  at  the  end  of 
it,  about  1£  m.  from  its  mouth. 

(E.)  Hadji  Kandeel  (7  m.).  This  is 
the  best  place  to  disembark  at  for  pay- 
ing a  visit  to  the  grottoes  of  Tel  el 
Amdrna,  about  4£  m.  distant  from  the 
river.  These  grottoes  belong  to  a  very 
obscure  period  of  the  XVIIIth  dynasty, 
when,  as  M.  Mariette  conjectures,  the 
Egyptian  religion  under  the  influence 
of  a  piously  mad  king  went  through  a 
curious  stage  of  schism.  They  are  the 
burial-places  of  functionaries  of  the 
court  of  Amunoph  IV.  and  his  im- 
mediate successors.  This  Amunoph 
IV.,  according  to  M.  Mariette,  sub- 
stituted for  Ammon,  or  Amun,  the 
god  of  Thebes,  a  Semitic  deity  called 
Aten  (the  radiating  disk),  and  changed 
his  own  name  to  Khoo-en-Aten,  as 
found  here  in  these  grottoes.  He  also 
built  the  town,  whose  extensive  ruins  are 
still  seen  on  the  plain,  and  made  it  the 
capital  of  his  kingdom.  These  changes 
may  perhaps  be  attributed  to  the  in- 
fluence of  his  mother,  who  was  not  an 
Egyptian,  and  who«e  name  appears 
constantly  on  the  walls  of  these  grot- 
toes.   It  is  noticeable  too  that  the 


features  of  the  people  represented  in 
these  sculptures  are  not  Egyptian. 

The  subjects  are  various  and  highly 
interesting.  In  one  place  the  king 
and  queen,  frequently  attended  by 
their  children,  are  praying  to  Aten, 
represented  under  the  form  of  the  Sun 
with  rays  terminating  in  human  hands. 
In  another  the  monarch  is  borne  on  a 
rich  throne  towards  a  temple ;  in  an- 
other he  is  mounted  in  his  car,  the 
queen  following  in  "  the  second  chariot 
that  he  had."  In  some  are  military 
processions,  the  troops  marching  with 
the  banners  belonging  to  their  respec- 
tive corps,  and  divided  into  light  and 
heavy  armed  infantry,  as  was  cus- 
tomary with  the  Egyptian  army.  Each 
soldier  bows  down  before  the  monarch, 
whose  tyranny  seems  to  be  hinted  at 
by  their  more  than  usual  submissive- 
ness.  The  chariot  corps  and  others 
also  attend ;  and  the  officers  of  infantry 
are  distinguished  by  their  post  at  the 
head  of  their  men.  and  by  the  wand 
they  carry  in  their  hand.  In  others 
are  the  plans  of  houses,  gardens,  courts 
of  temples,  cattle,  and  various  subjects, 
among  which  may  be  mentioned  some 
large  boats,  fastened  to  the  bank  of 
the  Nile  by  ropes  and  pegs,  as  at  the 
present  day. 

Some  of  the  sculptures  have  been 
left  unfinished.  The  royal  names,  as 
at  Gebel  Toonah,  have  been  invariably 
defaced.  There  are  usually  5  ovals — 
2  containing  the  prenomen  and  nomen 
of  the  king;  another  the  name  of  the 
queen-mother ;  and  2  others,  which  are 
of  larger  size,  the  titles  of  the  god. 

Several  Greek  inscriptions  show 
that  the  catacombs  of  Tel  el  Amarna 
were  sufficiently  admired  by  ancient 
travellers  to  be  considered  worthy  of 
a  visit,  like  those  at  Thebes ;  and  one 
of  the  writers  expresses  his  surprise 
at  the  "  skill  of  the  sacred  masons," 
T*Xvrlv  Oav/na^cov  tcov  Upcav  KaoTO/xuv. 

To  the  S.  of  the  central  tombs  is  a 
natural  grotto  or  fissure  in  the  rock, 
and  several  workings  in  a  softer  vein, 
apparently  in  search  of  a  yellow  stone 
which  crosses  it  here  and  there  ;  but  it 
is  difficult  to  say  for  what  use  it  was 
required.     Several  small  houses,  or 


Egypt. 


ROUTE  18. — CATACOMBS  OF  TEL  EL  AMARNA. 


365 


huts  of  rough  stone  are  built  here,  as 
well  a3  before  the  catacombs  them- 
selves, probably  the  abodes  of  work- 
men. In  one  of  the  tombs  is  a  large 
niche  cut  by  the  Christians,  and  in 
another  the  figures  of  saints  painted 
on  the  walls ;  showing  that  these,  like 
other  secluded  spots,  were  once  occu- 
pied by  anchorites  and  other  devout 
cynics,  or  served  as  places  of  refuge 
from  the  persecutions  exercised  at 
different  times  against  the  monks  of 
Egypt. 

(2?.)  The  extensive  ruins  of  the  old 
city  are  seen  in  the  plain  near  the  river. 
The  temples  were  of  sandstone,  each 
surrounded  by  a  crude-brick  enclosure, 
like  many  of  those  at  Thebes  and 
other  places;  but  fragments  of  ma- 
sonry are  all  that  now  remain,  the 
etime  edifices  having  been  purposely 
destroyed,  and  so  completely  as  to 
leave  no  vestige  of  their  original  plans. 
Several  of  the  crude-brick  houses  are 
better  preserved,  and  from  their  sub- 
structions the  form  and  distribution  of 
many  of  the  rooms  may  be  easily  traced. 
Indeed  they  are  calculated  to  give  a 
more  correct  idea  of  the  ground-plans 
of  Egyptian  houses  than  any  in  the 
valley  of  the  Nile ;  and  the  extent  of 
the  city  is  unequalled  by  any  whose 
ruins  remain,  except  Thebes,  being 
about  2  m.  in  length,  though  of  a  com- 
paratively inconsiderable  breadth. 

(E.)  Some  distance  to  the  south- 
ward, and  nearly  in  a  line  with  the 
village  of  Howarte,  is  a  ravine  in  the 
hills,  where  a  large  stela  bearing  a 
long  hieroglyphic  inscription  was  found 
by  Mr.  Harris  ;  and  to  the  S.  of  this, 
near  the  road  leading  over  the  moun- 
tains in  rear  of  Gebel  Aboofayda,  are 
other  catacombs,  containing  similar 
sculptures,  and  some  ancient  roads 
communicating  with  the  town. 

(W.)  Nearly  opposite  El  Howarte, 
inland  on  the  W.  bank,  is  Tanodf, 
whose  lofty  mounds  mark  the  site  of 
Tanis-Superior,  in  Coptic  Thoni.  It 
has  no  ruins.  A  short  distance  to  the 
W.  of  it  runs  the  Bahr  Yoosef,  or  Menlii, 
which  conveys  the  water  of  the  Nile 


to  the  interior  of  the  western  plain, 
passing  by  Behnesa,  and  thence  by  a 
lateral  branch  into  the  Fyodm. 

(W.)  About  2  m.  to  the  S.  of  Tanodf 
is  Daroot  esh  Shereef,  in  Coptic  Terot, 
which  probably  occupies  the  site  of 
the  Theba'ica  Phylace  (cpvXaxv),  or 
Theban  castle  ;  a  fortified  place  at  the 
frontier  of  the  Thebai'd,  where  duties 
were  levied  on  goods  exported  from 
that  part  of  the  country  to  Lower 
Egypt.  Strabo  tells  us  the  canal  to 
Tanis  passed  by  that  castle ;  and  we 
may  trace  in  the  name  Daroot  the 
word  our  it,  a  "  garrison  "  or  "  guard." 

(IF.)  At  Daroot  are  a  few  mounds 
and  some  fragments  of  stone,  but  no 
ruins.  A  few  miles  higher  up  the 
Nile  is  the  mouth  of  the  Bahr  Yoosef. 

(E.)  On  the  eastern  bank  are  the 
first  Dom-trees,  called  also  Theban 
palms,  from  being  confined  to  the 
Theba'id.  They  are  not  found  in 
Lower  Egypt,  except  in  gardens,  as 
at  Minieh  and  a  few  other  places. 
Their  dry  fibrous  fruit,  when  ripe, 
exactly  resembles  our  ginger-bread 
in  flavour,  and  is  eaten  by  the 
peasants.  It  contains  an  extremely 
hard  nut,  which  has  been  used  by 
the  carpenters  of  ancient  and  modern 
Egypt  for  the  socket  of  their  drills ; 
but  which,  before  the  fruit  ripens,  is  a 
horn-like  substance,  and  is  eaten  by 
the  people  of  Ethiopia.  The  growth 
of  the  tree  has  this  peculiarity,  that 
the  lower  part  of  the  stem  is  single, 
and  invariably  divides  at  a  certain 
height  into  two  branches,  each  of 
these  again  being  bifurcated,  always 
in  two  sets.  The  head  is  covered 
with  large  fan-shaped  leaves,  at  the 
base  of  which  the  fruit  grows. 

(E.~)  In  the  rocks  above  are  some 
quarries  and  small  grottoes,  and  jus. 
beyond  is  Ed  Dayr  el  Kossayr,  in- 
habited by  Christians.  This,  perhaps, 
marks  the  site  of  Pescla,  or  Pesla,  of 
the  Itinerary,  which  was  24  Koman  m. 
to  the  S.  of  Antinoe. 

(W.)  Opposite  El  Kossayr  is  the 
village  of  Jephsehan.  The  river  now 
makes  a  considerable  bend,  and  ap- 


366 


ROUTE  18.  CAIRO  TO  THEBES. 


Sect.  Ill: 


proaches  a  fine  precipitous  range  of 
cliffs,  which,  rise  up  sheer  from  the 
water's  edge. 

(E.)  Gebel  Aboofayda  (17  m.)  is 
the  name  of  these  bluffs  which  bound 
the  east  bank  of  the  river  for  some 
10  or  12  miles.  Sudden  gusts  of 
wind  from  the  mountain  often  render 
great  precaution  necessary  in  sailing 
beneath  them,  and  many  accidents 
have  happened  in  this  part  of  the  river. 
The  recesses  in  the  rocks  are  the  resort 
of  numerous  cormorants  and  wild 
ducks :  but,  being  generally  very  timid, 
they  are  not  easily  approached,  and  a 
single  shot  disturbs  them  for  a  great 
distance. 

The  small  mud-banks,  and  the  cav- 
erns just  at  the  water's  edge  are  a 
favourite  resort  of  the  few  crocodiles 
which  may  still  be  met  with  so  far 
north.  Few  travellers  are  fortunate 
enough  to  see  them  here  ;  but  in  1871 
a  very  large  one,  more  than  14  ft.  long, 
was  killed,  after  several  hours'  patient 
watching  in  a  cleft  of  the  cliff  a  few  feet 
above  the  water,  by  the  Earl  of  Ducie, 
and  his  body  recovered  and  skinned. 

(E.)  About  a  mile  above  El  Kossayr 
on  the  E.  bank  is  a  small  ancient  town 
in  the  mountain-pass ;  half-way  be- 
tween which  and  El  Hare'ib  (Haryib) 
is  Ebras,  a  retired  recess  in  the  moun- 
tain, with  a  piece  of  cultivated  laud, 
having  palms  and  dom-trees. 

(E.)  A  short  distance  beyond  are 
some  grottoes,  and  about  2  m.  further 
the  ancient  town  called  El  Hare'ib 
("  the  Ruins  '),  with  grottoes  and  tombs 
containing  dog  and  cat  mummies. 
The  town  stood  at  the  mouth  of  a 
ravine,  which  after  heavy  rain  pours 
a  stream  of  water  through  its  centre. 
Many  of  the  walls  are  still  standing, 
and  some  of  the  arches  within  the 
houses  are  well  preserved.  It  is,  how- 
ever, probable  that  they  are  not  of 
very  ancient  date,  and  many  may  be 
of  a  late  Roman  or  Christian  time. 
But  the  bricks  are  mostly  ancient,  and 
the  Christians  may  have  succeeded  to 
the  old  town,  vestiges  of  which  still 
remain  amidst  the  later  buildings. 
On  the  S.  side  of  the  ravine  is  a  large 


crude-brick  enclosure,  perhaps  a  fort ; 
and  near  the  river  are  remains  of  ma- 
sonry, apparently  part  of  an  old  quay. 
In  some  of  the  walls  the  bricks,  instead 
of  being  in  horizontal  courses,  are  in 
curved  lines,  like  the  enclosure  of  :i 
temple  at  Thebes,  called  Dayr  el  Me- 
deeneh.  Many  of  them  are  of  con- 
siderable height,  and  in  some  places 
the  arched  windows  remain,  even  of 
the  upper  stories.  In  several  of  the 
grottoes  up  the  ravine  to  the  N.E.  are 
found  human  bones,  and  the  mummied 
bodies  of  dogs,  jackals,  cats,  and  appa- 
rently of  the  wild  cat.  or  fells  chaus. 
One  of  them  has  the  Egyptian  cornice, 
and  in  another  are  some  enchorial  in- 
scriptions. The  ancient  name  of  El 
Hare'ib  is  uncertain.  The  Itinerary 
mentions  no  place  between  Pesla  and 
Hieracon. 

(W.)  About  1J  m.  inland  on  the 
western  side  of  the  Nile  is  Kossayah, 
the  ancient  Cusse,  Chusae,  or  Chusis ; 
in  Coptic  KOs-koo.  According  to  the 
Greeks,  Venus  Urania  was  the  deity 
of  the  place ;  and  iElian  reports  that 
a  sacred  cow  was  there  worshipped, 
which  is  perfectly  consistent  with  the 
character  of  the  Egyptian  Venus,  of 
whom  that  animal  was  an  emblem. 
His  words  are,  "it  is  a  small  but 
elegant  town  in  the  Hermopolite 
nome,  where  they  worship  Venus, 
called  Urania  (the  heavenly),  and  also 
a  cow." 

The  difference  between  the  low  and 
high  Nile  in  this  part  of  Egypt  is 
21  ft.  3  in.,  judging  from  the  highest 
mark  made  by  the  water  on  the  cliffs 
of  Gebel  Aboofayda,  which  rise  ab- 
ruptly from  the  river. 

(E.)  About  3  m.  above  El  Hare'ib, 
and  beyond  where  the  river  turns  away 
from  beneath  the  cliffs,  is  an  old  con- 
vent called  Dayr  el  Bukhara.  The 
name  is  common  to  many  of  t;:ese  mon- 
astic retreats,  being  derived  from  the 
custom  of  barricading  the  doors  and 
raising  everything  they  required  by  a 
'•  pulley ,"  as  at  Dayr  Antonios  and 
Dayr  Bolos  in  the  eastern  desert. 
Near  the  convent  are  the  ruins  of 
another  old  town,  and  some  sepulchral 


Egypt.     route  18. — manfaloot — crocodile-mummy  pits.  367 


grottoes.  A  portion  of  the  Gisr  el  j 
Ao'ocis  appears  near  this  old  town, 
which  may  possibly  lay  claim  to  the 
site  of  Hieracon,  though  the  distances 
in  the  Itinerary  do  not  quite  agree 
with  its  position. 

The  Nile  formerly  ran  beneath  the 
cliffs  for  some  distance  further  S.,  but 
it  has  now  left  them  and  bunds  away 
considerably  to  the  W. 

( W.)  Between  Daroot  esh  Shereef 
and  Manfaloot,  on  the  W.  bank,  is  the 
site  of  an  old  town,  called  in  Coptic 
Manlau,  whose  Arabic  name,  accord- 
ing to  the  MSS.,  is  Mowda-el  Ashea: 
and  between  this  last  and  Mankabat 
mention  is  made  of  Mantout,  the  suc- 
cessor of  a  town  of  the  same  name,  in 
Coptic  Maiithoot.  This  last  may  sig- 
nify the  "  place  of  Thoth." 

(W.)  Manfaloot  (11$  m.),  in  Coptic 
Manbalot,  is  a  bender  or  market-town, 
and  the  residence  of  a  local  governor. 
It  is  of  considerable  size,  with  the 
usual  bazaar,  and  a  market-day  every 
Sunday,  at  which  meat  and  other 
things  can  be  more  easily  obtained 
than  at  other  times.  It  has  a  gover- 
nor's palace,  and  outside  the  walls  are 
several  gardens. 

There  is  reason  to  believe  that  an 
old  Egyptian  town  stood  here  in  former 
times,  and  Leo  Africanus  speaks  of  its 
sculptured  remains,  and  the  ruins  of  a 
building,  apparently  a  temple,  near 
the  river. 

It  is  singular  that  no  notice  is  taken 
of  it  by  Greek  and  Latin  writers,  and 
we  might  suppose  that  the  Arab  geo- 
grapher was  incorrect  in  his  statement, 
did  not  its  mounds,  and  the  mention 
of  its  name  in  the  list  of  places  cited 
in  the  Coptic  MSS.,  prove  it  to  have 
been  one  of  the  cities  of  ancient  Egypt. 
Its  modern  name  is  evidently  taken 
from  the  Coptic,  which  M.  Champollion 
supposes  to  signify  the  "place  of  wild 
asses ; "  but  the  modern  Egyptians, 
with  their  usual  disposition  to  connect 
everything  with  persons  mentioned  in 
the  Koran,  have  decided  it  to  be  the 
"  place  of  exile  of  Lot."  Aboolfeda 
describes  Manfaloot  "on  the  bank  of 
the  Nile,"  but  in  Pococke's  time  it  I 
stood  a  mile  from  the  river,  which  then  I 


i  ran  nearer  the  hills  of  Gebel  Aboo- 
fayda.  Since  that  period  the  Nile  has 
gradually  encroached  on  the  western 
shore,  and  every  year  threatens  to  wash 
the  town  away.  It  had  also  then  a 
"bishop  and  about  200  Christians, 
whose  church  was  at  Narach,  some 
distance  off,  in  a  spot  where  the  com- 
mon people  pretended  that  the  Holy 
Family  lived  until  the  death  of  Herod." 

(E.)  On  the  summit  of  the  rocks  of 
Gebel  Aboofayda,  near  their  southern 
end,  are  the  caverns  of  Maabdeh,  com- 
monly called  the  crocodile  -  mummy 
pits.  The  entrance  to  them  is  through 
a  natural  fissure  in  the  rock  at  the  top. 
Besides  the  thousands  of  crocodile 
mummies  which  fill  the  interior,  there 
are  several  human  mummies,  some 
gilded  from  head  to  foot,  and  others 
less  richly  decorated.  These  caverns 
have  never  been  thoroughly  explored, 
and  much,  no  doubt,  yet  remains  to  be 
found  in  them.  Here  Mr.  Harris 
met  with  his  interesting  fragments  of 
Homer  on  papyrus.  Candles,  matches, 
rope,  and  water  should  be  taken,  if  it 
is  intended  to  penetrate  into  the  ca- 
verns. There  is  no  danger  attending 
the  attempt ;  but  it  is  fatiguing,  and 
the  confined  space,  and  close,  stifling 
atmosphere  may  produce  unpleasant 
effects.  The  best  place  to  go  from, 
coming  down  the  river,  is  a  village 
called  Shalagheel. 

(  W.)  Beni  Adee  or  Beni  Ali,  at  the 
edge  of  the  Libyan  desert,  is  well 
known  as  having  been  the  head- 
quarters of  the  Nizam,  or  disciplined 
troops  of  Mohammed  Ali,  previous  to 
their  march  for  the  Morea ;  and  as  the 
usual  point  of  departure  for  the  Oasis 
of  Dakhleh. 

(E.)  In  Wadee  Booa,  at  the  southern 
corner  of  Gebel  Aboofayda,  on  the  E. 
bank,  are  some  old  grottoes,  Here  the 
road  from  Tel  el  Amarna  over  Gebel 
Aboofayda  rejoins  the  valley  of  the 
Nile,  and  those  travelling  by  land  avoid 
a  great  detour  by  following  this  moun- 
tain-pass. The  grottoes  in  the  corner 
of  the  hill  behind  Beni-Mohammed-el- 
I  Kofoor  have  some  interesting  paintings 
I  of  agricultural  and  other  scenes  of  the 


368 


ROUTE   18.  CAIRO  TO  THEBES. 


Sect.  in. 


early  time  of  Papi  and  Nofer-Kere  of 
the  Vlth  dynasty.  Among  the  many 
subjects,  in  one  of  them  are  some 
curious  boats ;  in  the  others  also  are 
trades  and  various  subjects ;  and  the 
occupants  of  these  tombs  appear  all  to 
have  lived  about  the  time  of  Nofer- 
Kere  (Nephercheres),  and  to  have 
been  governors  of  the  nome.  At  the 
convent  in  the  plain  below,  Mr.  Harris 
found  a  Greek  inscription.  The  con- 
vent is  called  Dayr  eg  Gibrawee,  or 
Maria  Boktee.  The  inscription  is 
curious,  being  of  the  time  of  Dio- 
cletian andMaximian,  and  mentioning 
the  dedication  of  the  camp  of  the  1st 
Prastorian  cohort  of  Lusitanians  to 
Jupiter,  Hercules,  and  Victory.  On 
the  desert  plain  between  the  convent 
and  the  hills  (which  are  here  called 
Gebel  Marag)  is  an  ancient  square 
crude-brick  fortress,  which  appears 
from  the  coins  found  there  to  have 
been  used  by  the  Romans,  though  pro- 
bably of  earlier  time ;  and  at  the  con- 
vent are  some  old  mounds  of  a  town 
called  Medeenet  Sinsfni.  The  paint- 
ings in  the  caves  of  Gebel  Marag  are 
better  preserved  than  those  about 
\  a  mile  to  the  N.  of  it.  Some  dis- 
tance to  the  S.  is  Tabbaneh.  Near 
Beni-Mohammed-el-Kofoor  may  be  the 
site  of  Passalon. 

(E.~)  About  6  m.  beyond,  near  the 
edge  of  the  cultivated  land,  behind 
Bendob  el  Hamam,  are  vestiges  of  the 
Gisr-el  Agocs.  In  the  tract  of  land 
on  the  border  of  the  desert,  near  the 
road  going  towards  El  Wasta,  is  a 
crude- brick  ruin  and  the  mounds  of 
other  small  towns,  but  without  any 
stone  remains.  Isium  stood  soniewThere 
in  this  direction,  at  one  of  the  ruined 
towns  just  mentioned. 

( W.)  The  Nile  makes  several  large 
bends  between  Manfaloot  and  Asyoot, 
which  often  cause  considerable  delay. 
At  the  end  of  one  of  them,  and  at  a 
short  distance  from  the  bank,  is  Man- 
kabat,  or  Mungabat,  the  successor  of 
an  old  town  called  in  Coptic  Manka- 
pot,  "the  place  (manufactory?)  of 
pots,"  probably  from  its  manufactory 
of  earthenware ;  though,  from  the  great 
quantity  made  in  every  part  of  Egypt,  I 


it  seems  unreasonable  to  apply  this 
name  to  any  particular  town.  Like 
Keneh  and  Ballas  at  the  present  day, 
it  may  have  been  noted  for  a  par* 
ticular  kiud. 

(W.)  Asyoot  (26  m.).  The  capital  of 
the  province  of  the  same  name  and 
residence  of  the  governor  of  Upper 
Egypt,  247 1  m.  from  Cairo.  It  stands 
at  some  distance  from  the  river,  and  a 
small  village  on  the  bank,  called  El 
Hamra,  claims  the  honour  of  being 
its  port.  A  large  canal  conducts  the 
water  from  the  river  during  the  inun- 
dation, and  a  magnificent  embankment 
studded  with  trees  leads  from  the  land- 
ing-place to  the  town,  the  entrance 
into  which,  through  an  old  gateway 
and  a  large  courtyard,  which  forms 
part  of  the  governor's  palace,  is  very 
picturesque.  Asyoot  is  of  considerable 
extent,  with  several  bazaars,  baths,  and 
some  handsome  mosks,  one  of  which 
is  remarkable  for  its  lofty  minaret.  It 
is  certainly  the  largest  and  best  built 
town  of  the  Saeed;  and  its  position, 
with  several  gardens  in  the  vicinity, 
is  greatly  in  its  favour.  It  may  con- 
tain about  25,000  inhabitants,  of  whom 
about  1000  are  Christians.  In  the 
town  are  a  few  good  houses  belonging 
to  the  ebni-beled,  or  townspeople,  but 
the  generality  are  mere  hovels.  The 
streets  are  narrow  and  unpaved,  as  is 
the  case  in  all  the  towns  of  Egypt. 

Some  of  the  bazaars  are  little  in- 
ferior to  those  of  the  metropolis,  and 
are  well  supplied  ;  and  the  town  is 
divided  into  quarters,  each  closed  by  a 
gate,  as  at  Cairo.  On  Sunday  a  market 
is  held,  which  is  frequented  by  the 
people  of  the  neighbouring  villages; 
and  in  the  bazaars  a  great  supply  of 
stuffs  and  various  commodities  are 
always  kept  for  sale,  brought  from 
Cairo  and  other  parts  of  Egypt,  as  well 
as  from  Arabia  and  the  upper  country. 
The  best  pipe-bowls  are  manufac  tured 
here,  which  are  highly  .prized,  and 
sent  in  great  numbers  to  Cairo :  some 
are  also  made  at  Keneh  and  As>ooan, 
but  far  inferior  to  those  of  Asyoot. 

Formerly  the  town  was  much  fre- 
quented by  carnvans  from  the  interior 
of  Africa,  especially  from  Darfoor,  but 


ROUTE  18 


.  ASTOOT. 


360 


only  a  few  arrive  now  in  the  course  of  I 
the  year.  The  principal  native  in- 
dustries are  the  manufacture  of  articles 
in  clay,  indigo  dying,  opium  and  cotton 
picking.  &c.  In  the  town  is  a  tele- 
graph office,  an  European  medical  man, 
and  an  English  and  American  consular 
agent.  The  American  mission  schools 
have  a  branch  establishment  which  has 
met  with  some  success. 

Asyoot'has  succeeded  to  the  ancient 
Lycopolis,  a  the  City  of  the  Wolves," 
so-called  from  the  worship  of  that 
animaL  or  of  the  deity  to  whom  it  was 
sacred. 

The  Coptic  name  of  the  city,  Sioout, 
is  the  same  it  bore  in  ancient  times, 
as  is  shown  by  the  hieroglyphics  in 
the  catacombs,  where  it  is  written 
Ssout,  the  initial  8  being  doubled,  as 
in  Ssa  the  Egyptian  name  of  Sai's. 
Aboolfeda  says  it  should  be  called  in  j 
Arabic  Osyoot :  but  this  is  from  the 
repugnance  of  that  language  (in  com- 
mon with  Spanish,  Erench.  and  many 
others)  to  an  S  followed  by  another 
consonant,  unless  preceded  by  a  vowel. 
The  jackal-headed  god  is  said  to  be 
lord  of  the  place,  but  instead  of  the 
name  of  Anubis  (Anepo)  he  has  the 
legend  with  horns,  and  is  probably 
another  character  of  the  same  deity, 
who  included  under  his  patronage  and 
in  his  emblems  the  jackal,  the  wolf, 
and  the  dog. 

Little  now  remains  of  the  old  town 
except  extensive  mounds  and  a  few 
stone  substructions,  which  are  found 
in  digging  for  the  foundations  of 
houses,  or  in  cutting  trenches  on  its 
site. 

The  Libyan  chain  advances  con- 
siderably towards  the  E.  in  this  part ; 
and  iu  the  projecting  corner  of  the 
mountain  above  Asyoot  are  several 
grottoes  cut  in  the  limestone-rock,  the 
burial-places  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Lycopolis.  Though  not  containing  a 
great  profusion  of  sculpture,  they  are 
of  considerable  interest  from  their  an- 
tiquity, and  some  have  the  names  of 
very  old  kings.  The  principal  tomb 
i3  called  by  the  common  appellation 
of  Stabl  Antar.  It  is  of  great  size, 
and  has  an  entrance-chamber  or  porch, 


|  open  to  the  air,  cut  like  the  rest  in 
the  limestone-rock.  On  the  right  side 
of  the  entrance  is  a  long  hieroglyphic 
inscription,  which  has  not  yet  been 
copied.  The  ceiling  of  this  catacomb 
is  vaulted,  and  ornamented  with  very 
elegant  devices  which  might  be  taken 
I  for  Greek  patterns,  if  one  did  not 
know  that  the  ceiling  was  older  than 
Greek  art.  In  an  inner  room  are 
sculptures  representing  men  bringing 
an  ibex  and  various  offerings  ;  and  at 
the  end  a  large  figure  of  a  man,  and 
others  of  women  rather  smaller,  smel- 
ling the  lotus-flower,  as  was  usual  at 
the  festive  meetings  of  the  Egyptians. 
It  has  several  chambers,  which  once 
served  as  dwelling-places  for  the  pea- 
sants, who  have  not  improved  their 
appearance  by  blackening  them  with 
smoke.  In  the  smaller  caves  and  ex- 
|  cavated  recesses  of  the  rock  in  various 
parts  of  this  mountain  the  remains 
of  wolf-mummies  are  frequently  met 
with,  which  is  perfectly  consistent  with 
the  fact  of  the  wolf  having  been  the 
sacred  animal  of  the  place,  and  with 
the  name  given  to  the  town  by  the 
Greeks.  The  coins  of  the  Lycopolite 
nome  have  also  the  wolf  on  their  re- 
verse, with  the  word  "  Lyeo." 

The  tombs  are  arranged  in  succes- 
sive tiers  at  different  elevations.  They 
may  be  visited  according  to  their  po- 
sition, and  a  road  about  4  paces  broad 
leads  up  the  hill.  They  are  very  nu- 
merous, but  many  are  without  sculp- 
ture, and  some  containing  burnt  bones 
appear  to  have  been  occupied  by  the 
Konians  at  a  late  period.  Near  the 
middle  of  the  ascent  is  some  crude- 
brick  building ;  and  a  square  pit  lined 
with  burnt  brick,  very  unusual,  except 
in  Koman  times,  with  a  tablet  or  stela 
above  on  the  rock,  much  defaced. 
Some  of  the  small  pits  are  very  nar- 
row, scarcely  broad  enough  fur  a  man, 
and  they  slope  gradually,  as  if  to 
allow  the  coffins  to  slide  down  into 
them.  Sometimes  a  tomb  consists  of 
a  large  chamber  with  small  niches  or 
repositories  for  the  dead,  and  in  the 
floor  are  the  usual  mummy-pits. 

In  a  tomb  about  half-way  up  the 
hill  is  the  name  of  a  very  old  king, 
and  some  soldiers  carrying  shields  of 
r  3 


370 


ItOUTE  18.  CAIliO  TO  THEBES. 


Sect.  in. 


enormous  size,  differing  both  in  this 
respect  and  a  little  in  their  shape 
from  the  common  shield,  but  remark- 
able as  being  similar  to  those  men- 
tioned by  Xenophon  in  speaking  of 
the  Egyptian  troops  in  the  army  of 
Crcesus.  He  says  they  amounted  to 
120,000  men,  "carrying  bucklers, 
which  covered  them  from  head  to 
foot,  very  long  spears,  and  swords 
called  Koindes "  (shopsh),  and  each 
phalanx  was  "  formed  of  10,000  men, 
100  each  way."  It  was  from  the  pro- 
tection given  them  by  these  large 
shields,  supported  as  they  were  by  a 
thong  over  the  shoulder,  and  from 
their  compact  order  of  battle,  that  the 
Persians  were  unable  to  break  them 
when  they  had  routed  the  rest  of  the 
Lydian  army.  They  therefore  ob- 
tained honourable  terms  from  Cyrus, 
and  an  abode  in  the  cities  of  Larissa 
and  Cyllene,  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Cuma,  near  the  sea  ;  which  were  still 
called  the  Egyptian  cities,  and  in- 
habited by  their  descendants,  in  the 
time  of  Xenophon. 

The  tombs  on  this  mountain,  like 
most  others  in  Egypt,  were  once  the 
abode  of  the  Christians,  who  retired 
thither,  either  from  persecution,  or  for 
the  sake  of  that  solitude  which  suited 
their  austere  habits  ;  and  it  was  per- 
haps from  one  of  them  that  John  of 
Lycopolis  gave  his  oracular  answer  to 
the  embassy  of  Theodosius.  The  story 
is  thus  related  by  Gibbon  :  "  Before 
lie  performed  any  decisive  resolution, 
the  pious  emperor  was  anxious  to  dis- 
cover the  will  of  Heaven ;  and  as  the 
progress  of  Christianity  bad  silenced 
the  oracles  of  Delphi  and  Dodona,  he 
consulted  an  Egyptian  monk  who  pos- 
sessed, in  the  opinion  of  the  age,  the 
gift  of  miracles  and  the  knowledge 
of  futurity.  Eutropius,  one  of  the  fa- 
vourite eunuchs  of  the  palace  of  Con- 
stantinople, embarked  for  Alexandria, 
from  whence  he  sailed  up  the  Nile 
as  far  as  the  city  of  Lycopolis,  or  of 
Wolve3,  in  the  remote  province  of  The- 
bais.  In  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
city,  and  on  the  summit  (side?)  of  a 
lofty  mountain,  the  holy  John  had  con- 
structed with  his  own  hand  a  humble 


cell,  in  which  he  had  dwelt  above 
50  years,  without  opening  his  door, 
without  seeing  the  face  of  a  woman, 
and  without  tasting  any  food  that  had 
been  prepared  by  fire  or  any  human 
art.  Five  days  of  the  week  he  spent 
in  prayer  and  meditation,  but  on 
Saturdays  and  Sundays  he  regularly 
opened  a  small  window,  and  gave  au- 
dience to  the  crowd  of  suppliants  who 
successively  flowed  from  every  part 
of  the  Christian  world.  The  eunuch 
of  Theodosius  approached  the  window 
with  respectful  steps,  proposed  his 
questions  concerning  the  event  of  the 
civil  war,  and  soon  returned  with  a 
favourable  oracle,  which  animated  the 
courage  of  the  emperor  by  the  assur- 
ance of  a  bloody  but  infallible  vic- 
tory." 

On  the  N.  side  of  the  projecting 
corner  of  the  mountain  are  some  lime- 
stone-quarries, and  a  few  uninteresting 
grottoes. 

The  view  from  these  hills  over  the 
town  of  Asyoot  and  the  green  plain  in 
the  early  part  of  the  year  is  very 
pretty,  the  prettiest  perhaps  to  be 
seen  in  Egypt.  The  brightness  of  the 
green  is  perfectly  dazzling,  and  of  a 
tint  such  as  probably  can  be  seen  no- 
where else  in  the  world :  it  stretches 
away  too  for  miles  on  either  side, 
"  unbroken,"  as  Dean  Stanley  so  gra- 
phically says,  "  save  by  the  mud  vil- 
lages which  here  and  there  lie  in  the 
midst  of  the  verdure,  like  the  marks 
of  a  soiled  foot  on  a  rich  carpet." 

Immediately  below  the  hills  on  the 
S.  side  is  the  modern  cemetery.  The 
tombs  are  arranged  with  considerable 
taste,  and  have  a  neat  and  pleasing 
appearance.  On  going  to  them  from 
the  town  you  pass  along  a  raised 
dyke,  with  a  bridge  over  a  canal  that 
skirts  the  cultivated  land.  The  latter 
answers  the  same  purpose  as  the  Bahr 
Yoosef  in  central  Egypt  in  carrying 
the  water  of  the  inundation  to  the 
portion  of  the  plain  most  distant  from 
the  river;  paid  in  one  of  the  ponds 
between  the  river  and  the  town,  fed 
by  a  lateral  canal,  the  "  very  conve- 
nient "  spring  mentioned  by  Michaelis 
is  to  be  looked  for,  the  credit  of 


Egypt. 


ROUTE  18.  ABOOTEEG. 


371 


which  newly-married  brides  may  often 
be  greatly  interested  in  maintaining. 

On  the  southern  corner  of  the  moun- 
tain, immediately  above  the  village  of 
Dronka,  is  a  large  bed  of  alabaster 
lying  upon  the  limestone-rock,  but  not 
sufficiently  compact  to  admit  of  its 
being  quarried  for  use. 

There  are  also  some  grottoes  behind 
the  village  of  Eeefa,  about  a  mile  to 
the  S.  of  Dronka. 

Pliny  seems  to  think  that  these  hills 
formed  the  northern  boundary  of  the 
Theba'id,  since  he  says,  "  in  Libyco 
Lycon,  ubi  montes  finiunt  Theba'idem." 
But  this  could  not  be  so,  as  it  extended 
much  farther  N.  to  the  Thebaica 
Phylace. 

(TT.)  At  Shodb  are  the  mounds  and 
crude-brick  remains  of  Hypsele,  in 
Coptic  Shotp,  which  gave  its  name  to 
one  of  the  nomes  of  Egypt.  Near  to 
Lycopolis  was  a  fort  called  in  Coptic 
Tgeli,  and  the  village  of  Paphor,  in 
the  district  of  Shotp,  the  sites  of  which 
are  now  unknown. 

(E.)  El  Wasta,  on  the  E.  bank,  is 
probably  the  successor  of  Contra  Lyco- 
polis, but  it  has  no  remains.  At  the 
bend  of  the  river  between  Esh  Shug- 
gub  and  El  Gutteea,  on  the  E.  bank 
is  a  sheykh's  tomb,  and  some  distance 
from  it,  under  the  hills,  is  a  ruin 
apparently  of  Christian  time.  Gutte'ea 
(Kutiah),  on  the  W.  bank,  abounds 
in  Sont  or  acacia-trees;  and  it  is  a 
good  place  for  purchasing  charcoal, 
with  which  it  supplies  Asyoot.  At 
El  Mudmur  (or  Motmar)  are  the 
mounds  of  an  old  town,  by  some  sup- 
posed to  be  Mouthis,  a  small  place  to 
the  N.  of  Antseopolis.  But  the  dis- 
tance of  Mudmur  from  Gow  is  too 
much,  and  the  position  of  Mouthis 
given  in  the  Itinerary  requires  it  to 
have  been  near  Baaineh.  Much  Sont 
or  Aca'-ia  Nilotica,  grows  near  Mud- 
mur, which,  like  that  on  the  road  to 
Abydus,  may  be  the  remnant  of  one 
of  the  old  groves  of  Acanthus.  At 
the  N.  of  the  projecting  corner  of  the 
mountain,  behind  Mudmur,  is  a  road 
called  Derb  Imow,  which  crosses  this 
part  of  the  eastern  chain  of  hills,  and 
rejoins  the  valley  of  the  Nile  by  a  J 


ravine  near  the  grottoes  of  Gow  ;  and 
another,  called  Nukb  el  Hos? ayn,  leads 
from  a  little  above  Dayr  Tassa,  and 
descends  at  the  corner  of  the  same 
mountain  a  short  way  to  the  W.  of  the 
same  grottoes.  To  the  E.  of  Mudmur 
are  quarries  of  the  same  Oriental  ala- 
baster that  abounds  in  these  hills,  from 
which  columns  have  been  cut. 

(E.)  A  little  beyond  Mudmur  is 
Sherg  Selin.  It  has  no  ruins,  but, 
from  its  name,  it  seems  to  lay  claim  to 
the  site  of  Selinon,  though  the  Itine- 
rary places  Selinon  half-way  between. 
Antseopolis  and  Panopolis.  Perhaps 
in  this  place  we  should  read  Passalon 
for  Selinon.  At  El  Khowabid  are  some 
mounds,  but  no  ruins ;  and  in  the 
hills  to  the  N.E.  are  some  limestone- 
quarries.  About  a  mile  further  to  the 
S.E.  are  some  grottoes,  at  the  pro- 
jecting corner  of  the  hills,  and  others 
behind  the  Dayr  Tassa. 

(W.)  Abooteeg  (15  miles)  stands  on 
the  site  of  an  ancient  town  on  the  W. 
bank ;  and  Wansleb  mentions  Sidfeh 
(or  Sitfeh)  as  the  successor  of  another, 
about  5  m.  to  the  S.  of  it.  Abooteeg 
is  the  Abutis  of  Latin  writers,  the 
Apothyke  or  Tapothyke  of  the  Copts : 
which,  as  M.  Champollion  suggests,  is 
very  probably  a  Greek  word  signifying 
"granary,"  adopted  by  the  Copts. 
Aboolfeela  says  that  in  his  time  the 
poppy  was  much  cultivated  in  the 
vicinity,  and  it  still  continues  to  be 
grown  there.  From  Abooteeg  the 
course  of  the  river  northwards  for- 
merly lay  more  inland  to  the  W. 
This  is  consistent  with  the  position 
of  Selinon,  on  the  opposite  bank,  to 
which  a  canal  is  said  to  have  led 
from  the  Nile. 

(W.)  Koos-kam,  or  Kos-kam  (in 
Coptic  Kos-kam),  stands  on  the  W. 
bank,  between  Abooteeg  and  Gow  el 
Gharbeeyah.  It  was  called  Apollinis 
Minor  Civitas,  to  distinguish  it  from 
Apollinopolis  Magna  and  Parva,  now 
Edfoo  and  Koos. 

( /<:.)  Behind  El  Bedareh,  on  the  E. 
bank,  are  some  unsculptured  caves  of 
early  time  with  round  lintels  ;  and  be- 
hind Kom-Altmar,  a  little  farther  N., 
I  are  others  with  slight  remains  of  rude 


372 


EOUTE  18.  CAIRO  TO  TEEBES. 


Sect,  III. 


painting ;  and  one  to  the  N.  of  these 
has  a  few  hieroglyphics  over  the  en- 
trance. The  rest  are  without  sculp- 
ture, including  those  behind  the  Dayr 
Tassa  already  mentioned. 

(E.)  Eaaineh,  a  pretty-looking  vil- 
lage with  groves  of  palm-trees,  and 
many  pigeon-towers.  In  the  hill  be- 
hind, and  close  to  Nesleh  Raaineh, 
are  some  very  old  tombs  hewn  in  the 
rock,  of  the  same  age  as  those  about 
the  pyramids :  they  have  the  same 
kind  of  subjects,  and  the  same  round 
lintels ;  the  boats  have  the  old  double 
mast;  and  the  capitals,  in  the  form 
of  a  full-blown  lotus,  are  represented 
in  the  house  as  in  the  tomb  of  trades 
behind  the  Great  Pyramid.  In  the 
largest  tomb,  which  is  about  40  ft. 
in  length,  are  several  statues  in  high 
relief,  and  the  roof  is  cut  to  represent 
palm-tree  beams.  Farther  to  the  S., 
between  these  and  the  projecting 
corner  of  the  mountain  below  Gow, 
is  a  large  quarry,  and  at  its  mouth 
are  the  mounds  of  an  old  town,  the 
bricks  of  which  bear  the  name  of 
Amunoph  III.  Here  or  at  Raaineh 
was  the  site  of  Muthis.  Bound  the 
mountain-point,  which  then  curves  in- 
wards to  the  E.,  are  some  old,  and 
some  later,  grottoes,  the  former  of  the 
same  date  as  those  of  Asyoot,  the 
others  of  the  age  of  the  Romans,  and 
perhaps  painted  by  them,  being  orna- 
mented with  arabesques  and  devices 
of  that  time.  The  subjects,  however, 
are  Egyptian,  and  funereal.  Near 
them  are  some  crude-brick  remains. 
In  another  large  quarry,  some  dis- 
tance beyond  these  to  the  eastward, 
are  two  singular  representations  of 
the  giant-god  Antseus,  accompanied 
by  Nephthys,  holding  in  his  left  hand 
a  spear  and  an  oryx.  In  one  of  these 
he  lias  rays  round  his  head  like 
the  Sun,  and  before  him  is  a  priest 
making  offerings  to  him.  Over  the 
other  altar  is  an  enchorial  inscription. 
These  paintings  are  of  the  same  late 
time  as  the  Roman-Egyptian  tombs 
just  mentioned. 

f  E.)  Gow,  or  Kmc,  el  Kehe€r  (14|  m.), 
in  Coptic  Tkoou,  the  ancient  Antxopolis, 


stands  on  the  E.  b^nk.  The  remains 
of  the  temple  of  Antaaus  are  now  con- 
fined to  a  confused  mass  of  stones  near 
the  water's  edge,  one  of  which  bears 
the  hieroglyphic  names  of  Ptolemy 
Philopator  and  his  queen  Arsinoe. 
The  last  remaining  column  of  the 
temple,  mentioned  by  Dr.  Richardson, 
was  carried  away  by  the  river  in  1821, 
which  Mr.  Legh,  says,  as  early  as 
1813,  threatened  "  to  wash  the  whole 
away."  At  the  time  he  visited  it  the 
portico  was  still  standing,  and  much 
in  the  same  state  as  when  seen  by 
Norden  and  Pococke  in  1737.  Mr. 
Hamilton  found  the  Greek  inscription 
on  the  frieze  of  the  portico  in  a  very- 
imperfect  state,  the  stones  having 
been  broken  into  six  separate  pieces ; 
but  sufficient  remained  to  show  that 
"  King  Ptolemy,  the  son  of  Ptolemy 
and  Cleopatra,  gods  Epiphanes,  Eu- 
charistes,  and  queen  Cleopatra,  the 
sister  of  the  king,  gods  Philometores, 
erected  the  (Pro)na<>s  to  Antaeus  and 
the  contemplar  gods ; "  and  that  "  the 
emperors,  the  Caesars,  Aurellii,  Anto- 
ninus (and  Varus)  repaired  the  roof." 

The  columns  had  palm-tree  capitals, 
like  the  building  that  contained  the 
tomb  of  Amasis,  in  the  sacied  encdo- 
sure  of  SaVs,  mentioned  by  Herodotus. 
These  seem  to  have  been  more  com- 
mon in  temples  of  the  Delta  than  in 
those  of  Upper  Egypt.  Nothing  re- 
mains at  Gow  in  its  original  position, 
excepting  some  small  btones ;  and  of 
the  columns,  little  can  be  traced  but 
broken  fragments,  with  mutilated 
hieroglyphics. 

Inland  from  Gow  el  Kebee'r  is  a 
large  lake,  where  capital  goose  and 
duck  shooting  may  he  had  in  the  early 
part  of  the  year ;  but  the  birds  are  very 
difficult  of  approach,  and  if  the  tra- 
veller has  a  small  English  boat  with 
him,  he  should  have  it  carried  to  the 
lake. 

( W.)  Gow  el  Gharbeeyah,  on  the  op- 
posite bank,  has  no  ruins.  It  was  the 
centre  of  an  insurrection  in  March, 
1865,  which  however  was  promptly 
quelled,  the  rebels  being  shot  and 
hanged,  and  several  villages  de- 
stroyed. 

(E.)  Near  Antoeopolis  the  fabulous 


Egypt 


ROUTE  18.  GEBEL 


SHEYKH  HEREEDEE. 


373 


battle  between  Horus  and  Typlion  was 
reputed  to  have  taken  place,  which 
ended  in  the  deft  at  of  the  latter,  who 
had  assumed  the  form  of  a  crocodile  ; 
and  here  Antaeus  is  said  to  have  been 
killed  by  Hercules  in  the  time  of 
Osiris.  Of  these  two  fables  we  may  in 
vain  endeavour  to  discover  the  origin 
or  the  meaning;  but  it  is  probable 
that  the  story  of  Antseus  is  a  Greek 
perversion  of  some  legend,  as  his  name 
is  corrupted  from  that  of  one  of  the 
ancient  gods  of  the  Egyptian  Pan- 
theon. He  was  probably  a  foreign 
deity;  as  were  the  bearded  god  of 
battles  of  early  times,  and  Anta 
(Anaitis  ?)  the  goddess  of  battles  whose 
name  so  nearly  resembles  that  of 
Antaeus.  Antseopolis  was  in  later  times 
a  bishop's  see. 

(W.)  At  Mishte,  Shabeka,  and 
Sheykh  Shenedeen,  on  the  W.  bank, 
are  the  mounds  of  old  towns  ;  and  in- 
land, opposite  Gebel  Sheykh  Heree'dee. 
is  Tahtah,  distinguished  from  afar  by 
its  extensive  mounds,  which  probably 
mark  the  site  of  the  ancient  Hesopis. 

(TT.)  Tahtah  (12*  miles)  is  a  large 
town  of  3000  inhabitants,  with  several 
mosks,  and  its  landing-place,  or  Sahel, 
is  at  the  bend  of  the  river,  opposite 
Sheykh  Hereedee.  The  land  here- 
abouts produces  abundant  crops  of 
corn,  owing  to  the  lowness  of  the 
level,  and  the  consequent  length  of 
time  that  the  water  of  the  inundation 
remains  upon  its  surface :  and  an  im- 
portant cattle-market  is  held  outside 
the  town. 

(E.)  Gebel  Sheykh  Heree'dee  is  a  pro- 
jecting part  of  the  eastern  chain  of 
hills,  well  known  for  the  superstitious 
belief  attached  to  a  serpent,  reputed 
to  have  lived  there  for  ages,  and  to 
have  the  power  of  removing  every 
kind  of  complaint ;  and  many  mira- 
culous cures,  that  might  have  offended 
Jupiter,  are  attributed  to  this  worthy 
successor  of  the  emblem  of  iE^cula- 
pius.  It  is,  perhaps,  to  the  asp,  the 
symbol  of  Kneph,  or  of  the  good  ge- 
nius, that  this  serpent  has  succeeded. 

Here,  as  in  all  parts  of  the  Nile  where 
the  mountains  come  close  to  the  river, 


it  is  necessary  to  be  very  careful  in 
sailing  up-stream  if  the  wind  is  at 
all  strong,  as  very  violent  gusts  come 
down  from  the  hills;  and  what  with 
the  huge  lateen  sail,  little  or  no  bal- 
last, and  no  great  readiness  in  answer- 
ing the  helm,  a  dahabeenh  is  very  apt 
to  be  most  unpleasantly  unsteady. 

(E.)  Towards  the  southern  end  of 
the  mountain,  and  on  its  western  face, 
are  some  caves,  one  of  which  has  a 
tablet  of  a  late  king  offering  to  Khem, 
Horus,  and  Isis  (?),  and  in  the  face 
of  the  rock  to  the  S.  of  this  are  re- 
mains of  an  old  tomb  of  the  Pyramid 
period.  Farther  to  the  S.  are  other 
quarries;  and  beyond  them,  towards 
the  S.  end  of  this  face  of  it,  is  another 
quarry,  before  which  are  some  brick 
ruins  of  Christian  time.  In  this  quarry 
are  some  tablets ;  one  of  which  has 
the  name  of  a  Ptolemy  (probably  Au- 
letes),  and  beneath  it  a  long  enchorial 
inscription.  On  the  road  which  runs 
at  the  base  of  the  mountain  is  a 
mutilated  statue  of  a  man  clad  in  the 
Roman  toga. 

(E.)  Passalon  or  Passalus  is  sup- 
posed to  have  stood  here.  It  is  placed 
by  Ptolemy  in  the  nome  of  Antseopolis  ; 
and  the  boundary  of  the  provinces  of 
Gow  and  Ekhmeem,  which  is  still  at 
Raaineh,  may  mark  that  of  the  old 
Antseopolite  and  Panopolite  norne*. 
This  Raaineh  is  remarkable  for  its 
lofty  pigeon-houses,  which  have  the 
appearance,  as  well  as  the  name,  of 
"towers"  (boon/),  a  style  of  building 
commonly  met  with  in  Upper  Egypt. 

(E.)  During  the  inundation  the  Nile 
rises  to  the  narrow  path  at  the  base 
of  the  mountain,  so  as  to  render  it 
scarcely  passable  for  camels  near  the 
southern  extremity.  Pound  this  pro- 
jecting point  to  the  eastward  are  a  few 
grottoes  without  sculpture. 

(W)  At  Benowee't,  on  the  opposite 
bank,  to  the  W.  of  Maragha,  are  re- 
mains of  a  temple,  with  the  name  of 
Ptolemy  Alexander;  and  at  Basona, 
about  1|  m.  S.  of  Maragha,  are  some 
limestone  blocks,  one  with  the  name 
of  a  Ptolemy  or  of  a  Csesar ;  another 
of  larger  dimensions  with  the  figure  of 


374 


ROUTE  18. — CAIRO  TO  THEBES. 


Sect.  IIL 


a  king  (apparently  a  Ptolemy)  offer-  j 
ing  to  Khem,  Isis,  and  other  deities,  j 
The  chief  deity  here  and  at  Benowee't 
was  probably  Khem. 

(E.)  At  Fow,  in  Coptic  Phboou- 
Tgeli,  are  the  mouods  of  an  ancient 
town.  It  was  distinguished  from 
another  Fow,  beyond  Chenoboscion, 
which  the  Greeks  called  Bopos,  by 
the  adjunct  Tgeli,  signifying  a  "  fort." 
It  was  by  its  position  in  the  level 
plain  between  the  mountains  and  the 
Nile  that  it  commanded  the  road  from 
Antseopolis  to  Chemmis. 

(E.)  In  the  mountains  behind  Ket- 
katee  are  one  large,  and  numerous 
small  grottoes  (without  sculpture), 
and  the  bodies  appear  to  be  preserved 
without  bitumen.  There  are  others 
again  behind  Fow ;  and  at  the  corner 
of  the  mountain,  to  the  N.  of  Ekk- 
ineem  are  some  of  Koman  time. 

(IT.)  Itfoo  lies  inland,  on  the  W. 
bank.  It  was  the  ancient  Aphrodito- 
polis,  in  Coptic  AtbS  or  Thbo.  About 
f  m.  to  the  S.W.  of  Itfoo  is  the  Red 
Monastery;  and  2J  m.  to  the  S.S.E.  is 
the  White  Monastery,  so  called  from 
the  stone,  as  the  other  is  from  the 
brick,  of  which  it  is  built.  These 
names  are,  however,  of  late  date,  as 
both  build  ;ngs  were  originally  covered 
with  stucco.  The  White  Monastery  is 
better  known  by  the  name  of  Amba 
Shenobdeh,  or  St.  Senode,  and  the 
other  by  that  of  Amba  Bishoi.  The 
founder  of  the  latter,  according  to 
Wansleb,  was  a  penitent  robber,  whose 
club  was  kept  by  the  monks  as  a  me- 
morial of  his  wicked  course  of  life, 
and  of  his  subsequent  reformation. 
The  best  road  to  them  is  from  Soohag, 
which  stands  near  the  end  of  the  reach 
of  the  river  below  Ekhmeem. 

(W.)  Soohdg  (26  miles),  the  capital 
of  the  province  of  Girgeh,  is  a  well- 
built  and  important  town,  with  some 
good  houses  and  mosks,  and  a  well- 
supplied  bazaar.  Its  mounds  show  it 
to  have  succeeded  to  an  old  town,  but 
there  are  no  stone  remains. 

Soohag  has  given  its  name  to  a 
large  canal  called  "  Toora."  "Kha- 
lee'g,"  or  "  Moie-t-Soohag,"  that  takes  1 


j  the  water  of  the  Nile  into  the  interior 
j  during  the  inundation,  and  is  similar 
in  size  and  purport  to  the  Bahr  Yoo- 
sef.  It  is  this  canal  which  irrigates 
the  plain  about  Asyoot,  and  the  lands 
to  the  S.  of  Daroot  esh  Shereef,  as- 
sisted here  and  there  by  lateral  canals 
from  the  river.  Its  entrance  is  well 
constructed,  being  lined  with  hewn 
stone.  A  gisr,  or  raised  dyke,  forms 
the  usual  communication,  during  the 
high  Nile,  with  the  villages  in  the  in- 
terior ;  and  here  and  there,  on  the 
way  to  Itfoo  and  the  two  monasteries, 
you  pass  other  smaller  canals,  all  which, 
as  well  as  the  Moie-t-Soohag,  are  with- 
out water  in  summer.  Several  small 
ponds,  also  dry  at  this  season,  are 
passed  on  the  way ;  and  at  the  edge 
of  the  cultivated  land  the  peasants 
sink  wells  for  artificial  irrigation ;  the 
water  of  the  Nile  filtering  through 
the  soil  to  any  distance  from  the 
banks,  and  affording  a  constant  sup- 
ply at  the  then  level  of  the  river.  In 
the  winter,  when  the  water  still  re- 
mains in  the  ponds,  very  good  duck- 
shooting  may  be  had  on  the  way  to 
the  monasteries. 

(W.)  The  White  Monastery  or  White 
Convent  (Dayr  el  dbiad)  stands  on  the 
edge  of  the  desert,  and  its  inmates 
cultivate  a  small  portion  of  land  about 
it,  in  the  capacity  of  fellaheen.  The 
monastery  is  in  fact  only  a  Christian 
village,  being  inhabited  by  women  as 
well  as  men,  with  their  families.  In 
former  times  the  monks  probably 
lodged  in  rooms  over  the  colonnade, 
as  the  holes  for  rafters  in  the  walls 
appear  to  show ;  but  these  people  now 
live  in  the  lower  part,  which  once 
formed  the  aisles  of  the  church.  They 
have  adopted  the  same  precaution  as 
their  brethren  at  Bibbeh,  in  order  to 
secure  the  building  in  turbulent  times 
against  the  assaults  of  the  Moslems ; 
and  their  Christian  patron,  like  St. 
George  of  Bibbeh,  is  converted  into  a 
Moslem  sheykh,  who  commands  the  re- 
spect of  the  credulous  under  the  mys- 
terious name  of  Sheykh  Aboo  Shenoo- 
deh. The  monastery  is  built  of  hewn 
1  stones,  measuring  about  3  ft.  3  in.  by 
1  1  ft.  3  in.,  many  of  which  belonged  to 


Egypt. 


KOUTE  18.  SOOHAG  THE  WHITE  MONASTEKY. 


375 


ancient  buildings  of  the  neighbouring  I 
town  of  Athribis.  The  summit  of  the 
walls  is  crowned  throughout  by  a 
stone  cornice,  like  that  of  Egyptian 
temples,  though  without  the  torus, 
which  in  Egyptian  architecture  sepa- 
rates the  cornice  from  the  architrave, 
or  from  the  face  of  the  wall.  On 
the  exterior  of  the  S.  side  are  square 
niches,  once  stuccoed,  as  was  all  the 
building;  and  on  the  N.  are  small 
windows,  built  up  within  the  old 
square  niches,  which  are  placed  at  in- 
tervals along  all  the  walls,  except  on 
that  side  nearest  the  mountain,  which 
has  been  added  at  a  later  time. 

Six  doors  formerly  led  into  the  inte- 
rior, five  of  which  have  been  closed  with 
masonry,  leaving  that  alone  on  the  S. 
side,  which  is  now  the  only  entrance. 
Over  all  the  doors  a  projecting  wall 
of  brickwork  has  been  built  in  order 
to  strengthen  them;  doubtless  at  a 
time  when  they  were  threatened  by  an 
attack  from  the  Arabs  or  the  Mem- 
looks,  on  which  occasion  even  the  soli- 
tary door  now  open  was  closed,  and 
protected  in  the  same  manner.  Near 
the  S.  door  are  the  fragments  of  red 
granite  columns  and  statues.  From 
the  walls  project  blocks  not  unlike  the 
gurgoyles  or  water-spouts  of  Egyptian 
temples,  as  at  Dendera  and  other 
places,  though  there  is  no  reason  to 
suppose  this  was  ever  a  temple,  even  of 
late  time.  It  may,  however,  have  de- 
rived the  form  of  its  exterior  from  those 
edifices,  which  the  builders  had  been 
accustomed  to  see  in  the  country,  while 
the  architectural  details  are  Byzantine ; 
and  judging  from  the  number  of 
columns  and  the  style  of  the  interior, 
it  seems  to  have  been  erected  at  a  time 
when  Christianity  was  under  the 
special  protection  of  the  imperial  go- 
vernment. Pococke  supposes  it  to  be 
of  the  time  of  the  Empress  Helena; 
and  the  tradition  among  the  monks 
dates  its  foundation  about  150  years 
after  her  death.  Over  the  door  on  the 
desert  side  is  a  cornice  ornamented 
with  Corinthian  foliage,  above  which 
is  a  stone  with  square  dentils,  both  of  ' 
red  granite ;  and  over  the  door,  at  the 
end  of  the  entrance  passage,  is  another 
block  of  red  granite  with  Doric  tri- 


I  glyphs  and  guttse.  The  area  within, 
like  our  churches  and  the  old  basilicas, 
consists  of  a  nave  and  side-aisles,  sepa- 
rated from  each  other  by  a  row  of  about 

14  columns,  mostly  of  red  granite,  with 
various  capitals  of  a  late  time.  One 
of  the  Corinthian,  and  another  of  the 
Ionic  order,  appear  to  be  of  a  better 
age.  The  total  beeadth  of  the  build- 
ing inside  is  78  ft. 

At  the  E.  end  is  the  choir,  consist- 
ing of  3  semicircular  apses,  and  before 
the  central  one  is  a  screen  with  some 
miserable  representations  of  St.  George. 
Here  are  several  Coptic  inscriptions, 
in  one  of  which  may  be  read  the  words 
"  Athanasius  the  Patriarch,"  the  rest 
being  much  defaced. 

The  half-domes  of  the  apses  are 
painted  with  frescoes ;  the  centre  one 
representing  a  large  figure  of  the  Sa- 
viour seated  on  his  throne,  with  the 
emblems  of  the  4  Evangelists  at  the 
side  of  a  sort  of  vesica  that  surrounds 
him.  The  date  of  these  subjects  is 
uncertain ;  but  they  are  evidently  later 
than  the  building,  its  ornaments  being 
covered  by  the  stucco  on  which  they 
are  painted.  There  are  several  Coptic 
inscriptions  in  the  church,  and  one 
in  uncial  Greek  characters  upon  a 
column  to  the  1.  as  you  face  the  central 
apse. 

On  three  sides  of  this  building,  and 
at  a  short  distance  from  it,  are  the 
remains  of  brickwork,  of  which  the 
outer  wall  was  built ;  and  perhaps 
the  present  building  was  only  the 
church  of  a  monastery  formerly  at- 
tached to  it. 

Tradition  reports  that  this  convent 
stands  on  the  site  of  an  Egyptian  city 
called  Medeenet  Atreeb,  and  the  ruins 
in  its  vicinity  may  be  the  remains  of 
an  old  town ;  but  the  remains  of  the 
old  Athribis,  or  Crocodilopolis  stand 
about  half  an  hour's  ride  to  the  south- 
ward, where  a  ruined  temple  and 
extensive  mounds  still  mark  its  site. 

In  the  midst  of  mounds  of  pottery 
lie  large  blocks  of  limestone,  14  to 

15  ft.  long,  by  3,  and  5  ft.  thick,  the 
remains  of  a  temple  200  ft.  by  175, 
facing  the  S.,  and  dedicated  to  the 
lion-headed  goddess  Thriphis.  Over 
the  door  is  a  king  offering  to  Thriphis, 


376 


ROUTE  18. — CAIRO  TO  THEBES. 


StCt.  III. 


Khem,  and  other  deities,  over  whom, 
is  the  name  of  Ptolemy  the  Elder,  son 
of  Auletes;  and  it  is  probable  that  the 
foundation  of  the  building  is  even  of 
a  still  earlier  date.  On  a  stone,  at  the 
southern  extremity  of  the  ruins,  which 
covered  the  centre  doorway  or  entrance 
of  the  portico,  are  names  arranged  on 
either  side  of  a  head  of  Athor,  sur- 
mounted by  a  globe  containing  the 
mysterious  eye,  with  two  asps,  wear- 
ing the  crowns  of  Upper  and  Lower 
Egypt,  the  whole  group  being  com- 
pleted by  two  sitting  deities.  Such 
are  the  ornamental  devices  of  cornices 
and  architraves  on  temples  of  the 
time  of  the  empire,  as  at  Dendera  and 
other  places.  On  the  soffit  of  the 
fame  were  the  ovals  of  Tiberius  Clau- 
dius Kaisaros  (Csesar)  Germanicus  (?)  ; 
and  on  the  other  side  a  Greek  in- 
scription accompanied  by  the  ovals  of 
Claudius  Csesar  Germanicus. 

These  ruins  have  also  the  name  of 
Medeenet  Ashaysh. 

On  the  face  of  the  mountain  about 
half  a  mile  W.S.W.  \  S.  of  the  White 
Convent  are  some  rock-tombs,  having 
passages  sloping  in  at  an  angle  of 
35°  for  lowering  coffins.  They  have 
scarcely  any  remains  of  hieroglyphics, 
but  are  of  very  early  date.  The  rock 
here  bears  curious  marks  of  running 
water,  and  stalagmitic  deposits.  About 
half  a  mile  beyond  the  ruins  of  Athri- 
bis  are  the  quarries  from  which  the 
stone  of  the  temple  was  taken  ;  and 
below  are  several  small  grottoes  that 
have  serve  d  for  tombs,  and  were  once 
furnished  with  doors,  secured,  as  usual, 
by  a  bolt  or  lock.  On  the  lintel  of 
one  of  them  is  a  Greek  inscription, 
saying  that  it  was  "  the  sepulchre  of 
Ermius,  the  son  of  Archibius."  It 
has  the  Egyptian  cornice  and  torus. 
In  the  interior  are  cells,  and  it  con- 
tains the  scattered  residue  of  burnt 
bones.  Through  one  of  its  side  walls 
an  entrance  has  been  forced  into  the 
adjoining  tomb.  The  mountain  ap- 
pears to  have  had  the  name  in  Coptic" 
of  Pfoow-n-atrepe,  from  the  neighbour- 
ing city. 

The  Red  Convent  (Dayr  el  Almar), 
which  lies  to  the  N.N.W.  is  rather 


older  than  the  White  Convent ;  but 
they  are  probably  both  of  a  later  date 
than  the  Empress  Helena.  The  Dayr 
el  Ahmar  is  built  in  the  same  style  as 
the  other  convent ;  its  long  flat  walls 
surmounted  by  the  Egyptian  cornice, 
which  is  also  of  stone.  Its  small  brick 
windows  are  pointed  and  slightly 
stilted,  and  are  in  their  construction 
very  like  those  in  the  convent  of  Old 
Cairo,  added  by  the  early  Christians, 
and  in  the  mosk  of  Amer.  The  north- 
ern entrance  (long  since  closed)  is  orna- 
mented with  devices  and  capitals  of 
Byzantine  time,  elaborately  sculptured. 
What  is  now  the  church  was  perhaps 
originally  only  the  E.  end  of  it,  the 
outer  part  then  forming  the  nave  and 
aisles  of  this  basilica-shaped  building. 
The  church  consists  of  a  transverse 
corridor,  and  a  central  and  two  side 
apses;  and  on  each  half-dome  is 
painted  a  fresco,  as  at  the  White 
Convent.  Like  other  early  Christian 
churches,  it  does  not  stand  E.  and 
W.,  but  67°  E.  of  N.,  and  that  of  the 
White  Convent  59°  E.  of  N.,  by  com- 
pass. 

In  the  face  of  the  hill,  1J  m.  S.W. 
5  W.  from  the  Eed  Convent,  is  a  rock- 
tomb,  with  a  few  vestiges  of  sculp- 
tures. It  is  called  Magharat  Kafes. 
An  ancient  road  leads  towards  it  from 
near  the  convent. 

(E.)  Elchmeem  stands  at  a  short 
distance  from  the  river-bank,  2  or  3  m. 
above  Soohag.  It  is  a  large  town, 
with  a  bazaar,  and  a  market-day  every 
Wednesday.  Here  are  made  the  check 
cotton  shawls  with  silk  fringes,  so  often 
worn  by  the  Nile  boatmen.  Ekhmeem 
occupies  the  site  of  Chemmis  or  Pano- 
polis,  in  Coptic  Chmimor  Shmim,  for- 
merly one  of  the  most  considerable 
cities  of  the  Theba'id. 

On  the  side  of  the  town  farthest 
from  the  river,  beyond  the  present 
walls,  are  the  remains  of  some  of  its 
ancient  buildings. 

A  long  inscription,  bearing  the  date 
of  the  12th  year  of  the  Emperor  Tra- 
janus  Germanicus  Dacicus,  points  out 
the  site  of  the  Temple  of  Pan  ;  who, 
as  we  learn  from  the  dedication,  shares 
with  Thriphis  the  honours  of  the 


Egypt. 


KOUTE  18. — EKHMEEM. 


377 


sanctuary.  We  also  ascertain  another 
very  important  fact  from  this  inscrip- 
tion, that  the  deity,  who  h;is  been 
called  Priapus  and  Mendes.  is  in  reality 
the  Pan  of  Egypt,  his  figure  being 
represented  on  the  same  face  of  the 
stone  with  the  dedication  :  which  ac- 
cords very  well  with  the  description  of 
the  deity  of  Panopolis,  given  by  Ste- 
phanus  of  Byzantium.  On  the  soffit 
is  a  circle  divided  into  12  compart- 
ments, probably  astronomical ;  but 
these,  as  well  as  the  figures  on  the 
neighbouring  block,  are  nearly  all 
defaced. 

These  are,  doubtless,  the  remains  of 
the  fine  temple  mentioned  by  Abool- 
feda,  which  he  reckons  among  the 
most  remarkable  iu  Egypt,  as  well  for 
the  size  of  the  stones  used  in  its  con- 
struction, as  for  the  profusion  of  sub- 
jects sculptured  upon  them. 

Vestiges  of  other  ruins  are  met  with 
some  distauce  beyond,  which  may  pro- 
bably have  belonged  to  the  temple  of 
Perseus;  but  a  few  imperfect  sculp- 
tures are  all  that  now  remain,  and  it 
is  with  difficulty  we  can  trace  on  its 
scattered  fragments  the  name  of  Pto- 
lemy, the  son  of  Auletes,  and  that 
of  the  Emperor  Domitian.  There  are 
also  the  names  of  Thothmes  III.  and 
of  a  queen,  probably  of  one  of  the  late 
Pharaohs. 

According  to  Strabo,  Panopolis  was 
a  very  ancient  city,  and  the  inhabitants 
were  famous  as  linen  manufacturers 
and  workers  in  stone ;  nor  were  they, 
if  we  may  believe  Herodotus,  so  much 
prejudiced  against  the  manners  of  the 
Greeks  as  the  rest  of  the  Egyptians. 
The  people  of  Chemmis,  says  the  his- 
torian of  Halicarnassus,  are  the  only 
Egyptians  who  are  not  remarkable 
"fur  their  abhorrence  of  Greek  cus- 
toms. Chemmis  is  a  large  city  of  the 
Theba'id,  near  Neapoli-',  where  there 
is  a  temple  of  Perseus,  the  son  of  Da- 
nae.  This  temple  is  of  a  square  form, 
and  surrounded  by  palm-trees.  It  has 
stone  propyla  of  considerable  size, 
upon  which  are  two  largo  statues ;  and 
within  the  sacred  circuit  stands  the 
sanctuary,  having  in  it  an  image  of 
Perseus.  For  the  Chemmites  say  that 
Perseus  has  often  appeared  in  their 


country,  and  even  within  the  temple, 
and  his  sandal  was  once  found  there, 
2  cubits  in  length.  They  also  state 
that  his  appearance  was  always  looked 
upon  as  a  great  blessing,  being  fol- 
lowed by  the  prosperous  condition  of 
the  whole  of  Egypt.  They  celebrate 
gymnastic  games  in  his  honour,  in  the 
manner  of  the  Greeks,  at  which  they 
contend  for  prizes,  consisting  of  cattle, 
cloaks,  and  skins. 

"  On  inquiring  why  Perseus  was  in 
the  habit  of  appearing  to  them  alone, 
and  why  they  differed  from  the  rest 
of  the  Egyptians  in  having  gymnastic 
games,  they  replied  that  Perseus  was 
a  native  of  their  city,  and  that  Danaus 
and  Lynceus  being  Chemmites,  emi- 
grated into  Greece.  They  then  showed 
me  the  genealogy  of  those  two  persons, 
bringing  it  down  to  Perseus;  and 
stated  that  the  latter,  having  come  to 
Egypt  for  the  same  reason  given  by 
the  Greeks,  to  carry  off  the  head  of 
the  Gorgon  from  Libya,  visited  their 
country  aud  recognised  all  his  rela- 
tions. They  added  that  when  he 
came  to  Egypt  he  knew  the  name  of 
Chemmis  from  his  mother ;  and  the 
games  were  celebrated  in  compliance 
with  his  wishes." 

This  tale  doubtless  originated  in 
the  credulity  of  the  Greeks,  and  in 
their  endeavour  to  trace  resemblances 
in  other  religions  with  the  deities  or 
personages  of  their  own  mythology : 
or,  if  a  similar  story  were  really  told 
to  the  historian  by  the  Egyptians 
themselves,  it  could  only  have  been 
fabricated  by  that  crafty  people,  to 
flatter  the  vanity  of  Greek  strangers, 
whose  inquiries  alone  would  suffice  to 
show  the  readiest  mode  of  practising 
such  a  deception.  Perseus  was  no 
more  an  Egyptian  deity  than  Macedo  ; 
and  it  is  still  a  matter  of  doubt  to 
what  deities  in  the  Egyptian  Pantheon 
these  two  names  are  to  be  referred. 

The  notion  of  the  great  antiquity  of 
Panopolis  seems  to  have  been  tradi- 
tionally maintained  even  to  the  time  of 
the  Moslems ;  and  Leo  Africanus  con- 
siders it  "  the  oldest  city  of  all  Egypt," 
having,  as  he  supposes,  "  been  founded 
by  Ekhineem,  the  son  of  Misraim,  the 
offspring  of  Cush,  the  son  of  Ham." 


378 


EOUTE  18. — -CAIRO  TO  THEBES. 


Sect.  III. 


It  seems  to  have  suffered  much  at  the 
period  of  the  Arab  conquest;  and  to 
Buch  an  extent  was  the  fury  of  the  in- 
vaders carried  against  this  devoted 
city,  that  "  nothing  was  left  of  its 
buildings  but  their  foundations  and 
ruined  walls;"  and  all  the  columns 
and  stones  of  any  size  were  carried  to 
the  other  side  of  the  river,  and  used  in 
the  embellishment  of  Mensheeyah. 

In  Pococke's  time  Ekhmeem  was  the 
residence  of  a  powerful  chief,  who  took 
from  it  the  title  of  emeer  or  prince  of 
Ekhmeem.  His  family,  which  was  ori- 
ginally from  Barbary,  established  itself 
here  three  or  four  generations  before, 
and  obtained  fiom  the  Sultan  the  go- 
vernment of  this  part  of  the  country, 
upon  condition  of  paying  an  annual 
tribute.  But  their  name  and  in- 
fluence have  now  ceased,  and,  like 
the  Hawara  Arabs,  once  so  well  known 
in  these  districts,  the  princes  of  Ekh- 
mim  are  only  known  from  the  accounts 
of  old  travellers,  and  the  traditions  of 
the  people.  They  show  their  tombs, 
with  those  of  their  slaves  ;  and  in  the 
cemetery,  near  the  ruins,  is  the  tomb 
of  the  patron  of  the  town,  Sheykh 
Abooel  Kasim.  Boats,  ostrich-eggs, 
and  inscriptions  are  hung  up  within  it 
as  ex-votos  to  the  saint;  and  a  tree 
within  the  holy  precincts  is  studded 
with  nails,  driven  into  it  by  persons 
suffering  from  illness,  in  the  hopes  of 
a  cure.  Near  this  is  the  tomb  of  Bir 
el  Abbad,  above  mentioned.  It  was 
at  Ekhmeem  that  Nestorius,  after  16 
years'  exile,  ended  his  days  and  was 
buried,  in  the  middle  of  the  5th  centy. 

(E.)  Pococke  speaks  of  some  con- 
vents near  Ekhmeem,  one  called  "  of 
the  Martyrs,"  mentioned  by  the  Arab 
historian  Macrizi,  and  another  about 
two  miles  further  in  a  wild  valley, 
which  is  composed  of  grottoes  in  the 
rock,  and  a  brick  chapel  covered  with 
Coptic  inscriptions.  Near  this  is  a 
rude  beaten  path,  leading  to  what 
appears  to  have  been  the  abode  of  a 
hermit.  This  valley  is  doubtless  the 
Wady  el  Ain  ("  Valley  of  the  Spring  "), 
between  3  and  4  m.  to  the  N.E.  of 
Ekhmeem.  in  which  are  a  spring  of 
water  and  grottoes,  and  on  the  S.  j 


of  its  mouth  an  old  road  leading  over  I 
the  mountains.  Close  to  this  is  a  It 
modern  pass  called  Nukb  el  Kdlee,  »| 
which  crosses  the  mountains,  and  de-  j 
scends  again  into  the  valley,  in  the  I : 
district  of  Sherg  "Weled  Yahia,  nearly 
opposite  Bardees. 

(E.)  Behind  the  village  of  Howa- 
weesh  are  other  grottoes,  of  very  an- 
cient date;  in  which  Mr.  Harris  found 
the  hieroglyphic  name  of  the  nome  of 
Panopolis ;  and  3  m.  above  Ekhmeem 
are  the  vestiges  of  an  ancient  town, 
probably  Thomu.  The  remains  there 
consist  of  mounds  and  crude  brick. 

Thomu  should  he  the  place  called  in 
Coptic  Thmoui  m  Paneheou ;  but  M. 
Champollion  endeavours  to  show  from 
a  Copt  MS.  that  it  was  an  island  on 
the  western  side  of  the  Nile,  opposite 
Ekhmeem  ;  and  its  name,  "  the  Is i and 
of  the  place  of  Cattle,"  argues  that  it 
was  not  on  the  mainland,  if  even  it  j 
could  be  to  the  E.  of  Panopolis. 
Thomu,  however,  is  placed  by  the 
Itinerary  on  the  E.  bank,  4  m.  above  1 
Panopolis,  and  therefore  agrees  with 
the  position  of  these  mounds. 

Some  other  places  are  mentioned  in 
the  Coptic  MSS.  as  having  existed  in 
the  vicinity  of  Ekhmeem;  but  of  iheir 
exact  position  nothing  is  satisfactorily 
known.  These  are  Pleuit,  Shenalolet, 
and  Tsmine,  the  first  of  which  appears 
to  have  been  an  ancient  town  of  some 
consequence;  the  second,  from  its 
name,  a  village  with  many  vineyards 
in  its  neighbourhood  ;  and  in  the  last 
was  a  monastery  founded  by  St.  Pacho- 
mius. 

(IF.)  Menslieeyah  (11  m.)  has  exten- 
sive mounds,  but  the  only  vestiges  of 
masonry  consist  in  a  stone  quay  on  the 
E.  side  of  the  town.  It  stands  on  a 
small  branch  of  the  Nile,  which  was 
probably  once  the  main  stream.  By 
the  Copts  it  is  called  Psoi,  and  some- 
times in  Arabic  MSS.  El  Monshat,  as 
well  as  Mensheeyah.  It  is  supposed 
to  occupy  the  site  of  Ptolema'is  Hermii ; 
which,  according  to  Strabo,  was  the 
largest  town  in  the  Thebai'd,  and  not 
inferior  to  Memphis.  But  neither  its 
original  extent,  nor  that  of  any  city  in 
Upper  Egypt,  except  Thebes  itself, 


Eyypt. 


ROUTE  18.  EXCURSION  TO  ABYDUS. 


379 


can  justify  this  assertion  of  the  geo- 
grapher. He  even  gives  it  a  political 
system,  on  the  Greek  model ;  which, 
if  true,  may  refer  to  some  change  in 
its  government,  after  it  had  been 
rebuilt  and  had  received  the  name  of 
Ptolemais ;  for  it  doubtless  succeeded 
to  a  more  ancient  city,  and  Ptolemy 
calls  it  the  capital  of  the  Thinite 
nome.  Leo  Africanus  says  it  was 
"  badly  built,  with  narrow  streets, 
and  so  dusty  in  summer  that  no  one 
could  walk  out  on  a  windy  day.  The 
neighbourhood,  however,  was  famous 
for  abundance  of  corn  and  cattle.  It 
was  once  possessed  by  a  certain  African 
prince  from  the  Barbary  coast,  called 
Howara,  whose  predecessors  obtained 
the  principality  of  that  name,  of  which 
they  were  deprived  by  Soliman,  the 
9th  sultan  of  the  Turks." 

From  Mensheeyah  to  Girgeh  the 
eastern  chain  of  hills  comes  down  close 
to  the  river,  and  is  known  by  the 
name  of  Gebel  Tookh.  At  its  northern 
extremity  are  the  ruins  of  an  old 
town,  about  a  mile  above  Lahaiwa. 

(IF.)  Ayserat  on  the  W.  bauk  is  still 
noted,  like  Girgeh  and  Kasr  es  Syad, 
for  its  numerous  turkeys. 

(2?.)  Geergeh,  or  Girgeh  (13  m.),  for- 
merly the  capital  of  the  province  of 
the  same  name,  but  now  much  sunk  in 
importance.  It  has  not  succeeded  to 
any  ancient  town  of  note,  and  from  its 
name  it  is  easy  to  perceive  that  it  is 
of  Christian  origin.  When  visited  by 
Pococke  and  Norden,  it  was  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  from  the  river ;  but  it  is  now 
on  the  bank,  and  part  of  it  has  already 
been  washed  away  by  the  stream. 
This  is  one  of  many  proofs  of  the  great 
changes  that  have  taken  place  in  the 
course  of  the  Nile  within  a  few  years, 
and  fully  accounts  for  certain  towns, 
now  on  the  river,  being  laid  down  by 
anient  geographers  in  an  inland 
position. 

At  Girgeh  there  is  a  Latin  convent 
or  monastery,  the  superior  of  which  is 
an  European.  It  is  the  oldest  Eoman 
Catholic  establishment  now  in  Egypt, 
those  of  Ekhmeem,  Farshoot,  and 
Tahta,  being  the  next  in  order  of 
antiquity.    Some  consider  that  of  Ne- 


<*adeh  the  most  ancient.  It  was  not 
*rom  a  Latin  but  from  a  Copt  convent 
that  Girgeh  received  its  name,  and 
Girgis,  or  George,  as  is  well  known, 
is  the  patron  saint  of  the  Egyptian 
Christians.  Leo  Africanus  tells  us 
that  "  Girgeh  was  formerly  the  largest 
and  most  opulent  monastery  of 
Christians,  called  after  St.  George, 
and  inhabited  by  upwards  of  200 
monks,  who  possessed  much  land  in 
the  neighbourhood.  They  supplied 
food  to  all  travellers ;  and  so  great 
was  the  amount  of  their  revenues,  that 
they  annually  sent  a  large  sum  to  the 
patriarch  of  Cairo,  to  be  distributed 
among  the  poor  of  their  own  persuasion. 
About  100  years  ago  a  dreadful  plague 
afflicted  Egypt,  and  carried  off  all 
the  monks  of  this  convent,  wherefore 
the  prince  of  Mensheeyah  surrounded 
the  building  with  a  strong  wall  and 
erected  houses  within,  for  the  abode  of 
various  workmen  and  shopkeepers.  In 
process  of  time,  however,  the  patriarch 
of  the  Jacobites  (or  Copts)  having 
made  a  representation  to  the  sultan, 
he  gave  orders  that  another  monastery 
should  be  built  on  the  spot,  where  an 
ancient  city  formerly  stood,  and  as- 
signed to  it  only  a  sufficient  revenue 
to  enable  it  to  maintain  30  monks." 

Abydus  may  be  visited  from  Girgeh, 
but  it  is  a  long  weary  ride  of  12  miles, 
and  it  is  far  better  to  go  from  Bel- 
lianeh.  The  only  place  of  importance 
between  Girgeh  and  Abydus  is 

Bardees,  well  known  in  the  time  of 
the  Memlooks,  who  gave  the  title  El 
Bardeesee  to  one  of  the  principal  beys, 
hence  called  Osman-Bey-el-Bardeesee. 
Frther  to  the  S.W.  is  a  town  with 
old  mounds,  called  El  BeerbeJi — a 
name  taken  from  the  Coptic  Perve, 
"  the  temple,"  and  commonly  applied 
to  ancient  buildings. 

Excursion  to  Abydus. 

(IF.)  Bellianeli  (8  m.)  has  succeeded 
to  an  old  town  whose  mounds  mark  its 
site.  Its  Coptic  name  is  Tpourane. 
Donkeys  can  be  procured  here  for 
going  to  Abydus,  distant  6  m. 

The  way  lies  across  a  very  rich  plain 
till  the  edge  of  the  desert  is  reached, 


Egypt- 


ROUTE  18-  ABYDUS  :  TABLET. 


381 


on  which  stands  the  modern  village  of 
Arabat,  surnamed  by  the  Arabs  el 
Matfodn  (''the  buried"),  from  the 
ancient  edifices  that  until  lately  lay 
covered  with  the  desert  sand  all 
around. 

Abydus,  or  Thinis,  in  Coptic  Ebot, 
88  in  the  hieroglyphics,  was  one  of  the 
largest  and  most  important  cities  in 
Upper  Egypt.  Strabo  indeed  says 
that,  though  in  his  time  reduced  to 
the  state  of  a  small  village,  it  had 
formerly  held  the  first  rank  next  to 
Thebes — a  position  which  was  pro- 
bably assigned  to  it  as  having  been 
the  birth-place  of  Menes,  and  the 
burial-place  of  Osiris  "There  are 
many  places,"  says  Plutarch,  "  where 
his  corpse  is  said  to  have  been  de- 
posited; but  Abydus  and  Memphis 
are  mentioned  in  particular,  as  having 
the  true  body  ;  and  for  this  reason  the 
rich  and  powerful  of  the  Egyptians  are 
desirous  of  being  buried  in  the  former 
of  these  cities,  in  order  to  lie,  as  it 
were,  in  the  same  grave  as  Osiris 
himself." 

Its  ruins  are  on  a  grand  scale,  and 
of  considerable  antiquity ;  and,  thanks 
to  Ihe  recent  excavations  of  M. 
Mariette,  have  been  to  a  great  extent 
cleared  from  their  sandy  shroud.  Be- 
ginning at  the  S.  end  of  the  ruins,  the 
first  large  edifice  reac  hed  is  the  Tem- 
ple of  SetM  I.,  father  of  Barneses  II. 
This  is  the  building  called  by  Strabo 
the  "Memnonium,"  and  deservedly 
praised  by  him  for  the  magnificence 
of  its  decoration.  The  plan  of  this 
temple  is  somewhat  irregular,  and 
it  is  difficult  to  determine  the  mean- 
ing and  object  of  its  various  parts. 
There  are  2  large  halls,  the  eastern 
with  two,  and  the  western  with  three, 
rows  of  columns.  From  the  latter, 
seven  short  passages  lead  westward 
into  as  many  vaulted  chambers.  The 
method  of  constructing  the  roofs 
of  these  chambers  is  very  singular. 
They  are  formed  of  large  blocks  of 
stone,  extending  from  one  architrave 
to  the  other ;  not,  as  usual  in  Egyptian 
buildings,  on  their  faces,  but  on  their 
sides;  so  that,  considerable  thickness 
having  been  given  to  the  roof,  a  vault 


was  afterwards  cut  into  it,  without 
endangering  its  solidity.  The  whole 
was  covered  with  hieroglyphics  and 
sculptures  beautifully  coloured;  and 
on  the  ceiling  the  ovals  of  the  king 
remain,  with  stars,  and  transverse  bands 
containing  hieroglyphics.  A  short 
passige  on  the  "W.  side  of  the  third 
vaulted  chamber  from  the  N.  leads  into 
a  small  hall  supported  by  ten  columns. 
On  the  rt.  of  this  hall  as  you  enter 
are  some  other  small  chambers  covered 
with  very  highly  finished  sculptures. 

From  the  S.  end  of  the  2nd  large 
hall  leads  a  narrow  slightly  ascend- 
ing chamber,  the  ceiling  and  sides  of 
which  are  covered  with  sculptures. 
Amid  the  stars  and  king's  ovals  with 
which  the  ceiling  is  decorated  is  an 
inscription  commemorating  the  dedi- 
cation of  the  temple.  On  the  left  or 
E.  wall  are  four  scenes.  The  first, 
second,  and  fourth  represent  offerings 
made  to  Ammon,  Horus,  and  Osiris. 
In  the  third  Sethi  and  his  son  Rameses 
are  represented  standing  in  front  of  a 
tablet,  on  which  are  engraved  the 
names  of  130  divinities,  which  the 
text  calls  "the  great  and  the  small 
cycle  of  the  divinities  of  the  sacred 
places  of  the  north  and  the  south." 
The  rt.  or  W.  wall  is  divided  into  four 
scenes  like  the  other,  and  in  the  one 
immediately  opposite  the  tablet  of 
divinities  just  mentioned  Sethi  and 
Eameses  are  offering  homage  to  76 
kings  their  predecessors,  Sethi  himself 
being  included. 

This  is  the  new  Tablet  of  Abydus, 
which,  from  the  beauty  of  the  engrav- 
ing, the  perfect  state  of  preservation  in 
which  it  was  found,  and  its  historical 
importance,  is  one  of  the  most  interest- 
ing monuments  in  Egypt.  The  list  of 
these  76  kings  begins  with  Menes  and 
ends  with  Sethi  I.  It  is  arranged  in 
three  lines,  but  the  last  line  consists  en- 
tirely of  the  two  names  of  Sethi.  The 
tablet  was  discovered  in  3865,  and  is 
conjectured  by  M.  Mariette  to  be  the 
original  of  the  fragmentary  one  found 
in  the  temple  of  Eameses  II.  at  Aby- 
dus, and  now  in  the  British  Museum. 
Rameses  copied  the  list  made  by  his 
father.  M.  Mariette  further  supposes 
that  the  kings  whose  names  are  given 


3S2 


ROUTE  18. — CAIRO  TO  THEBES. 


Sect.  III. 


on  these  two  tablets,  are  those  who  had 
more  particularly  been  connected  with 
Abydus,  either  through  having  been 
born  there,  or  having  added  to  and 
embellished  the  city ;  just  as  the  list 
of  kings  engraved  by  Thothmes  III., 
in  what  is  called  the  "  Hall  of  An- 
cestors "  taken  from  Karnak,  and  now 
at  Paris,  contains  the  names  of  those 
who  had  more  particularly  benefited 
Thebes. 

There  are  various  other  smaller 
columnar  halls  and  chambers  to  the 
S.,  many  of  them  covered  with  highly- 
finished  painted  sculptures.  The 
motif  of  these  pictures  is  the  same 
here  as  in  all  the  temples  of  the 
Pharaonic  period,  viz.,  the  king  adoring 
the  divinity  of  the  place.  In  the 
vaulted  chambers  of  this  temple  the 
paintings  represent  in  successive  order 
the  different  ceremonial  observances. 
The  king  on  entering  the  chamber, 
round  which  were  placed  in  their 
shrines  the  statues  of  different  divi- 
nities, turned  to  the  right,  and  open- 
ing each  shrine  in  succession,  offered 
incense  to  the  divinity,  removed  the 
covering  which  enveloped  it,  placed  his 
hands  on  it,  sprinkled  perfume  on  it, 
and  then  re-covering  it,  passed  on  to 
the  next  shrine,  and  so  round  the 
chamber. 

A  little  to  the  N.  of  this  temple  is 
another  in  a  very  ruined  state.  It 
was  founded  by  Barneses  II.,  and 
dedicated,  like  that  of  his  father  Sethi, 
to  Osiris.  The  materials  of  which  it 
was  composed  were  of  unusual  rich- 
ness, the  walls  being  lined  throughout 
with  oriental  alabaster,  and  covered, 
so  far  as  can  be  gathered  from  the  few 
fragments  that  remain,  with  very  fine 
sculptures  richly  painted.  Only  a 
part  of  the  walls  are  here  and  there 
left  standing  to  a  height  of  about  5  ft., 
and  it  is  hardly  possible  to  trace  the 
plan  of  the  building.  It  was  from  a 
wall  of  this  temple  that  the  mutilated 
tablet  of  Abydus  referred  to  above 
was  taken.  It  was  first  discovered  by 
Mr.  Banks  in  1818  ;  and  having  been 
carried  away  by  M.  Mimaut,  the 
French  Consul-general,  and  sold  in 
Paris,  is  now  deposited  in  the  British 
Museum. 


Continuing  still  in  a  N  .  direction, 
we  reach  a  large  crude-brick  enclosure. 
This  probably  marks  the  site  of  Thinis, 
the  cradle  of  the  Egyptian  monarchy, 
and  the  place  where  was  situated  the 
tomb  of  Osiris,  a  sanctuary  as  vene- 
rated by  the  ancient  Egyptians  as  the 
Holy  Sepulchre  by  Christians.  Inside 
this  enclosure  is  a  mound  called  the 
the  Kdm  es  Sultan.  It  is  not  a  natural 
tumulus,  but  is  formed  by  the  heaping 
up  of  tombs  in  successive  ages  one 
upon  another ;  and  M.  Mariette  thinks 
with  great  probability  that  these  may 
be  the  tombs  of  the  rich  Egyptians  of 
whom  Plutarch  speaks,  as  coming  from 
all  parts  of  the  country  to  Abydus  to 
be  buried  near  Osiris.  He  looks  for- 
ward, moreover,  with  some  hope,  to 
the  possibility  of  finding  in  the  rock 
at  the  base  of  this  mound  the  famous 
tomb  of  Osiris  itself. 

The  necropolis  of  Abydus  has  fur- 
nished a  large  proportion  of  the  stelse 
and  other  objects  of  interest  in  the 
museum  at  Cairo.  The  tombs  are 
principally  of  the  Vlth,  XHth,  and 
XIHth  dynasty  periods.  Those  of  the 
XIHth  dynasty  are  often  small  pyra- 
mids of  crude  brick  with  the  centre 
hollowed  out.  Many  of  the  tombs  of 
the  Vlth  dynasty  are  vaulted,  and  pre- 
sent instances  of  the  true  arch. 

The  reservoir  mentioned  by  Strabo, 
which  was  cased  with  large  stones, 
may  perhaps  be  traced  on  the  E.  of  the 
ancient  town ;  and  it  was  to  this  that  a 
canal  brought  the  water  from  the  Nile, 
passing,  as  does  the  present  canal, 
through  the  grove  of  Acanthus,  which 
was  sacred  to  Apollo. 

From  Abydus,  also  (as  in  Strabo's 
time),  a  road  leads  to  the  Great  Oasis, 
ascending  the  Libyan  chain  of  moun- 
tains nearly  due  W.  of  the  town. 
Another  road  runs  to  the  same  Oasis 
from  El  Kalaat,  a  village  further  to  the 
S.  of  Samhood,  which  is  the  one  taken 
by  those  who  go  from  and  to  Farshoot, 
and  other  places  in  this  part  of  the 
valley;  the  ascent  and  descent  being 
so  much  more  easy  than  by  the 
mountain  road,  or  path,  to  the  W.  of 
Abydus. 

(E.)  On  the  opposite  bank  stood 
Lepidotum,  so  called  from  the  worship 


Egypt. 


ROUTE  18. — -SAMHOOD . — FARSHOOT, 


383. 


of  the  fish.  Lepidotus;  but  its  exact 
position  is  unknown,  though  a  place 
of  some  size  and  importance,  and 
mentioned  by  Ptolemy  as  one  of  the 
large  cities  of  Egypt. 

(W.)  Samhood,  inland  on  the  W. 
bank,  occupies  the  site  of  an  ancient 
town,  called  in  Coptic  Semhoout,  or 
Psenhoout ;  for  though  placed  mure  to 
the  N.  in  the  Coptic  MSS.,  it  is  evi- 
dent this  name  can  only  apply  to  the 
modern  town  of  Samhood,  whose 
mounds  sufficiently  indicate  its  anti- 
quity. 

(K)  About  the  district  of  Sherg-el- 
Khayam  the  Nile  makes  a  considerable 
bend,  but  resumes  its  general  course, 
about  N.  and  S.,  near  El  Hamra. 

Farslioot  (18 J  m.)  derives  its  name 
from  the  Coptic  Bershoout.  It  is  a 
good  sized  village  with  a  large  sugar- 
factory  belonging  to  the  Khedive. 

In  Pococke's  time  Earshoot  was  the 
residence  of  the  great  sheykh,  who 
governed  nearly  the  whole  country  on 
the  W.  bank;  but  he  had  already  lost 
much  of  his  authority,  and  had  great 
difficulty  in  collecting  his  revenues. 

''The  present  inhabitants  of  this 
district,"  says  Mr.  Hamilton,  "  are 
descendants  of  the  Howara  tribe  of 
Arabs.  This  warlike  race  had  for 
several  years  been  in  the  undisturbed 
possession  of  the  soil,  and  enjoyed, 
under  the  government  of  their  own 
sheykhs,  the  independent  tributaries  of 
the  pasha  of  Cairo,  as  much  happi- 
ness and  security  as  has  for  m^ny 
centuries  fallen  to  the  lot  of  any  of 
the  provinces  of  the  Turkish  empire. 
They  lost  their  independence  under 
their  last  sheykh,  Hammam,  who  with 
an  army,  said  to  have  consisted  of 
36,000  horsemen,  was  entirely  defeated, 
by  Mohammed  Bey."  The  family 
still  remain,  but  they  are  now  like  the 
other  peasants. 

The  Howara  were  always  famed  for 
their  skill  in  breeding  and  manag- 
ing horses ;  the  name  Howaree,  like 
Fares,  signifies  a  "horseman,"  and 
is  still  applied  to  the  native  riding- 
masters  and  horse  breakers  of  Egypt. 
The  Howara  breed  of  dogs  was  not 
less  noted  in  Upper  Egypt  than  that 1 


of  the  horses ;  some  of  which  are  still 
found  about  Erment,  Bairat,  and 
other  places,  mostly  used  for  guarding 
sheep ;  and  their  rough,  black,  wire- 
haired  coats,  their  fierce  eye,  their 
size,  and  their  courage,  in  which  they 
differ  so  widely  from  the  cowardly 
fox-dog  of  Egypt,  sufficiently  distin- 
guish them  from  all  other  breeds  of 
the  country.  Nor  have  the  people  the 
same  prejudice  against  dogs  as  in 
Lower  Egypt ;  and  indeed  the  in- 
habitants of  the  Saeed  have  generally 
much  fewer  scruples  on  this  point 
than  other  Moslems,  being  mostly  of 
the  sect  of  Malekee,  who  view  the  dog 
with  more  indulgent  feelings. 

Some  of  the  fancies  of  the  Moslems 
respecting  what  is  clean  and  unclean 
are  amusingly  ridiculous,  and  not  the 
least  those  respecting  dogs.  Three 
of  the  sects  consider  its  contact  de- 
files; the  other,  the  Malekee,  fears 
only  to  touch  its  nose,  or  its  hair  if 
wet;  and  tales  about  the  testimony 
of  dogs  and  cats  against  man  in  a 
future  state  are  related  with  a  gravity 
proportionate  to  their  absurdity.  It 
is,  however,  not  surprising  that  the 
dogs  of  Egypt,  living  as  they  do  in 
the  dirty  streets,  and  feeding  upon  any 
offal  they  find,  should  be  considered 
unclean ;  and  even  the  rigid  Hanefee 
overlooks  his  scruples  in  favour  of  a 
Ktlb  Roomee,  a  "  Greek  "  or  "  Euro- 
pean dog,"  when  assured  that  it  differs 
in  its  habits  from  those  of  his  own 
country. 

The  W.  bank  of  the  Nile  in  the 
whole  of  this  district,  which  is  called 
Hamram,  is  remarkably  rich  and  fer- 
tile ;  and  the  beauty  of  the  landscape 
is  much  increased  by  the  large  groves 
of  palm-trees  and  acacia  which  line 
the  bank. 

(W.)  The  next  town  or  village  of 
any  size,  after  Farshoot,  is  BajooTci. 
It  lies  a  short  distance  inland,  but  it 
has  a  port  called  $a7w7-Bajo6ra,  on  the 
river.  Beyond,  at  the  southern  ex- 
tremity of  the  bend  of  the  river,  are 
How  and  Kasr  es  Syad  on  opposite 
sides  of  the  river.  Here  the  river 
takes  a  very  long  curve ;  and  as  it  runs 
from  Keneh  to  How,  its  course  is, 
1  S.W.,  so  that  ti  e  former  stands  about 


384 


ROUTE  18.— CAIEO  TO  THEBES. 


Sect.  III. 


9'  of  latitude  more  to  the  N.  than 
How,  though  higher  up  the  stream. 
A  similar  deviation  from  its  course 
does  not  occur  again,  except  in  the 
vicinity  of  Derr  in  Nubia,  and  at 
the  great  bend  of  the  river  above 
Dongola,  which  was  formerly  called 
the  ayKwves  or  elbows  of  the  Nile. 

(W.)  How  (8  m.)  in  Coptic  Ho,  Hou, 
or  Ano,  occupies  the  site  of  Diospolis 
Parva.  Little  remains  of  the  city  but 
the  usual  mounds  and  heaps  of  broken 
bricks.  About  a  mile  to  the  S.,  at  the 
edge  of  the  desert,  are  other  mounds 
and  the  remains  of  buildings. 

(E.)  At  Kasr  es  Sydd,  or  "  the 
Sportsman's  Mansion,"  on  the  opposite 
bank,  are  the  mounds  of  the  ancient 
Chenohoscion,  in  Coptic  Seneset.  The 
only  remaining  masonry  worthy  of 
notice  is  a  dilapidated  quay,  amidst 
whose  ruins  is  a  stone  bearing  a  Greek 
inscription,  apparently  of  the  time  of 
Antoninus  Pius ;  from  which  we  learn 
that  the  individual  by  whose  order 
it  was  sculptured  had  executed  some  i 
work  "  at  his  own  expense ; "  perhaps  j 
the  quay  itself,  to  which  there  is  every 
appearance  of  its  having  once  belonged. 
Another  block  has  on  it  part  of  the 
head-dress  and  hieroglyphics  of  the 
goddess  Isis. 

Chenoboscion  was  famous  for  its 
geese,  which  were  fed  there  in  great 
numbers ;  and  it  was  from  this  circum- 
stance that  it  borrowed  a  name  which 
was  probably  a  translation  of  the  ori- 
ginal Egyptian.  Turkeys  seem  now 
to  have  taken  their  place ;  and  after 
Akhayseh,  Ayserat,  and  Girgeh,  they 
are  most  abundant  at  Kasr  es  Syad. 
The  fine  bold  bluff  which  here  rises 
abruptly  from  the  river  is  called  Gebel 
Tookh. 

(E.)  About  a  mile  beyond  the  east- 
ern mouth  of  the  canal  of  Kasr  es 
Syad,  not  very  far  from  the  high  road, 
are  some  tombs  of  the  Vlth-dynasty 
period.  Within  them  the  agricultural 
and  other  scenes  common  to  the  tombs 
of  Egypt  may  still  be  traced  on  the 
Walls,  and  some  indeed  in  a  very  good 
s  tate  of  preservation.  Many  are  co- 
vered with  Coptic  ex-votos  worth 
studying. 


The  eastern  chain  of  hills  here  ap- 
proaches close  to  the  river  for  the  last 
time  before  reaching  Thebes,  and 
the  western  or  Libyan  range,  of  far 
bolder  and  more  striking  outline,  is 
soon  seen  advancing  on  the  right. 

(W.)  Dishneh,  a  good-sized  village, 
with  a  well-supplied  market  on  Sun- 
days. Sand-grouse  may  often  be  found 
in  the  neighbourhood  among  the  hilfeh 
grass. 

The  isle  of  Tabenna  was  somewhere 
on  the  W.  bank,  between  Diospolis 
Parva  (How)  and  Tentyris.  In  Coptic 
it  was  called  Tabenheci  or  Tabenhese, 
the  last  part  of  which  recalls  the 
Greek  word  uvcros,  "island."  Cham- 
pollion  supposes  the  name  to  signify 
"  abounding  in  palm-trees,"  or  "  the 
place  of  flocks ; "  and  the  termination 
esi  to  refer  to  the  goddess  Isis.  In 
Arabic  he  says  it  is  called  Gezeeret  el 
Gharb,  "  the  Isle  of  the  West."  It 
was  here  that,  about  a.d.  356,  St.  Pa- 
chom  (Pachomius)  built  a  monastery, 
occupying  "  the  vacant  island  of  Ta- 
i  benne,"  as  Gibbon  says,  with  "  1400 
1  of  his  brethren.'' 

(E.)  Fow,  inland,  on  the  E.  bank, 
marks  the  site  of  Bopos,  in  Coptic 
Phboou. 

About  |  m.  from  the  river,  on  the  W. 
bank,  opposite  Fow,  are  the  ruins  of 
Denderah,  to  the  N.  of  the  modern  vil- 
lage of  that  name.  The  usual  practice 
is  to  moor  the  boat  to  the  E.  bank  at 
the  nearest  spot  for  reaching  Keneh, 
a  short  distance  further  S.  and  inland, 
then  cross  the  river  in  the  sandal  and 
ride  on  donkeys  to  Denderah  ;  but  by 
those  who  can  walk  the  ruins  are  more 
easily  reached  from  a  point  N.  of 
Keneh. 

(W.)  Denderah—  The  name  of  Ten- 
tyris, or  Tentyra,  in  Coptic  Tentore,  or 
Nikentore,  seems  to  have  originated  in 
that  of  the  goddess  Athor,  or  Aphro- 
dite, who  was  particularly  worshipped 
there ;  and  that  the  principal  temple 
was  dedicated  to  this  goddess  we  learn 
from  the  hieroglyphics,  as  well  as  from 
a  Greek  inscription  on  the  front,  of 
the  time  of  Tiberius,  in  whose  reign  its 
magnificent  portico  was  added  to  the 
original  building.  Tentyra  is  probably 
taken  from  Te'i-n- Athor.  the  abode  of 


Egypt. 


ROUTE  18.  TEMPLE  OF  DENDERAH. 


385 


Athor,  or  Athyr.  The  name  Athor  is 
also  a  compound  word, ' '  Tei  (or  Thy), 
Hor,"  signifying  "  the  abode  of  Ho- 
rus ; which  agrees  with  what  Plu- 
tarch says,  when  he  calls  Athor  "Ho- 
rus'  mundane  habitation."  The  hiero- 
glyphics, too,  represent  the  name  of 
the  goddess  by  a  hawk  (the  emblem 
of  Horus)  placed  within  a  house. 

Egyptian  sculpture  had  long  been 
on  the  decline  before  the  erection  of 
the  present  temple  of  Denderah  ;  and 
the  Egyptian  antiquary  looks  with 
little  satisfaction  on  the  graceless  style 
of  the  figures,  and  the  crowded  pro- 
fusion of  ill-adjusted  hieroglyphics, 
that  cover  the  walls  of  this  as  of  other 
Ptolemaic  or  Koman  monuments.  But 
architecture  still  retained  the  grandeur 
of  an  earlier  period,  and  though  the 
capitals  of  the  columns  were  frequently 
overcharged  with  ornament,  the  gene- 
ral effect  of  the  porticoes  erected  under 
the  Ptolemies  and  Csesars  is  grand  and 
imposing,  and  frequently  not  destitute 
of  elegance  and  taste. 

These  remarks  apply  very  particu- 
larly to  the  temple  of  Denderah ;  and 
from  its  superior  state  of  preservation 
it  deserves  a  distinguished  rank  among 
the  most  interesting  monuments  of 
Egypt.  For  though  its  columns,  con- 
sidered singly,  may  be  said  to  have  a 
heavy,  perhaps  a  barbarous,  appear- 
ance, the  portico  is  doubtless  a  noble 
specimen  of  architecture :  nor  is  the 
succeeding  hall  devoid  of  beauty  and 
symmetry  of  proportion.  The  pre- 
servation of  its  roof  also  adds  greatly 
to  the  beauty,  as  well  as  to  the  interest, 
of  the  portico ;  and  many  of  those  in 
the  Egyptian  temples  lose  their  effect 
by  being  destitute  of  roofs.  Generally 
speaking,  Egyptian  temples  are  more 
picturesque  when  in  ruins  than  when 
entire  ;  being,  if  seen  from  without, 
merely  a  large  dead  wall,  scarcely 
relieved  by  a  slight  increase  in  the 
height  of  the  portico.  But  this  cannot 
be  said  of  the  portico  itself ;  nor  did  a 
temple  present  the  same  monotonous 
appearance  when  the  painted  sculp- 
tures were  in  their  original  state ;  and 
it  was  the  necessity  of  relieving  the 
large  expanse  of  flat  wall  which  led 
to  this  rich  mode  of  decoration. 

[Egypt.] 


The  building  of  the  temple  of  Den- 
derah was  begun  in  the  reign  of  the 
11th  Ptolemy,  and  completed  in  that 
of  the  Emperor  Tiberius,  but  the 
sculptures  and  decorations  were  not 
finished  till  the  time  of  Nero.  Like 
all  Egyptian  temples,  it  stands  in  the 
centre  of  a  large  crude-brick  enclosure, 
the  height  and  thickness  of  whose 
walls  prevented  anything  that  took 
place  inside  being  seen  or  heard. 
From  an  isolated  stone  pylon,  bearing 
the  names  of  Domitian  and  Trajan, 
a  dromos  leads  up  to  the  entrance. 

The  portico  or  pronaos  (a)  is  a  mag- 
nificent hall  supported  by  24  columns. 
Between  the  first  line  of  columns  on 
either  side  of  the  entrance  stretches  a 
high  stone  screen.  In  each  of  the  side- 
walls  is  a  small  doorway,  which  served 
for  the  passage  of  the  priests  and 
acolytes  bearing  offerings.  The  main 
entrance  was  reserved  for  the  king. 
Immediately  on  the  right  after  enter- 
ing the  hall  are  four  pictures,  repre- 
senting the  ceremonies  observed  by 
the  king  before  penetrating  into  the 
interior  of  the  temple.  In  the  first 
the  monarch  presents  himself  at  the 
entrance  of  the  temple,  sandals  on  foot 
and  sceptre  in  hand,  and  preceded  by 
five  standards.  The  next  scene  shows 
him  undergoing  the  ceremony  of  puri- 
fication at  the  hands  of  Thoth  and 
Horns.  He  then,  in  the  third,  receives 
the  two  crowns  of  Upper  and  Lower 
Egypt  from  the  goddesses  Wat'i  and 
Suvan.  Thus  recognized  as  sovereign 
of  the  whole  country,  he,  in  the  fourth 
picture,  is  seen  led  by  Maut  of  Thebes 
and  Toom  of  Heliopolis  into  the  pre- 
sence of  the  goddess  Athor,  to  taste 
of  the  divine  beauty  and  goodness. 
Similar  scenes  occupy  the  walls  on 
the  left  of  the  entrance. 

On  the  ceiling  is  the  zodiac,  which 
led  to  so  much  learned  controversy. 
Through  the  assistance  of  the  Greek 
inscription,  which  was  strangely  over- 
looked, and  the  hieroglyphical  names 
of  the  Caesars  on  the  exterior  and  in- 
terior walls,  which  were  then  un- 
known, its  date  was  satisfactorily  as- 
certained ;  and  instead  of  being  of 
early  Pharaonic  time,  or  of  an  ante- 
diluvian age,  it  is  now  confined  to  a 
s 


ROUTE  18.  CAIRO  TO  THEBES.  Sect.  III. 

West. 


Temple  of  Dendeeah. 


Egypt. 


ROUTE  18.  TEMPLE  OF  DENDERAH. 


387 


more  modest  and  probable  antiquity. 
The  only  three  zodiacs  known  in 
Egypt,  at  Denderah,  Esneh,  and  its 
neighbour  Ed  Dayr,  are  of  Ptolemaic 
or  of  Eoman  date.  The  astronomical 
subjects  on  the  ceilings  of  the  tombs  of 
the  kings,  and  other  ancient  Egyptian 
monuments,  even  if  they  may  be  con- 
sidered zodiacal,  are  represented  in  a 
totally  different  manner ;  and  we  may 
be  certain  that  the  zodiac,  as  we  know 
it,  is  not  Egyptian.  But  it  is  remark- 
able that  in  those  of  Denderah  and 
Esneh  the  sign  Cancer  is  represented 
by  a  scarabseus,  not  a  crab ;  though 
other  signs,  as  Sagittarius  under  the 
form  of  a  Centaur,  evidently  of  Greek 
invention,  are  admitted. 

The  details  of  the  cornice  of  the 
portico  offer  a  very  satisfactory  speci- 
men of  the  use  of  a  triglyphic  orna- 
ment. It  is  common  in  many  of  the 
oldest  Pharaonic  temples,  though  ar- 
ranged in  a  somewhat  different  man- 
ner, and  without  so  remarkable  a  me- 
tope as  in  the  present  instance.  On 
the  frieze,  or  rather  architrave,  is  a 
procession  to  Athor;  and  among  the 
figures  that  compose  it  are  two  playing 
the  harp,  and  another  the  tambourine. 
The  inscription  which  records  the 
i  building  of  the  portico  is  on  the  pro- 
jecting fillet  of  the  cornice,  and  com- 
mences with  the  name  of  the  Emperor 
Tiberius. 

To  the  portico  succeeds  a  hall  of  6 
columns,  with  3  rooms  on  either  side ; 
the  centre  one  on  the  tight,  and  the 
last  on  the  left,  having  entrances  from 
the  outside.  Then  comes  a  chamber 
communicating  on  the  left  with  two 
rooms,  from  the  first  of  which  a  stair- 
case leads  to  the  roof,  and  on  the 
right  with  a  passage  leading  to  3 
rooms  and  another  staircase.  Another 
chamber  follows,  with  one  room,  on 
the  left ;  and  then  comes  what  has 
J  been  called  the  sanctuary,  with  a  pas- 
j  sage  leading  round  it  communicating 
!  with  several  lateral  chambers,  that  in 
-the  centre  at  the  end  being  the  one 
in  which  the  emblem  of  the  divinity 
was  preserved. 

According  to  M.  Mariette,  each  of 
these  halls  and  chambers  had  its  pe- 
culiar destination.    The  hall  (b)  was 


where  the  processions  first  assembled. 
On  its  walls  is  a  sort  of  calendar  of 
the  different  fete-days,  (c)  and  (d) 
were  annexes  of  (b),  containing  altars 
at  which  prayers  were  said  as  the 
procession  passed  on.  In  (e)  were 
kept  the  four  sacred  boats,  which 
played  the  principal  part  in  these  pro- 
cessions. In  the  centre  of  each  of 
these  boats  was  a  small  temple,  con- 
taining the  emblem  of  the  god  to 
which  it  was  sacred.  This  temple  was 
covered  with  a  thick  white  veil  (comp. 
description  of  the  Ark  of  the  Cove- 
nant), (f)  served  as  a  laboratory  in 
which  were  prepared  the  oils  and  es- 
sences used  for  perfuming  the  temple 
and  statues,  (g)  was  where  the  fruits 
of  the  soil  intended  for  offerings  were 
collected  and  consecrated,  (h)  and  (i) 
were  passages  through  which  were 
brought  in  the  offerings  from  Upper 
and  Lower  Egypt  respectively,  fj) 
was  the  treasure-chamber.  All  the 
scenes  on  its  walls  represent  the  king 
consecrating  and  offering  different  ob- 
jects in  gold  and  silver.  In  (k)  were 
deposited  all  the  sacred  vestments. 
The  chambers  (l),  (m),  in),  to),  (P1, 
and  (q),  and  the  small  temple  on  the 
terrace,  were  especially  devoted  to  the 
celebration  of  the  festival  of  the  New 
Year,  marked  by  the  appearance  of  the 
star  Sirius.  On  the  walls  of  the  two 
staircases  are  pictured  the  details  of 
the  processions  that  took  place  on  this 
occasion.  At  the  head  marches  the 
king ;  behind  him  are  13  priests  bear- 
ing standards  surmouuted  with  the 
emblems  of  various  divinities.  The 
procession  first  mounted  the  northern 
staircase,  and  stopped  at  the  little 
hypaethral  temple  above  mentioned, 
each  of  whose  12  columns  was  dedi- 
cated to  one  of  the  months  of  the  year  ; 
it  then  descended  by  the  southern 
staircase  (r).  The  rest  of  the  temple 
was  more  particularly  devoted  to  divine 
worship.  The  corridor  (s)  is  covered 
with  the  usual  scenes,  representing 
the  king  making  offerings  to  various 
divinities  and  receiving  some  gift  in 
return  ;  each  scene  being  accompanied 
by  an  explanatory  text.  The  chamber 
(t)  was  dedicated  to  Isis ;  (u)  to  Osiris 
restored  to  life  :  (v)  to  Osiris-Onophris 
s  2 


388 


ROUTE  18.  CAIRO  TO  THEBE3. 


Sect.  III. 


vanquishing  his  enemies  under  the 
form  of  crocodiles;  (w)  to  the  same 
god  under  the  form  of  Hor-sam-to.  In 
(x)  and  (y)  Athor  was  especially  wor- 
shipped as  the  divinity  who  received 
and  gave  fresh  life  to  the  sun  each 
day.  In  (z)  the  same  goddess  was 
adored  under  her  general  titles,  and 
in  a  niche  in  the  wall,  which  the  king 
alone  might  enter,  was  preserved  her 
mysterious  emblem,  a  great  golden  sis- 
trum.  The  remaining  chambers  {a), 
(b),  (c),  and  (d)  were  dedicated  to 
Pasht  and  other  divinities. 

In  the  thickness  of  the  walls  and 
foundations  are  arranged  long  narrow 
passages  without  openings  of  any  kind. 
Admittance  to  them  could  only  be  ob- 
tained l>y  moving,  by  some  mechanical 
contrivance,  the  stone  which  concealed 
the  entrance.  Here  were  probably  con- 
cealed the  statues  in  precious  metals, 
and  the  other  objects  of  value  used  in 
the  service  of  the  temple. 

Mention  has  already  been  made  of 
the  small  temple  on  the  roof.  It  is 
dedicated  as  a  whole  to  the  local 
Osiris  of  Denderah,  and  its  six  cham- 
bers are  appropriated  to  the  different 
forms  of  that  divinity  worshipped  in 
each  of  the  42  nomes  into  which  an- 
cient Egypt  was  divided :  the  three 
chambers  on  the  N.  to  the  northern 
nomes,  and  the  three  on  the  S.  to  the 
southern  nomes.  In  the  second  cham- 
ber on  the  S.  side  was  the  planisphere 
or  zodiac  which  is  now  in  Paris. 

Numerous  are  the  names  of  Csesars 
in  this  temple.  In  the  portico  may  be 
distinguished  those  of  Tiberius,  Cali- 
gula. Claudius,  and  Nero.  On  the  for- 
mer front  of  the  temple,  now  the  back 
of  the  pronaos,  or  portico,  are  those  of 
Augustus  and  Caligula.  This  was,  in 
fact,  the  original  extent  of  the  build- 
ing, and  it  was  previous  to  the  addi- 
tion of  the  portico  that  it  was  seen  by 
Strabo.  The  oldest  names  are  of  Pto- 
lemy Caesarion,  or  Neo-Caesar,  son  of 
the  celebrated  Cleopatra  by  Julius 
Caesar,  and  of  his  mother;  who  are 
represented  on  the  back  wall  of  the 
exterior.  Neither  her  features  (which 
may  still  be  traced)  nor  her  figure 
correspond  with  her  renowned  beauty. 
But  the  portrait  is  interesting,  from 


being  the  contemporary  representation 
of  so  celebrated  a  person ;  and,  judg- 
ing from  Greek  gems,  it  seems  to  bear 
some  general  resemblance  to  the  ori- 
ginal :  allowance  being  made  for  the 
Egyptian  mode  of  drawing  and  the 
want  of  skill  of  the  artist,  who  pro- 
bably never  saw  the  queen,  and  copied 
her  portrait  from  some  other  imperfect 
picture. 

"Behind  the  temple  of  Venus," 
says  Strabo,  "  is  the  chapel  of  Isis ; " 
and  this  observation  agrees  remark- 
ably well  with  the  size  and  position 
of  the  small  temple  of  that  goddess ; 
consisting,  as  it  does,  merely  of  1  cen- 
tral and  2  lateral  adyta,  and  a  trans- 
verse chamber  or  corridor  in  front ; 
and  it  stands  immediately  behind  the 
S.W.  angle  of  that  of  Athor.  It  is  in 
this  temple  that  the  cow  is  figured, 
before  which  the  Sepoys  are  said  to 
have  prostrated  themselves  when  our 
Indian  army  landed  in  Egypt.  Much 
has  been  thought  of  this ;  but  the 
accidental  worship  of  the  same  animal 
in  Egypt  and  India  is  not  sufficient  to 
prove  any  direct  connection  between 
the  two  religions. 

To  the  temple  of  Isis  belonged  the 
other  pylon,  which  lies  170  paces  to 
the  eastward,  and  which,  as  we  learn 
from  a  Greek  inscription  on  either 
face  of  its  cornice,  was  dedicated  to 
that  goddess  in  the  thirty-first  year  of 
Caesar  (Augustus);  Publius  Octavius 
being  military  governor,  or  praefect, 
and  Marcus  Claudius  Postumus  com- 
mander-in-chief. 

The  same  inscription  is  repeated  on 
the  E.  side  of  the  same  gateway. 

Ninety  paces  to  the  N.  of  the  great 
temple  of  Athor  is  another  building, 
consisting  of  2  outer  passage-chambers, 
with  2  small  rooms  on  either  side  of 
the  outermost  one,  and  a  central  and 
2  lateral  adyta  ;  the  whole  surrounded, 
except  the  front,  by  a  peristyle  of  22 
columns.  The  capitals  ornamented,  or 
disfigured,  by  the  representations  of  a 
Typhonian  monster,  have  led  to  the 
supposition  that  it  was  dedicated  to  the 
Evil  Genius  :  but  as  the  whole  of  its 
sculptures  refer  to  the  birth  of  the 
young  child  of  Athor,  it  is  evident 


Egypt- 


EOUTE  18.  DENDERAH. 


389 


that  it  appertains  to  the  great  temple 
of  that  goddess  who  is  here  styled  his 
mother.  The  monster,  moreover,  has 
nothing  to  do  with  Typhon,  but  is  the 
god  called  in  the  hieroglyphics  Bes, 
patron  of  mirth  and  the  dance,  and,  as 
snch,  his  image  figures  frequently  on 
various  articles  of  the  toilette-table. 
These  temples  were  styled  by  Cham- 
pollion  the  mammezsi,  or  "]ying-in 
places,"  set  apart  for  the  accouchement 
of  the  goddess,  angl  where  the  third 
member  of  the  triad  worshipped  in  the 
adjoining  temple,  was  born. 

About  230  paces  in  front  of  the  pylon 
of  Athor  is  an  isolated  hypssthral  build- 
ing, consisting  of  14  columns,  united 
by  intercolumnar  screens,  with  a  door- 
way at  either  end;  and  a  short  dis- 

j  tance  to  the  S.  are  indications  of  an 

,  ancient  reservoir.    A  little  to  the  N.E. 

[i  of  it  are  other  remains  of  masonry ; 
but  the  rest  of  the  extensive  mounds 
of  Tentyris  present  merely  the  ruins 

■  of  crude-brick  houses,  many  of  which 

|t  are  of  Arab  date. 

i     Five  hundred  paces  E.  of  the  pylon 
of  Isis  is  another  crude-brick  enclosure, 
with  an  entrance  of  stone,  similar  to 
■I  the  other  pylons,  bearing  the  name  of 
i  Antoninus  Pius.    Over  the  face  of  the 
^gateway  is  a  singular  representation  of 
■ithe  Sun,  with  its  sacred  emblem  the 
(]  hawk,  supported  by  Isis  and  Nephthys. 
f  These  two  "  sister  goddesses"  repre- 
I  sented  "  the  beginning  and  the  end," 
,  and  were  commonly  introduced  on 
J  funereal  monuments,  Isis  on  one  side, 
Nephthys  on  the  other,  of  the  de- 
i  ceased ;  which  might  lead  us  to  sup- 
pose this  enclosure  to  have  been  used 
:  for  sepulchral  purposes.     The  area 
,  within  it  measures  about  155  paces  by 
,  265 ;  and  at  the  S.E.  corner  is  a  well 
;  of  stagnant  water. 

I  The  town  stood  between  this  and  the 
,  enclosure  that  surrounded  the  temples, 
S  extending  on  either  side,  as  well  as 
■;  within  the  circuit  of  the  latter ;  and  on 
£  the  N.W.  side  appear  to  be  the  remains 
s  of  tombs.  They  were,  probably,  of  a 
i  time  when  Tentyris  ceased  to  be  a 
a  populous  city,  and  when  a  deserted 
j  part  of  it  was  set  apart  for  the  burial 
of  the  dead. 


In  the  limestone  mountains  S.S.E.  of 
Denderah  are  some  old  quarries,  and  a 
few  rude  grottoes  without  sculpture ; 
and  in  the  vicinity  is  a  hill,  about  a 
mile  to  the  N.W.  of  them,  in  which  are 
sunk  numerous  tombs  of  the  inhabit- 
ants of  Tentyris. 

In  the  hagger,  or  plain  of  the  desert, 
near  Denderah  are  numerous  primitive 
stones,  evidently  rounded  by  rolling, 
and  which,  from  their  number  and  the 
extent  of  the  space  they  are  scattered 
Over,  could  not  have  been  brought  by 
the  hand  of  man;  though  many  have 
been  subsequently  arranged  in  lines  for 
some  purpose.  They  are  of  granite, 
porphyry,  and  other  primitive  sub- 
stances, which  are  only  found  in  the 
interior  of  the  opposite  eastern  desert ; 
and  if  not  brought  by  man,  they  must 
have  been  carried  across  the  present 
bed  of  the  river  and  up  the  slope  of  the 
western  desert,  by  a  rush  of  water 
coming  from  the  valley  which  opens 
upon  Keneh,  and  which,  rising  in  the 
primitive  ranges,  has  cut  its  way 
through  the  secondary  hills  that  bor- 
der the  valley  of  the  Nile.  They  are 
therefore  worthy  the  attention  of  the 
geologist, 

Between  the  town  and  the  edge  of 
the  sandy  plain  to  the  S.  is  a  low 
channel,  which  may  once  have  been  a 
canal ;  and  it  is  not  improbable  that  it 
was  to  this  that  the  Tentyrites  owed 
their  insular  situation  mentioned  by 
Pliny. 

The  Tentyrites  were  professed 
enemies  of  the  crocodile;  and  Pliny 
relates  some  extraordinary  stories  of 
their  command  over  that  animal.  The 
truth,  indeed,  of  their  courage,  in 
attacking  so  formidable  an  enemy, 
appears  to  have  been  satisfactorily 
ascertained;  and  Strabo  affirms  that 
they  amused  and  astonished  the  Eo- 
mans  by  their  dexterity  and  boldness, 
in  dragging  the  crocodile  from  an  arti- 
ficial lake,  made  at  Eome  for  this  pur- 
pose, to  the  dry  land,  and  back  again 
into  the  water,  with  the  same  facility. 
Other  writers  mention  the  remarkable 
command  they  had  over  the  crocodile ; 
and  Seneca  accounts  for  it  by  the  con- 
tempt and  consciousness  of  superiority 


390 


ROUTE  18.  CAIEO  TO  THEBES. 


Sect.  III. 


they  felt,  in  attacking  their  enemy; 
those  who  were  deficient  in  presence 
of  mind  being  frequently  killed. 

The  crocodile  is,  in  fact,  a  timid 
animal,  flying  on  the  approach  of  man, 
and,  generally  speaking,  only  ventur- 
ing to  attack  its  prey  on  a  sudden ;  for 
which  reason  we  seldom  or  never  hear 
of  persons  having  been  devoured  by  it, 
unless  incautiously  standing  on  the 
sloping  shore  of  the  river,  where  its 
approach  is  concealed  by  the  water, 
and  where,  by  the  immense  power  of 
its  tail,  it  is  enabled  to  throw  down 
and  overcome  the  strongest  man ;  who, 
being  carried  immediately  to  the  bottom 
of  the  river,  has  neither  the  time  nor 
the  means  to  resist.  Pliny,  like  other 
authors,  has  been  led  into  a  common 
error,  that  the  sight  of  the  crocodile  is 
defective  under  water,  which  a  mo- 
ment's consideration  (without  the  ne- 
cessity of  personal  experience)  should 
have  corrected ;  for  it  is  at  least  rea- 
sonable to  suppose  that  an  animal 
living  chiefly  on  fish  should,  in  order 
to  secure  its  prey,  be  gifted  with  an 
equal  power  of  sight;  and  that  of  fish 
cannot  be  said  to  be  defective.  But 
Herodotus  affirms  that  it  is  totally 
"  blind  under  water."  Its  small  eye 
is  defended  by  the  nictitating  mem- 
brane, which  passes  over  it  when  under 
water.  It  has  no  tongue,  and  moves 
the  lower  jaw  like  other  animals ; 
though,  from  its  frequently  throwing 
up  its  head,  at  the  same  time  that  it 
opens  its  mouth,  it  has  obtained  the 
credit  of  moving  the  upper  jaw.  An- 
other error  respecting  it  is  its  supposed 
inability  to  turn ;  but  it  is  better  not 
to  trust  to  this  received  notion,  as  it 
can  strike  its  head  with  its  tail.  It  is 
however  a  heavy  and  unwieldy  animal  ; 
it  cannot  run  very  fast,  and  is  usually 
more  inclined  to  run  from,  than  at, 
anybody  approaching  it.  No  one, 
however,  should  go  into  the  river  from 
a  sandbank  where  crocodiles  abound  ; 
but  there  is  little  or  no  danger  in  bath- 
ing in  deep  water.  One  or  two  of  these 
animals  may  still  sometimes  be  seen 
on  the  sandbank  in  the  middle  of  the 
river,  opposite  the  landing-place  for 
Keneh. 

*  The  hatred  of  the  Tentyrites  for  the 


crocodile  was  the  cause  of  serious  dis- 
putes with  the  inhabitants  of  Ombos, 
where  it  was  particularly  worshipped ; 
and  the  unpardonable  affront  of  killing 
and  eating  the  god-like  animal  was 
resented  by  the  Ombites  with  all  the 
rage  of  a  sectarian  feud.  No  religious 
war  was  ever,  urged  with  more  energetic 
zeal ;  and  the  conflict  of  the  Ombites 
and  Tentyrites  terminated  in  the  dis- 
graceful ceremony  of  a  cannibal  feast, 
to  which  (if  we  car*believe  the  rather 
doubtful  authority  of  Juvenal)  the  body 
of  one  who  was  killed  in  the  affray  was 
doomed  by  his  triumphant  adversaries. 

(E.)  Keneh  (29|  m.).  A  large  and 
important  town  situated  on  the  banks 
of  a  canal  about  2g  m.  from  the  Nile. 
It  stands  on  the  site  of  Csenopolis,  or 
Neapolis,  "  the  New  City  "  (the  New- 
town of  those  days),  but  boasts  no  re- 
mains of  antiquity.  Keneh  has  suc- 
ceeded Cpptos  and  Koos  as  the  empo- 
rium of  trade  with  the  Arabian  coast, 
which  it  supplies  with  corn,  carried  by 
way  of  Kosseir  to  Emba  (Yambo)  and 
Jeddah.  It  is  noted  for  its  manufacture 
of  porous  water-jars  and  bottles,  the 
former  called  in  Arabic  zeer,  the  latter 
koolleh  and  ddrak,  which  are  in  great 
request  throughout  Egypt.  The  clay 
used  for  making  them  is  found  to  the 
northward  of  the  town,  in  the  bed  of 
a  valley,  whose  torrents  have  for  ages 
past  contributed  to  the  accumulation, 
or  rather  deposit,  of  this  useful  earth  : 
which,  with  the  sifted  ashes  of  half  eh 
grass  in  proper  proportions,  is  the  prin- 
cipal composition.  Keneh  has  baths, 
and  a  good  bazaar  with  several  Greek 
shops.  The  market  is  held  every  Thurs- 
day. Excellent  dates  from  the  Hegaz 
are  sold  at  Keneh.  They  are  in  drums, 
or  small  boxes,  and  are  thus  preserved 
in  a  soft  state.  They  are  put  in  whole 
like  Smyrna  figs  ;  not  broken  up  info 
a  mass  like  thr,  Agweh  of  Cairo.  To 
one  of  these  processes  Pliny  alludes, 
when  he  says  "  Thebaidis  fructus  ex- 
templo  in  cados  conditur." 

At  Keneh  is  a  large  colony  of 
ghaiodzee  (sing,  ghdzeeyah).  These 
dancing-girls  are  often  erroneously 
called  almehs,  the  almeh  being  a  fe- 


Egypt. 


ROUTE  18.  KENEH  KOBT. 


391 


male  professional  singer,  while  the 
ghdzeeyah  is  a  dancer,  and  a  much  more 
disreputable  character.  They  are  to 
be  met  with  in  most  of  the  large  vil- 
lages and  towns  of  Egypt.  Many 
;ravellers  have  raved  about  the  beauty 
)f  these  ghawdzee,  and  the  gracefulness 
)f  their  dance ;  but  the  real  truth  is 
that  nine-tenths  of  them  are  ugly  and 
repulsive,  and  their  dance  inelegant 
when  kept  within  the  bounds  of  out- 
ward decency,  and  disgusting  when 
allowed  full  swing. 

The  direct  road  to  Kosseir,  on  the 
Ked  Sea,  goes  from  Keneh.  (See  Rte. 
19.) 

(W.)  The  ancient  village  of  Pam- 
panis,  the  next  mentioned  by  Ptolemy 
after  Tentyris,  stood  inland,  on  the  W. 
bank.  Some  suppose  it  to  have  been 
at  Ed  Dayr,  opposite  Benoot,  whose 
name  also  shows  it  to  be  the  successor 
of  an  ancient  town.  But  Ed  Dayr  can- 
not occupy  the  site  of  Pampanis,  if 
Ptolemy  be  correct,  as  he  places  it  5' 
more  to  the  S.  than  Apoliinopolis 
Parva  (Koos),  and  nearly  at  two- 
thirds  of  the  distance  from  Tentyris  to 
Thebes.  The  latitude  he  gives  of  that 
village,  as  well  as  his  position  of 
Apoliinopolis,  require  Pampanis  to 
be  much  further  S. ;  and  taking  the 
proportion  of  the  distances  he  gives,  it 
should  have  stood  at  Mensheeyali  or 
Negadeh. 

(W.)  Ballds  is  well  known  for  its 
manufacture  of  earthen  jars,  which 
from  this  town  have  received  the  name 
of  Balldsee,  and  are  universally  used  in 
Egypt  for  the  purpose  of  carrying 
water.  When  full  they  are  of  great 
weight ;  and  one  is  surprised  to  find 
the  women  able  to  bear  them  on  their 
heads,  while  admiring  their  graceful 
gait  as  they  walk  with  them  from  the 
river.  The  same  kind  of  jars  are  used, 
like  some  amphorae  of  the  ancients,  for 
preserving  rice,  butter,  treacle,  and 
oil,  and  for  other  domestic  purposes : 
and  large  rafts  made  of  balldsee  jars, 
are  frequently  floated  down  the  Nile, 
to  be  disposed  of  in  the  markets  of  the 
metropolis. 

Near  Ballas  should  be  the  site  of 
Contra  Coptos, 


i  (E.)  Kobt,  or  Koft,  the  ancient  Cop- 
tos, is  a  short  distance  from  the  river, 
on  the  E.  bank.  The  proper  ortho- 
graphy, according  to  Aboolfeda,  is 
Kobt,  though  the  natives  now  call  it 
Koft.  In  Coptic  it  was  styled  Keft, 
and  in  the  hieroglyphics  Kobthor  ; — a 
name  recalling  the  Caphtor  of  Scrip- 
ture. 

It  was  from  this  town,  which  was 
the  head-quarters  of  Christanity  in 
Egypt  under  the  Eoman  emperors,  that 
the  Copts  in  all  probability  took  their 
name. 

The  remains  of  its  old  wall  are  still 
visible,  and  even  the  towers  of  the 
gateway,  which  stood  on  the  E.  side. 
The  ruins  are  mostly  of  a  late  epoch  : 
the  names  on  the  fallen  fragments  of 
masonry  that  lie  scattered  within  il  s 
precincts,  or  on  those  employed  in 
building  the  Christian  Church,  being 
of  different  Caesars.  A  granite  pillar, 
however,  bearing  the  oval  of  Thothmes 
III.,  shows  that  some  monument  ex- 
isted at  Coptos  of  a  very  remote  date, 
to  which  the  Roman  emperors  after- 
wards made  additions  ;  and  on  a  stone 
built  into  a  bridge  on  the  road  to  the 
river  are  the  name  and  prenomen  of 
an  Enentef,  of  the  Xlth  dynasty.  But 
owing  to  the  depredations  of  the  early 
Christians,  little  can  be  traced  of  its 
ancient  buildings,  their  materials 
having  been  used  to  construct  the 
church,  part  of  which  too  only  now 
remains.  There  are  also  the  remnants 
of  some  hieroglyphic  inscriptions, 
apparently  of  Ptolemaic  time. 

The  principal  cause  of  the  ruinous 
condition  of  this  city  may  be  attri- 
buted to  the  fury  of  Diocietian ;  and 
Gibbon  states  that  it  was  "  utterly 
destroyed  by  the  arms  and  severe 
order  "  of  that  emperor.  It  had  played 
a  conspicuous  part  in  the  rebellion 
against  his  authority,  and  the  severity 
which  he  exercised  at  the  same  time 
upon  the  Alexandrians  fell  with  still 
greater  weight  on  the  inhabitants  of 
Coptos.  At  the  village  of  el  Kala, 
"  the  Citadel,"  is  a  small  temple,  of 
Roman  date,  bearing  the  royal  ovals 
of  Tiberius  Claudius. 

Besides  the  ruins  of  temples  and 
other  buildings,  the  vestiges  of  its 


392 


EOUTE  18.  CAIEO  TO  THEBES. 


Sect.  III. 


canals  still  attest  the  opulence  of  this 
city ;  which,  continued  to  be  the  mart 
of  Indian  commerce  from  the  founda- 
tion of  Berenice  till  its  destruction  in 
the  reign  of  Diocletian;  and  though, 
as  in  Strabo's  time,  the  Myos-Hormos 
was  found  to  be  a  more  convenient 
port  than  Berenice,  and  was  frequented 
by  almost  all  the  Indian  and  Arabian 
fleets,  Coptos  still  continued  to  be  the 
seat  of  commerce.  Myos-Hormos  was 
afterwards  succeeded  by  Philoteras- 
portus,  which  had  formerly  played  a 
part  in  the  time  of  the  Pharaohs  under 
the  name  of  iEnnum,  and  this  again 
gave  place,  at  a  later  period,  to  the 
modern  town  of  Kosseir.  Coptos,  too, 
was  supplanted  by  Koos,  which  con- 
tinued to  be  the  depot  of  all  merchan- 
dise from  the  Eed  Sea,  during  the 
reign  of  the  Egyptian  sultans,  until  in 
its  turn  it  gave  place  to  Keneh. 

It  was  to  Coptos  that  many  of  the 
stones  quarried  in  the  porphyry  and 
other  mountains  of  the  eastern  desert 
were  transported;  for  which  purpose 
large  roads  were  coustructed,  at  con- 
siderable labour  and  expense,  over 
sandy  plains,  and  through  the  sinu- 
osities of  valleys.  But  that  of  the 
emerald  -  mines  took  the  direction  of 
Contra-Apollinopolis ;  nor  does  it  ap- 
pear that  any  other  communication 
was  established  with  these  mines  from 
Coptos  than  by  the  Berenice  road. 

iElian  tells  us  that  the  Coptites 
worshipped  Isis ;  and  Mr.  Harris  found 
an  inscription  there  ot  the  8th  year  of 
Trajan,  containing  a  dedication  to  her 
(•'  I2IAI  TPIXHMAT02  ").  ^Elian  re- 
lates a  story  of  the  respect  paid  by 
scorpions  to  her  temple ;  and  he  also 
states  that  the  female  dorcas  was 
sacred  in  this  city.  It  was  here  that 
Isis  was  supposed,  to  have  received  the 
first  account  of  her  husband's  death, — 
a  circumstance  which,  according  to 
Plutarch,  gave  rise  to  the  name  of 
Coptos,  signifying,  as  he  supposes, 
"  mourning,"  or,  as  others  say,  depri- 
vation." But  it  is  needless  to  make 
any  remark  on  the  absurdity  of  deriv- 
ing an  Egyptian  name  from  Greek, 
which  he,  like  so  many  others,  was  in 
the  habit  of  doing.  The  traveller  will 
look  in  vain  in  the  level  alluvial  plain 


for  the  "  precipice,"  whence  the  ass 
was  annually  thrown  down  by  the 
Coptites,  in  token  of  their  hatred  of 
Typhon.  It  may  have  been  an  art- 
ificial eminence  made  for  that  allego- 
rical ceremony. 

(E.)  The  town  of  Esh  Shurafa,  to 
the  N.  of  Coptos,  is  so  called  from 
having  been  founded  and  inhabited 
by  some  Shereefs,  or  descendants  of 
Mohammed;  who  are  distinguished 
from  other  Moslems  by  the  peculiar 
right  of  wearing  a  green  turban ;  a 
custom  first  introduced  by  one  of  the 
Baharite  Memlook  sultans  of  Egypt, 
El  Ashraf  IShaban,  who  reigned  from 
a.d.  1363  to  1377. 

Aboolfeda  states  that  the  town  of 
Kobt  was  a  wakf,  "  entail,"  of  the 
Shereefs,  though  it  appears  rather  to 
have  belonged  to  the  Haramayn  of 
Mecca  and  Medeeneh.  How  the 
inhabitants  of  Coptos  came  to  be 

Shiites  i^Sheeah)  xxj^,  as  he  says  they 

were,  he  does  not  explain :  and  it 
would  be  curious  to  ascertain  if  this 
was  really  the  case  in  former  times. 

Contra-Coptos  was  probably  at  Do- 
waide. 

(E.)  At  Koos  or  (Goos),  in  Coptic 
Kos-Birbir,  is  the  site  of  Apollinopolis 
Parva.  In  the  time  of  Aboolfeda, 
about  a.d.  1344,  it  was  the  next  city  in 
size  and  consequence  to  Fostat,  the 
capital,  and,  the  emporium  of  the 
Arabian  trade ;  but  it  is  now  reduced 
to  the  rank  of  a  small  town,  and  the 
residence  of  a  ndzer. 

At  a  sibeel,  or  "  fountain  built  for 
a  charitable  purpose,"  is  a  monolith, 
now  converted  into  a  tank,  with  a 
hieroglyphic  inscription  on  the  jambs, 
containing  the  name  of  Ptolemy  Phi- 
ladelphus;  and  a  short  distance  to 
the  W.  of  the  town,  near  a  sheykh's 
tomb,  are  some  fragments  of  sandstone, 
and  a  few  small  granite  columns. 

Large  sandbanks  here  obstruct  the 
course  of  the  river  for  some  distance. 
In  the  early  part  of  the  year  they  are 
a  favourite  resort  of  all  kinds  of  water- 
birds.  Later  on  they  are  planted  with 
melons. 


Egypt. 


BOUTE  1  8.  NEGADEH  MEDAMOT. 


393 


(W.)  Negddeh  (22 J  m.),  a  short  dis- 
tance S.  of  Koos,  and  on  the  opposite 
banks,  is  noted  for  its  Coptic  and  Ca- 
tholic convents,  and,  in  Aboolfeda's 
time,  for  its  gardens  and  sugar-cane. 
Between  it  and  Gamola,  on  the  edge  of 
the  desert,  are  3  very  old  convents, 
which  as  usual  are  ascribed  to  the  time 
of  Helena.  The  first,  called  Dayr  Es 
Seleeb  (of  the  Cross),  is  near  Demfeek, 
with  a  very  small  ch. ;  the  next,  of  El 
Melak,  is  small,  but  more  interesting ; 
but  the  oldest  of  them  is  that  of  Maree 
Boktee.  The  ch.,  as  in  the  others,  has 
a  semicircular  apse,  and  some  remains 
of  frescoes  on  its  domes.  It  is  about 
2  J  m.  beyond  El  Arraba. 

The  bend  of  the  river  at  Negadeh 
offers  one  of  the  most  lovely  and  pictur- 
esque views  on  the  Nile.  The  town 
itself  is  old,  and  presents  a  curious  and 
pleasing  appearance,  owing  to  the  lofty 
pigeon-towers  which  crown  every  house. 
This  effect  is  of  course  seen  in  many 
villages  on  the  Nile,  but  in  none  are 
the  number  of  pigeon-towers  greater,  or 
their  battlemented  appearance  more 
remarkable,  than  at  Negadeh.  The 
pigeons  are  kept  for  the  sake  of  their 
dung,  which  is  the  only  manure  used 
in  Egypt,  but  it  is  doubtful  whether 
the  profit  thus  obtained  from  them  is 
not  more  than  counterbalanced  by  the 
ravages  they  commit  in  the  fields. 

Negadeh  has  no  ruins  ;  but  Shenhoor, 
on  the  E.  bank,  a  few  miles  S.  of  Koos. 
presents  the  extensive  mounds  of  an 
ancient  town,  where  M.  Prisse  found  a 
temple  of  Roman  time,  dedicated  to 
Horns,  with  the  name  of  the  town  in 
hieroglyphics,  Sen-hor. 
_  Between  Shenhoor  and  Thebes  the 
river  makes  a  considerable  curve  to 
the  E. ;  and  a  little  above  this  bend, 
just  below  Thebes,  on  the  W.  bank,  is 
Gamola  (Katnola).  It  was  noted  in 
Aboolfeda's  time  for  its  numerous 
gardens  and  sugar-cane  plantations, 
which  are  mentioned  also  by  Nor  den. 
At  the  time  of  the  rebellion  'of  Sheykh 
Ahmed,  the  soi-disant  wizeer,  in  1824, 
it  was  the  residence  of  the  well-known 
Ali  Kashef  Aboo-Tarbodsh,  who  de- 
fended the  military  post  there  against 
the  insurgents  with  great  gallantry. 


(E.)  Medamot  stands  some  distance 
inland  on  the  E.  It  is  supposed  to 
mark  the  site  of  Maximianopolis,  a 
Greek  bishop's  see  under  the  Lower 
Empire  ;  but  neither  the  extent  of  its 
mounds,  nor  the  remains  of  its  temple, 
justify  the  name  that  some  have  ap- 
plied to  it  of  Karnak  esh  Sherkeeyah, 
or,  "  the  eastern  Karnak."  It  is  gene- 
rally visited  from  Thebes. 

Some  write  the  name  Med'-amood, 
as  though  it  were  called  from  amood, 
"  a  column ;  "  and  place  Maximian- 
opolis on  the  other  bank,  at  Negfideh  ; 
while  others  fix  it  at  Medeenet  Haboo, 
in  Thebes,  where  the  Christians  had  a 
very  large  ch.  until  the  period  of  the 
Arab  invasion.  Negadeh,  however,  is 
still  a  place  of  great  consequence 
among  the  Copts  of  Egypt,  whose 
convent  and  ch.  are  the  resort  of  all 
the  priests  of  the  vicinity. 

The  ruins  of  Medamot  consist  of 
crude-brick  houses  of  a  small  town, 
about  464  paces  square,  in  the  centre 
of  which  is  a  sandstone  temple  ;  but  of 
this  little  remains,  except  part  of  the 
portico,  apparently,  from  the  style  of 
its  architecture,  of  Ptolemaic  date.  On 
the  columns  may  be  traced  the  ovals 
of  Ptolemy  Euergetes  II.,  of  Lathyrus, 
and  of  Auletes,  as  well  as  those  of  the 
Emperor  Antoninus  Pius ;  but  a  block 
of  granite  with  the  name  of  Amu- 
noph  II.  proves  the  temple  to  be  of 
much  greater  antiquity.  The  pylon 
before  the  portico  bears  the  name  of 
Tiberius,  but  the  blocks  used  in  its 
construction  were  taken  from  some 
older  edifice,  erected  or  repaired  during 
the  reign  of  Rameses  II. 

This  pylon  formed  one  of  several 
doorways  of  a  crude-brick  enclosure 
which  surrounded  the  temple ;  and  a 
short  distance  before  it  is  a  raised 
platform,  with  a  flight  of  steps  on  the 
inner  side,  similar  to  that  before  the 
temple  at  El  Khargeh  (in  the  Great 
Oasis),  at  Karnak,  and  many  other 
places.  To  the  southward  of  the 
portico  appears  to  be  the  site  of  a  re- 
servoir, beyond  which  a  gateway  leads 
through  the  side  of  the  crude-brick 
wall  to  a  small  ruin,  bearing  the  name 
of  Ptolemy  Euergetes  I.  Besides  the 
s  3 


394 


ROUTE  18. — CAIRO  TO  THEBES. 


Sect.  III. 


enclosure  of  the  temple  is  a  wall  of 
similar  materials  that  surrounded  the 
whole  town,  which  was  of  an  irregular 
shape. 

Even  before  Kamola  is  reached  the 
ruins  of  Karnak,  the  Colossi,  and  all 
the  temples  on  the  W.  bank,  come  into 
sight :  and  in  a  short  time  the  boat  is 
moored  to  the  E.  bank,  close  under  an 


ancient  temple,  around  whose  ruins 
cluster  the  mud  huts  of  the  modern 
village  of 

(E.)  Luxor  (22  m.),  the  best  head- 
quarters from  which  to  visit  the  won- 
derful ruins  that  alone  remain  to  tell 
of  the  glories  of  Thebes,  the  most 
famous  of  old  Egyptian  cities. 


(    395  ) 


SECTION  IV. 
THEBES. 

Peeliminary  Information. 

Arrival  at  Luxor  and  General  Information,  b.  Mode  of  seeing  Thebes. 
c.  History  and  Topography  of  Thebes,  d.  Ruins  and  Remains : — Western 
Bank — 1.  Temple  of  Koorneh.  2.  Rameseum,  or  Memnonium.  3.  The 
Colossi;  Vocal  Memnon.  4.  Temples  of  Medeenet  Hdboo,  and  other  ruins 
near.  5.  Dayr  el  Medeeneh.  6.  Dayr  el  Bahree.  7.  Tombs  of  the  Kings. 
8.  Tombs  of  Priests  and  Private  Individuals — Drah  Aboo  I  Negga — Assaseef 
— Sheykh  Abd  el  Koorneh— Koornet  Murraee,  &c.  9.  Tombs  of  the  Queens. — 
Eastern  Bank — 10.  Luxor.    11.  Karnah. 


roi;te  page 
19.  Thebes,  or  Keneh,  to  Kosseir 
on  the  "Ked  Sea  —  The 
Ababdeh  Desert      . .     . .  447 

a.  Arrival  at  Luxor  and  General 
Information. 

Luxor  is  a  small  village  of  little 


ROUTE  PAGE 

20.  Thebes  to  Assoodn,  First 
Cataract,  Elephantine,  and 
Philse   ..451 

contract  usually  made,  they  are  pro- 
vided by  the  dragoman.  There  are 
different  sets  of  guides  for  each  bank, 
who  do  not  interfere  with  each  other. 


importance  in  itself,  but  well  known      The  usual  mooring-place  for  daha- 


from  its  being  the  most  important 
stage  on  the  Nile  voyage,  and  the 
generally  chosen  head-quarters  from 
which  to  visit  the  wonderful  remains 


beeahs  is  to  the  high  bank  under  the 
village  and  temple  of  Luxor ;  but  those 
who  prefer  to  be  away  from  the  noise 
and  bustle  caused  by  the  presence  of 


of  old  Thebes,  the  most  important  j  several  boats,  can  moor  to  the  island 
and  interesting  ruins  in  Egypt.  It  j  just  above,  and  cross  to  the  mainland, 
is  450  m.  from  Cairo,  and  133  from  i  when  occasion  requires,  in  the  sandal. 
Assooan.  j  This  little  boat  should  always  be 

There  are  several  consular  agents. j  alongside,  properly  cleaned,  and  with 
Mustapha  Agha  acts  in  that  capacity  oars,  rudder,  sail,  and  everything  ready 
for  England  and  the  United  States, ;  for  taking  the  visitor  to  the  other  side 
and  is  a  most  courteous  and  obliging  !  of  the  river,  or  wherever  he  may  wish 
representative,  ready  to  render  the  j  to  go.  Four  or  five  sailors,  properly 
traveller  assistance  in  every  way.  dressed,  should  always  be  in  readiness 
Those  who  wish  to  have  letters  and  to  go  with  it.  In  visiting  the  ruins, 
newspapers  sent  on  to  them  from  j  unless  any  wish  to  the  contrary  is 
Alexandria  or  Cairo,  should  have  them  expressed,  the  dragoman  should  always 
directed  to  his  care.  Letters  can  also  accompany  the  party  himself;  audit 
be  forwarded  through  him.  The  post,  should  be  distinctly  understood,  when 
however,  is  very  irregular,  and  things  a  visit  to  the  W.  bank  is  intended, 
are  often  lost.  that  the  guide  has  got  the  requisite 

Guides  and  donkeys  for  visiting  the  number  of  donkeys  ready  on  the  sand- 
ruins  on  both  sides  of  the  river  are  bank  immediately  opposite  Luxor, 
procured  at  Luxor.   The  price  is  about      In  visiting  the  "W.  bank  it  is  usual 
20  piastres  a  day.    According  to  the  to  spend  the  whole  day  away  from  the 


396 


THEBES. 


Sect.  IY. 


boat.  Provisions  must  then  be  taken. 
Numerous  small  boys  and  girls  will  be 
found  waiting  with  the  donkeys,  all 
anxious  to  act  as  attendants  on  the 
traveller  and  carry  a  koolleh  full  of 
water  for  his  benefit,  and  also  any 
books,  drawing  materials,  &c,  he  may 
have  with  him.  In  return  for  this 
service  a  small  backsheesh  will  be  ex- 
pected, or  rather  importunately  de- 
manded, at  the  end  of  the  day.  It  is 
better  to  select  one  attendant,  and 
then  make  him  or  her  keep  the 
others  oft'. 

Candles,  and  some  magnesium  wire 
should  be  taken,  for  seeing  the  interiors 
of  the  tombs  properly.  Torches  should 
never  be  used  for  this  purpose,  as  they 
blacken  the  sculptures  and  utterly 
spoil  them.  Many  of  the  private  tombs 
are  so  blackened  by  the  fires  of  the 
peasants  who  inhabit  them,  as  no 
longer  to  be  worth  visiting  ;  and  if 
torches  were  used  for  lighting  up  the 
Tombs  of  the  Kings,  their  smoke 
would  soon  blacken  and  disfigure  them. 
Travellers  are  ready  enough  to  reproach 
the  ignorant  natives  for  the  injury 
they  do  to  the  monuments,  though 
they  themselves  are  often  quite  as 
deserving  of  reproach  for  their  share 
in  the  destruction,  for  the  encourage- 
ment they  give  to  the  peasants  to  break 
off  some  piece  of  sculpture,  by  buying 
it  when  brought,  and  often  by  em- 
ploying them  to  obtain  it. 

Those  who  expect  to  find  abundance 
of  good  antiques  for  sale  at  Thebes 
will  be  disappointed.  Occasionally 
they  are  found,  and  brought  to  travel- 
lers ;  and  those  who  understand  them 
and  know  how  to  make  a  judicious 
choice,  not  giving  a  high  price  for  the 
bad,  but  paying  well  for  objects  of 
real  value,  may  occasionally  obtain  ( 
some  interesting  objects.  The  dealers 
soon  discover  whether  the  purchaser 
understands  their  value ;  and  if  he  is 
ignorant  they  will  sell  the  worst  to 
him  for  a  high  price,  and  false  ones, 
rather  than  the  best  they  have.  In- 
deed a  great  portion  of  those  sold  by 
dealers  are  forgeries ;  and  some  are  so 
cleverly  imitated,  that  it  requires  a 
practised  eye  to  detect  them ;  parti- 
cularly scarabsei.    Papyri  are  made  up 


very  cleverly,  on  a  stick,  enveloped 
in  fragments,  or  leaves :  the  outer 
covering  being  a  piece  of  real  papyrus, 
and  the  whole  sealed  with  clay.  Good 
papyri  are  broken  up  to  obtain  these 
outer  coatings  to  false  ones ;  and  un- 
less a  papyrus  can  be  at  least  partly 
unrolled,  it  is  scarcely  worth  while  for 
a  novice  in  antiques  to  purchase  it. 

Capital  quail-shooting  may  be  had 
on  both  sides  of  the  river  in  the 
month  of  March,  or  even  earlier. 
About  4  hrs.'  ride  inland  on  the  W. 
bank,  in  the  direction  of  Erment,  is  a 
lake,  at  which  good  duck-shooting  may 
be  had  in  the  winter.  It  is  necessary, 
however,  to  be  provided  with  a  tent,  so 
as  to  encamp  the  night  near  the  lake, 
and  be  ready  for  shooting  at  daybreak. 
A  visit  to  the  ruins  of  Karnak  by 
moonlight— a  visit  which  none  should 
neglect  to  pay  if  they  have  the  oppor- 
tunity —  may  be  combined  witli  a 
night's  watching  for  hysenas,  who 
occasionally,  but  very  seldom  are  to 
be  seen  there. 

b.  Mode  of  Seeing  Thebes. 

In  order  that  Thebes  and  its  re- 
mains may  produce  their  best  effect, 
the  W.  side  should  certainly  be 
first  visited  ;  and  last  of  all  Karnak 
on  the  E.  Those  who  are  on  their 
way  up  the  river  to  the  1st  or  2nd 
Cataract  will  do  well,  if  the  wind  is 
1  favourable  on  their  arrival  at  Luxor, 
to  stop  there  no  longer  than  may  be 
absolutely  necessary  for  procuring 
provisions,  getting  letters,  &c,  and 
leave  all  the  sight-seeing  till  they 
come  back  on  their  way  down.  Should 
the  wind  however  be  adverse,  or  there 
be  none  at  all,  they  may  prefer,  instead 
,  of  tracking  on,  to  remain  till  a  change 
in  the  weather  occurs,  and  occupy  the 
time  in  doing  some  of  the  sights ;  they 
will  then  require  to  stay  a  shorter  time 
on  their  way  down. 

Some  persons  will,  no  doubt,  feel 
disposed  to  take  a  more  cursory  view 
of  the  ruins  of  Thebes  than  others, 
being  pressed  for  time,  or  feeling  no 
very  great  interest  in  antiquities.  For 
such  three  days  may  be  sufficient 
,  for  seeing  the  principal  objects  of  in- 


Egypt. 


HISTORY  AND  TOPOGRAPHY. 


397 


terest.  They  may  be  employed  as 
follows : 

1st  Day.—  Cross  early  to  the  W. 
bank,  and  visit  the  Colossi,  the  Mem- 
nonium,  Dayr  el  Medeeneh,  if  time 
serves,  and  Medeenet  Haboo. 

2nd  Day. — Cross  early  to  the  W. 
bank  and  visit  Koorneh,  and  then 
ride  along  the  valley  to  the  Tombs  of 
the  Kings.  Instead  of  coming  back 
by  the  same  way,  climb  the  path  to  the 
top  of  the  Libyan  Mountain,  whence 
there  is  a  magnificent  view  over  the 
plain  of  Thebes,  and  descend  to  Dayr 
el  Bahree,  well  worth  seeing  ;  thence, 
if  there  is  time,  to  the  tombs  of  the 
Assasee'f. 

3rd  Day. — The  temple  of  Luxor, 
which  will  not  take  long,  and  Karnak. 

In  this  way  the  traveller  who  merely 
wishes  to  say  lie  has  seen  Thebes  may 
get  through  it  in  three  days.  Indeed,  if 
he  is  abnormally  industrious,  starting 
early,  returning  late,  and  going  quickly 
from  one  thing  to  another,  he  may 
manage  to  cast  a  glance  at  some 
things  not  included  in  the  above  pro- 
gramme. But  all  who  can  should 
spend  at  least  a  week  at  Thebes. 
Karnak  alone  ought  to  have  2  days 
given  to  it ;  and,  as  will  be  seen  from 
the  description  of  the  various  remains 
on  the  W.  bank,  there  is  plenty  there 
to  occupy  several  days. 


c.  History  and  Topography  of 
Thebes. 

The  name  Thebes  is  corrupted  from 
the  Tape  of  the  ancient  Egyptian 
language,  the  Tape'  of  the  Copts, 
which,  in  the  Memphitic  dialect  of 
Coptic,  is  pronounced  Thaba,  easily 
converted  into  @7?/3a<,  or  Thebes. 
Some  writers  have  confined  themselves 
to  a  closer  imitation  of  the  Egyptian 
word;  and  Pliny  and  Juvenal  have 
both  adopted  Thebe,  in  the  singular 
number,  as  the  name  of  this  city.  In 
hieroglyphics  it  is  written  Ap^  Ape, 
or  with  the  feminine  article  Tape,  the 
meaning  of  which  appears  to  be  "the 


head"  Thebes  being  the  capital  of  the 
country. 

Thebes  was  also  called  Diospolis 
(Magna),  which  answers  to  Amunei, 
"  the  Abode  of  Amun,"  the  Egyptian 
Jupiter.  The  city  stood  partly  on  the 
E.,  partly  on  the  W.  of  the  Nile; 
though  the  name  Tape'  (Thebes)  was 
applied  to  the  whole  city  on  either 
bank.  The  western  division  had  the 
distinctive  appellation  of  Pathyris,  or, 
as  Ptolemy  writes  it,  Tathyris,  being 
under  the  peculiar  protection  of 
Athor,  who  is  called  "the  President 
of  the  West;"  for  though  Amun  (or 
Amun-re)  was  the  chief  deity  wor- 
shipped there,  as  well  as  in  other 
quarters  of  Diospolis,  Athor  had  a 
peculiar  claim  over  the  Necropolis 
beneath  the  western  mountain,  where 
she  was  fabulously  reported  to  receive 
the  setting  sun  into  her  arms.  Pa- 
thyris was  Pathros  ;  though  Jeremiah 
(xliv.  15)  probably  alludes  to  another 
city  of  Athor  in  the  Delta. 

In  the  time  of  the  Ptolemies  the 
western  division  of  the  city,  or,  "the 
Libyan  suburb,"  was  divided  into  dif- 
ferent quarters,  as  the  Memnonia  (or 
Memnoneiaj ;  and  even  the  tombs 
were  portioned  off  into  districts,  at- 
tached to  the  quarters  of  the  town. 
Thus  we  find  that  Thynabunuin. 
where  the  priests  of  Osiris  were  bu- 
ried, belonged  to  and  stood  within  the 
limits  of  the  Memnonia.  It  is  probable 
that  in  late  times,  when  the  city  and 
its  territory  were  divided  into  2  sepa- 
rate nomes,  the  portion  on  the  western 
bank  being  under  the  protection  of 
Athor,  received  the  name  "  Pathy- 
ritic;"  and  Thebes  being  afterwards 
broken  up  into  several  small  detached 
towns,  which  was  the  case  even  in 
Strabo's  time,  Pathyris  became  a  dis- 
tinct city. 

The  period  of  its  foundation  still 
remains,  like  that  of  Memphis,  the 
capital  of  Lower  Egypt,  enveloped  in 
that  obscurity  which  is  the  fate  of  all 
the  most  ancient  cities;  but  from  the 
names  of  the  oldest  kings  seen  about 
Memphis,  it  is  evident  that  Thebes  was 
not  so  ancient  as  the  capital  of  Lower 
Egypt ;  and  there  is  even  reason  to 


398 


THEBES. 


Sect.  IV. 


suppose  that  Hermonthis  (now  Er- 
ment)  was  older  than  Thebes. 

Ancient  authors  do  not  agree  as  to 
the  extent  of  this  city,  which,  accord- 
ing to  Strabo,  was  80  stadia  in  length, 
while  Diodoms  allows  the  circuit  to 
have  been  only  140 — a  disparity  which 
may  be  partially  reconciled  by  sup- 
posing that  the  latter  speaks  of  it 
when  still  an  infant  city.  The  epiphet 
Hecatompylos,  applied  to  it  by  Homer, 
has  generally  been  thought  to  refer  to 
the  100  gates  of  its  wall  of  circuit ; 
but  this  difficulty  is  happily  solved  by 
an  observation  of  Diodorus,  that  many 
suppose  them  "  to  have  been  the  pro- 
pyl sea  of  the  temples,"  and  that  this 
metaphorical  expression  rather  implies 
a  plurality  than  a  definite  number. 
Were  it  not  so,  the  reader  might  be 
surprised  to  learn  that  this  100-gated 
city  was  never  enclosed  by  a  wall — a 
fact  fully  proved  by  the  non-existence 
of  the  least  vestige  of  it;  for,  even 
allowing  it  to  have  been  of  crude 
brick,  it  would,  from  its  great  thick- 
ness, have  survived  the  ravages  of 
time,  equally  with  those  of  similar 
materials  of  the  early  epoch  of  the 
third  Thothmes.  Or,  supposing  it  to 
have  been  destroyed  by  the  waters  of 
the  inundation,  and  buried  by  the 
alluvial  deposit,  in  those  parts  which 
stood  on  the  cultivated  land,  the  rocky 
and  uninundated  acclivity  of  the  hdger 
would  at  least  have  retained  some 
traces  of  its  former  existence,  even 
were  it  razed  to  the  ground. 

It  is  not  alone  from  the  authority  of 
ancient  writers  that  the  splendour  and 
*  power  of  this  city  (which  had  the 
reputation  of  furnishing  20,000  armed 
chariots  from  its  vicinity)  are  to  be 
estimated;  but  the  extent  of  the 
Egyptian  conquests  adding  continu- 
ally to  the  riches  of  the  metropolis, 
the  magnificence  of  the  edifices  which 
adorned  it,  the  luxe  of  the  individuals 
who  inhabited  it,  the  spoil  taken 
thence  by  the  Persians,  and  the  gold 
and  silver  collected  after  the  burning 
of  the  city,  amply  testify  the  immense 
wealth  of  Egyptian  Thebes. 

The  immense  army  which  a  force 
of  20,000  chariots  would  imply  was. 


not  of  course  raised  at  Thebes  alone ; 
which  Diodorus  seems  to  admit;  but 
he  also  miscalculates  the  number  when 
he  computes  the  chariots  at  20,000 
and  reckons  only  100  stables  and  200 
horses  in  each,  which,  allowing  2  to 
each  car,  will  only  supply  half  the 
number.  Moreover,  he  places  these 
stables  between  Thebes  and  Memphis. 

The  greatest  step  towards  the  de- 
cline and  fall  of  this  city  was  the  pre- 
ference given  to  Lower  Egypt  (but 
not  to  Memphis,  as  Diodorus  sup- 
poses) ;  and  the  removal  of  the  seat 
of  government  to  Tanis  and  Bubastis, 
and  subsequently  to  Sais  and  Alex- 
andria, proved  as  disastrous  to  the 
welfare,  as  the  Persian  invasion  to 
the  splendour,  of  the  capital  of  Upper 
Egypt.  Commercial  wealth,  on  the 
accession  of  the  Ptolemies,  began  to 
flow  through  other  channels ;  Coptos 
and  Apollinopolis  succeeded  to  the 
lucrative  trade  of  Arabia,  and  Ethiopia 
no  longer  contributed  to  the  revenues 
of  Thebes.  And  its  subsequent  de- 
struction, after  a  3  years'  siege,  by 
Ptolemy  Lathyrus,  struck  a  death- 
blow to  the  welfare  and  existence  of 
this  capital,  which  was  thenceforth 
scarcely  deemed  an  Egyptian  city. 
Some  few  repairs  were,  however,  made 
to  its  dilapidated  temples  by  Euer- 
getes  II.  and  some  of  the  later 
Ptolemies;  but  it  remained  depopu- 
lated, and  at  the  time  of  Strabo's  visit 
it  was  already  divided  into  small  de- 
tached villages. 

The  principal  part  of  the  city,  pro- 
perly so  called,  lay  on  the  E.  bank ; 
that  on  the  opposite  side,  which  con- 
tained the  quarter  of  the  Memnonia, 
and  the  whole  of  its  extensive  Necro- 
polis, bore  the  name  of  the  Libyan 
suburb.  It  is  not  certain  whether  or 
no  cultivated  spots  of  land  were  in 
early  times  admitted  amidst  the  houses  ; 
but  it  appears  from  the  sculptures  of 
the  tombs  that  the  principal  inhabit- 
ants had  extensive  gardens  attached 
to  their  mansions,  independent  of 
their  villas  and  farms  outside  the 
city;  and  in  the  reigns  of  the  Ptole- 
mies several  parcels  of  land  were  sold 
and  let  within  the  interior  of  the 
Libyan  suburb. 


Egypt 


TEMPLE  OE  KOORNEH. 


399 


"  Alone  of  the  cities  of  Egypt,  the 
situation  of  Thebes  is  as  beautiful  by 
nature  as  by  art.  The  monotony  of 
the  two  mountain  ranges,  Libyan  and 
Arabian,  for  the  first  time  assumes  a 
new  and  varied  character.  They  each 
retire  from  the  river,  forming  a  circle 
round  the  wide  green  plain;  the 
western  rising  into  a  bolder  and  more 
massive  barrier,  and  enclosing  the 
plain  at  its  northern  extremity  as  by  a 
natural  bulwark ;  the  eastern,  further 
withdrawn,  but  acting  the  same  part 
to  the  view  of  Thebes  as  the  Argolic 
mountains  to  the  plain  of  Athens,  or 
the  Alban  hills  to  Kome — a  varied  and 
bolder  chain,  rising  and  falling  in 
almost  Grecian  outline,  though  cast  in 
the  conical  form  which  marks  the  hills 
of  Nubia  further  south,  and  which, 
perhaps,  suggested  the  Pyramids. 
Within  the  circle  of  these  two  ranges, 
thus  peculiarly  its  own,  stretches  the 
green  plain  on  each  side  the  river  to 
an  unusual  extent ;  and  on  each  side 
the  river,  in  this  respect  unlike  Mem- 
phis, but  like  the  great  city  further  E. 
on  the  Euphrates  —  like  the  cities  of 
Northern  Europe  on  their  lesser 
streams — spreads  the  city  of  Thebes, 
with  the  Nile  for  its  mighty  thorough- 
fare. '  Art  thou  better  than  No-Amon 
that  was  situated  by  the  "  river  of  the 
Nile  "  —  that  had  the  waters  round 
about  it — whose  rampart  was  "  the 
sealike  stream,"  and  whose  wall  was 
the  "  sealike  stream."  '  Nahum  iii.  8." 
— A.  P.  Stanley. 

The  most  ancient  remains  now 
existing  at  Thebes  are  unquestionably 
in  the  great  temple  of  Karnak,  the 
largest  and  most  splendid  ruin  of 
which  perhaps  either  ancient  or  mo- 
dern times  can  boast,  being  the  work 
of  a  number  of  successive  monarchs, 
each  anxious  to  surpass  his  prede- 
cessor by  increasing  the  dimensions 
and  proportions  of  tiie  part  he  added. 
It  is  this  fact  which  enables  us  to 
account  for  the  diminutive  size  of  the 
older  parts  of  this  extensive  building. 
And  to  their  comparatively  limited 
scale,  offering  greater  facility,  as  their  ; 
vicinity  to  the  sanctuary  greater  j 
temptation,  to  an  invading  enemy  to 
destroy  them,  added  to  their  remote  ! 


antiquity,  are  to  be  attributed  their 
dilapidated  state,  and  the  total  dis- 
appearance of  the  sculptures  executed 
during  the  reigns  of  the  Pharaohs, 
who  preceded  Osirtasen  I.  of  the  Xllth 
dynasty,  the  earliest  monarch  whose 
name  exists  on  the  monuments  of 
Eastern  Thebes.  There  are,  however, 
the  vestiges  of  earlier  times  on  the 
W.  bank,  especially  at  Drah  Aboo-1- 
Neggah. 

It  cannot  be  too  often  repeated,  that, 
in  order  to  enjoy  a  visit  to  the  ruins  of 
this  city,  Karnak,  from  being  the  most 
splendid,  should  be  the  last  visited  by 
the  stranger,  who  will  then  be  able  to 
appreciate  the  smaller  monuments  of 
the  western  bank,  the  "  Libyan  suburb 
of  Thebes,"  which  included  the  ex- 
tensive quarter  of  the  Memnonia,  and 
reached  to  the  small  temple  of  Adrian 
on  the  W.,  and,  in  the  opposite  direc- 
tion, as  far  as  the  eastern  tombs  of  its 
immense  cemetery. 


d.  Euins  and    Eemains  :  —  Western 
Bank.    1.  Temple  of  Koorneh. 

To  commence  with  the  northernmost 
ruin  on  the  W.  bank ;  the  first  object 
worthy  of  notice  is  the  small  temple- 
palace  at  Old  Koorneh  ( Goorna),  dedi- 
cated to  Amun,  the  Theban  Jupiter, 
by  Sethi  I.,  and  completed  by  his  son 
Kameses  II.,  the  supposed  Sesostris  of 
the  Greeks.  It  is  sometimes  called 
Kasr  er  Eubayk. 

Its  plan  offers  the  usual  symme- 
trophobia  of  Egyptian  monuments,  but 
it  presents  a  marked  deviation  from 
the  ordinary  distribution  of  the  parts. 
The  entrance  leads  through  a  pylone, 
or  pylon,  bearing,  in  addition  to  the 
name  of  the  founder,  that  of  Kameses 
III.,  beyond  which  is  a  dromos  of 
128  ft.,  whose  mutilated  sphinxes  are 
scarcely  traceable  amidst  the  mounds 
and  ruins  of  Arab  hovels.  A  second 
pylon  terminates  this,  and  commences 
a  second  dromos  of  nearly  similar 
length,  extending  to  the  colonnade  or 
;  corridor  in  front  of  the  temple,  whose 
j  columns,  of  one  of  the  oldest  Egyptian 
orders,  are  crowned  by  an  abacus, 
i  which  appears  to  unite  the  stalks  of 


400 


THEBES. 


Sect.  IV. 


water-plants  that  compose  the  shaft 
and  capital. 

Of  the  intercolumniations  of  these 
10  columns  3  only  agree  in  breadth, 
and  a  similar  discrepancy  is  observed 
in  the  doorways  which  form  the  3 
entrances  to  the  building.  The  temple 
itself  presents  a  central  hall  about 
57  ft.  in  length,  supported  by  6  co- 
lumns, having  on  either  side  3  small 
chambers,  one  of  which  leads  to  a 
lateral  hall,  and  the  opposite  one  to  a 
passage  and  open  court  on  the  E.  side. 
Upon  the  upper  end  of  the  hall  open 
5  other  chambers,  the  centre  one  of 
which  leads  to  a  large  room,  supported 
by  4  square  pillars,  beyond  which  was 
the  sanctuary  itself:  but  the  N.  end 
of  this  temple  is  in  too  dilapidated  a 
state  to  enable  us  to  make  an  accurate 
restoration  of  its  innermost  chambers. 
The  lateral  hall  on  the  W.,  which 
probably  belonged  to  the  palace  of  the 
king,  is  supported  by  2  columns,  and 
leads  to  3  other  rooms,  behind  which 
are  the  vestiges  of  other  apartments  ; 
and  on  the  E.  side,  besides  a  large 
hypoethral  court,  were  several  similar 
chambers,  extending  also  to  the  north- 
ern extremity  of  its  precincts.  On  the 
architrave  over  the  corridor  is  the 
dedication  of  Kameses  II.,  to  whom, 
in  his  character  of  Phrah  (Pharaoh), 
or  the  Sun,  under  the  symbolic  form 
of  a  hawk,  Amunre  is  presenting  the 
emblem  of  life.  Therein,  after  the 
usual  titles  of  the  king,  we  are  told 
that  "  Kameses,  the  beloved  of  Amun, 
has  dedicated  this  work  to  his  father 
Amunre,  king  of  the  gods,  having 
made  additions  for  him  to  the  temple 
of  his  father,  the  king  (fostered  by  Ea 
and  Truth),  the  Son  of  the  Sun  (Sethi)." 
The  whole  of  this  part  of  the  building 
bears  the  name  of  Kameses  II.,  though 
his  father  is  represented  in  some  of 
the  sculptures  as  taking  part  in  the 
religious  ceremonies,  and  assisting  in 
making  offerings  to  the  deities  of  the 
temple  he  had  founded. 

On  the  N.W.  side  of  the  inner  wall 
of  this  corridor,  the  arks  or  shrines  of 
queen  Ames-No friare  (or  T-Nofriare), 
aud  of  Sethi,  are  borne  each  by  12 
priests,  in  the  £l  procession  of  shrines," 
attended  by  a  fan-bearer  and  high- 


priest  to  the  god  of  the  temple ;  and 
in  a  small  tablet,  added  at  a  later 
period,  the  king  Phtah-se-Phtah  is 
represented  in  presence  of  Amunre, 
Ames-Nofriare,  Sethi,  and  Kameses  II., 
receiving  the  emblems  of  royal  power 
from  the  hands  of  the  deity. 

The  most  interesting  part  of  this 
temple  is  the  lateral  hall  on  the  W. 
side,  which,  with  the  3  chambers 
behind  it,  king  Sethi  dedicated  to  his 
father  Kameses  I. ;  but  dying  before 
the  completion  of  the  hall,  his  son 
Kameses  II.  added  the  sculptures  that 
cover  the  interior  and  corridor  in  front 
of  it.  Those  within  the  front  wall,  on 
the  rt.  hand  entering  the  door,  repre- 
sent, in  the  lower  compartment,  king 
Rameses  II.  introduced  by  Mandoo 
to  Amunre,  behind  whom  stands  his 
grandfather  Rameses  I.,  bearing  the 
emblems  of  Osiris.  Over  him  we 
read :  "  The  good  God,  Lord  of  the 
world ;  son  of  the  Sun,  lord  of  the 
powerful,  Rameses  deceased,  esteemed 
by  the  great  God,  Lord  of  Abydus, 
(i.  e.  Osiris)."  Thoth,  the  god  of 
letters,  notes  off  the  years  of  the 
panegyries  of  the  king  on  a  palm- 
branch,  the  symbol  of  a  year.  In  the 
compartment  above  this  he  is  intro- 
duced to  the  deity  by  Atmoo  (Atum), 
and  by  Mandoo  (Munt),  who  pre- 
senting him  with  the  emblem  of  life, 
says,  "  I  have  accompanied  you  in 
order  that  you  may  dedicate  the  temple 
to  your  father  Amunre."  In  the  com- 
partment over  the  door,  2  figures  of 
Rameses  I.,  seated  in  sacred  shrines, 
receive  the  offerings  or  liturgies  of  his 
grandson,  one  wearing  the  crown  of 
the  upper,  the  other  that  of  the  lower 
country.  On  the  other  side  of  the 
door  the  king  is  offering  to  Amunre, 
Khonso,  and  Rameses  I. ;  and  on  the 
side  walls  King  Sethi  also  partakes  of 
similar  honours. 

In  the  centre  chamber  Sethi  offi- 
ciates before  the  statue  of  his  father 
placed  in  a  shrine,  like  that  before 
mentioned ;  from  which  it  is  evident 
that  Rameses  II.  continued  the  dedi- 
cations to  the  1st  Rameses,  which  had 
been  commenced  by  his  father,  as  the 
hieroglyphics  themselves  state.  All 


Egypt. 


EAMESEUM  OR  MEMNONIUM. 


401 


the  lateral  chambers  and  the  hypse- 
thral  court  are  of  Eameses  11. ;  and 
on  the  jambs  of  the  side-doors  in  the 
great  hall  the  name  of  his  son  Pthah- 
men,  or  Menephtah,  was  added  in 
the  succeeding  reign.  Queen  Ames- 
Nofriare  occurs  again  in  the  court  ; 
and  on  the  outside  of  the  N.E.  corner, 
and  on  the  fragment  of  a  wall  on  the 
other  (S.W.)  side,  is  an  Ethiopian  ox 
and  Capricorn,  which  are  brought  by- 
some  of  the  minor  priests  for  the 
service  of  the  temple.  Little  else 
is  deserving  of  notice  in  this  ruin, 
if  we  except  the  statue  and  shrine  of 
Amunre ;  whose  door  the  king  has  just 
opened,  previous  to  his  performing 
"the  prescribed  ceremonies"  in  honour 
of  the  deity.  In  the  hieroglyphics, 
though  much  defaced,  we  read,  "  Be- 
hold, I  open  ...  my  father  Amunre." 

On  leaving  the  temple  of  Koorneh, 
you  follow  the  edge  of  the  cultivated 
land,  passing  near  several  stone  frag- 
ments and  remains  of  crude  -  brick 
walls.  On  the  right  hand  are  the 
tombs  of  Drah  aboo  '1-Neggah,  the 
Assasseef,  and  Sheykh  Abdel  Koor- 
neh. A  short  distance  after  passing 
this  last,  you  arrive  at  a  collection  of 
important  ruins,  which  stand  well 
out  at  the  foot  of  the  neighbouring 
mountains.  These  are  the  remains 
of  the  Kameseum  or  temple  of  Ba- 
rneses II.,  erroneously  called  the  Mem- 
nonium,  and  the  tomb  of  Osymandyas. 
There  is,  however,  reason  to  suppose 
that  it  was  the  Memnonium  of  Strabo, 
and  that  the  title  of  Miamun,  attached 
to  the  name  of  Eameses  II.,  being  cor- 
rupted by  the  Greeks  into  Memnon, 
became  the  origin  of  the  word  Mem- 
nonium or  Memnonia. 

2.  The  Kameseum  oe  Memnonium. 

For  symmetry  of  architecture  and 
elegance  of  sculpture  the  Memnonium 
may  vie  with  any  other  Egyptian 
monument.  No  traces  are  visible  of 
the  dromos  that  probably  existed  before 
the  pyramidal  towers  which  form  the 
facade  of  its  first  area — a  court  whose 
breadth  of  180  ft.,  exceeding  the  length 
by  nearly  13  yards,  was  reduced  to  a 
more  just  proportion  by  the  introduc- 


tion of  a  double  avenue  of  columns  on 
either  side,  extending  from  the  towers 
to  the  N.  wall.  In  this  area,  on  the  rt. 
of  a  flight  of  steps  leading  to  the  next 
court,  was  a  stupendous  Syenite  statue 
of  the  king,  seated  on  a  throne,  in  the 
usual  attitude  of  Egyptian  figures,  the 
hands  resting  on  his  knees,  indicative 
of  that  tranquillity  which  he  had  re- 


oni0eooo 

• ««S  @© oo 
•  •  *M        o  o 

ooo 


Go®  O 


m 


0  0    o  o 

o  o 

oMM  liK# 


PLAN  OF  THE  BAMF>EUM,  OE  MEMNONIUM. 

a  a,  Towers  of  Propylon.  b,  Entrance,  c  c, 
Area.  r>,  Broken  granite  statue  of  Rameses  II. 
f,  Entrance,  between  f  f,  The  Pylon,  g  g, 
2nd  Area,  with,  h  h,  Osiride  columns,  l  and  j, 
Traces  of  sculpture,  k,  Sculptures  representing 
the  wars  of  Rameses  11.  l  and  m,  Sphinxes. 
n,  o,  p,  Entrances  into  q,  The  grand  hall.  s.  s 
Pedestals  for  statues,  t,  Sculptured  battle 
scenes,  u,  Chamber  with  astronomical  subject 
on  ceiling,  v,  Another  chamber,  with  w  x, 
Sculptured  scenes,   t,  Other  chambers. 


402 


THEBES. 


Sect.  IV. 


turned  to  enjoy  in  Egypt  after  the 
fatigues  of  victory.  But  the  hand  of 
the  destroyer  has  levelled  this  monu- 
ment of  Egyptian  grandeur,  whose 
colossal  fragments  lie  scattered  round 
the  pedestal ;  and  its  shivered  throne 
evinces  the  force  used  for  its  destruc- 
tion. 

If  it  is  a  matter  of  surprise  how  the 
Egyptians  could  trau  sport  and  erect  a 
mass  of  such  dimensions,  the  means 
employed  for  its  ruin  are  scarcely  less 
wonderful  ;  nor  should  we  hesitate  to 
account  for  the  shattered  appearance  of 
the  lower  part  by  attributing  it  to  the 
explosive  force  of  powder,  had  that 
composition  been  known  at  the  sup- 
posed period  of  its  destruction.  But 
is  this  early  destruction  certain  ?  The 
throne  and  legs  are  completely  de- 
stroyed, and  reduced  to  comparatively 
small  fragments,  while  the  upper  part, 
broken  at  the  waist,  is  merely  thrown 
back  upon  the  ground,  and  lies  in  that 
position  which  was  the  consequence  of 
its  fall ;  nor  are  there  any  marks  of 
the  wedge  or  other  instrument  which 
should  have  been  employed  for  re- 
ducing those  fragments  to  the  state 
in  which  they  now  appear.  The 
fissures  seen  across  the  head  and  in 
the  pedestal  are  the  work  of  a  later 
period,  when  some  of  the  pieces  were 
cut  for  millstones  by  the  Arabs.  To 
say  that  this  is  the  largest  statue  in 
Egypt  will  convey  no  idea  of  the 
gigantic  size  or  enormous  weight  of 
a  mass  which,  from  an  approximate 
calculation,  exceeded,  when  entire, 
nearly  3  times  the  solid  contents  of 
the  great  obelisk  of  Karnak,  and 
weighed  about  887  tons. 

No  building  in  Thebes  corresponds 
exactly  with  the  description  given  of 
the  tomb  of  Osymandyas  by  Hecatseus. 
Diodorus,  who  quotes  his  work,  gives 
the  dimensions  of  the  first  or  outer 
court,  2  plethra  (181  ft.  8  in.  Eng.), 
agreeing  very  nearly  with  the  breadth, 
but  not  with  the  length,  of  that  now 
before  us ;  but  the  succeeding  court, 
of  4  plethra,  neither  agrees  with  this, 
nor  can  agree  with  that  of  any  other 
Egyptian  edifice,  since  the  plan  of  an 
Egyptian  building  invariably  requires  i 


a  diminution,  but  no  increase,  of 
dimensions,  from  the  entrance  to  the 
inner  chambers;  and  while  the  body 
of  the  temple,  behind  the  portico,  re- 
tained one  uniform  breadth,  the  areas 
in  front,  and  frequently  the  portico  it- 
self, exceeded  the  inner  portion  of  it 
by  their  projecting  sides.  The  peri- 
style and  "  columns  in  the  form  of  liv- 
ing beings,"  roofed  colonnade,  sitting 
statues,  and  triple  entrance  to  a  cham- 
ber supported  by  columns,  agree  well 
with  the  approach  to  the  great  hall  of 
this  temple :  and  the  largest  statue  in 
Egypt  can  only  be  in  the  building 
hi  fore  us.  Yet  the  sculptures  to  which 
he  alludes  remind  us  rather  of  those 
of  Medeenet  Haboo ;  and  it  is  possible 
that  either  Hecatseus  or  Diodorus  may 
have  united  or  confounded  the  details 
of  the  two  edifices. 

The  second  area  is  about  140  ft.  by 
170,  having  on  the  S.  and  N.  sides  a 
row  of  Osiride  pillars,  connected  with 
each  other  by  2  lateral  corridors  of 
circular  columns.  Three  flights  of 
steps  lead  to  the  northern  corridor 
(which  may  be  called  the  portico), 
behind  the  Osiride  pillars,  the  centre 
one  having  on  each  side  a  black 
granite  statue  of  Kameses  II.,  the  base 
of  whose  throne  is  cut  to  fit  the  talus 
of  the  ascent. 

Behind  the  columns  of  the  northern 
corridor,  and  on  either  side  of  the 
central  door  of  the  great  hall,  is  a 
limestone  pedestal,  which,  to  judge 
from  the  space  left  in  the  sculptures, 
must  have  once  supported  the  sitting 
figure  of  a  lion,  or  perhaps  a  statue 
of  the  king.  Three  entrances  open 
into  the  grand  hall,  each  with  a  sculp- 
tured doorway  of  black  granite ;  and 
between  the  2  first  columns  of  the 
central  avenue,  2  pedestals  supported 
(one  on  either  side)  2  other  statues  of 
the  king.  Twelve  massive  columns. 
32  ft.  6  in.  high,  without  the  abacus, 
and  21  ft.  3  in.  circumference,  form 
a  double  line  along  the  centre  of  this 
hall,  and  18  of  smaller  dimensions 
(17  ft.  8  in.  circumference),  to  the  rt. 
and  1.,  complete  the  total  of  the  48, 
which  supported  its  solid  roof  studded 
with  stars  on  an  azure  ground.  To 
the  hall,  which  measures  100  ft.  by 


Egypt. 


RAMESIUM  OR  MEMNONIUM. 


403 


133,  succeeded  3  central  and  6  lateral 
chambers,  indicating  by  a  small  flight 
of  steps  the  gradual  ascent  of  the  rock 
on  which  this  edifice  is  constructed. 
Of  9,  2  only  of  the  central  apartments 
now  remain,  each  supported  by  4 
columns,  and  each  measuring  about 
30  ft.  by  55  ;  but  the  vestiges  of  their 
walls,  and  the  appearance  of  the  rock, 
which  has  been  levelled  to  form  an 
area  around  the  exterior  of  the  build- 
ing, point  out  their  original  extent. 
The  sculptures,  much  more  interesting 
than  the  architectural  details,  have 
suffered  much  more  from  the  hand  of 
the  destroyer ;  and  of  the  many  curious 
battle-scenes  which  adorned  its  walls, 
4  only  now  remain ;  though  the  traces 
of  another  may  be  perceived  behind 
the  granite  colossus  on  the  N.  face  of 
the  wall. 

On  the  N.  face  of  the  eastern  pyra- 
midal tower  or  propylon  is  represented 
the  capture  of  several  towns  from  an 
Asiatic  enemy,  called  in  the  hiero- 
glyphics the  Khetas,  whose  chiefs  are 
led  in  bonds  by  the  victorious  Egyp- 
tians towards  their  camp.  Several  of 
these  towns  are  introduced  into  the 
picture,  each  bearing  its  name  in 
hieroglyphic  characters,  which  state 
them  to  have  been  taken  in  the  4th 
year  of  king  Kameses  II. 

This  important  fact  satisfactorily 
shows  that  the  early  part  of  the  reigns 
of  their  most  illustrious  monarchs  was 
employed  in  extending  their  conquests 
abroad,  which  they  returned  to  com- 
memorate on  the  temples  and  palaces 
their  captives  assisted  in  constructing. 
And,  claiming  the  enjoyment  of  that 
tranquillity  their  arms  had  secured, 
they  employed  the  remainder  of  their 
reigns  in  embellishing  their  capital, 
and  in  promoting  the  internal  pros- 
perity of  the  country. 

Among  early  nations  cruelty,  or  at 
least  harsh  conduct  to  an  enemy,  has 
ever  been  looked  upon  as  the  attribute 
of  a  conqueror;  and  the  power  of  a 
monarch,  or  the  valour  of  a  nation,  was 
estimated  by  the  inexorability  of  their 
character.  Thus  Achilles  is  to  be  re- 
presented as  "  inexorabilis,  acer,  jura 
neget  sibi  nata;"  and  the  Egyptian 
sculptors  appear  to  have  intended  to 


convey  the  same  idea  to  the  spectator  ; 
confirming  a  remark  of  Gibbon,  that 
"  conquerors  and  poets  of  every  age 
have  felt  the  truth  of  a  system  which 
derives  the  sublime  from  the  principle 
of  terror."  In  the  scene  before  us,  an 
insolent  soldier  pulls  the  beard  of  his 
helpless  captive,  while  others  wantonly 
beat  a  suppliant ;  and  the  display  of 
this  principle  is  the  more  striking,  as 
the  Egyptians  on  other  occasions  have 
recorded  their  humane  treatment  of  an 
enemy  in  distress. 

Beyond  these  is  a  corps  of  infantry 
in  close  array,  flanked  by  a  strong 
body  of  chariots ;  and  a  camp,  indi- 
cated by  a  rampart  of  Egyptian  shields, 
with  a  wicker  gateway,  guarded  by  four 
companies  of  sentries,  who  are  on  duty 
on  the  inner  side,  forms  the  most  inte- 
resting object  in  the  picture.  Here  the 
booty  taken  from  the  enemy  is  col- 
lected ;  oxen,  chariots,  plaustra,  horses, 
asses,  sacks  of  gold,  represent  the  con- 
fusion incident  after  a  battle ;  and  the 
richness  of  the  spoil  is  expressed  by 
the  weight  of  a  bag  of  gold,  under 
which  an  ass  is  about  to  fall.  One 
chief  is  receiving  the  salutation  of  a 
foot-soldier ;  another,  seated  amidst  the 
spoil,  strings  his  bow ;  and  a  sutler  sus- 
pends a  water-skin  on  a  pole  he  has 
fixed  in  the  ground.  Below  this  a  body 
of  infantry  marches  homewards ;  and 
beyond  them  the  king,  attended  by  his 
fan-bearers,  holds  forth  his  hand  to 
receive  the  homage  of  the  priests  and 
principal  persons,  who  approach  his 
throne  to  congratulate  his  return.  His 
charioteer  is  also  in  attendance,  and 
the  high-spirited  horses  of  his  car  are 
with  difficulty  restrained  by  three 
grooms  who  hold  them.  Two  captives 
below  this  are  doomed  to  be  beaten  by 
four  Egyptian  soldiers ;  while  they 
in  vain,  with  outstretched  hands,  im- 
plore the  clemency  of  their  heedless 
conqueror. 

The  sculptures  on  the  gateway  refer 
to  the  panegyries,  or  assemblies,  of  the 
king,  to  whom  different  divinities  are 
said  to  "  give  life  and  power "  (or 
"pure  life").  Over  this  gate  passes 
a  staircase,  leading  to  the  top  of  the 
building,  whose  entrance  lies  on  the 
exterior  of  the  E.  side. 


404 


THEBES. 


Sect.  IV. 


Upon  the  "W.  tower  is  represented  a 
battle,  in  which  the  king  discharges 
his  arrows  on  the  broken  lines  and 
flying  chariots  of  the  enemy ;  and  his 
figure  and  car  are  again  introduced, 
on  the  upper  part,  over  the  smaller 
sculptures.  In  a  small  compartment 
beyond  these,  which  is  formed  by  the 
end  of  the  corridor  of  the  area,  he 
stands  armed  with  a  battle-axe,  about 
to  slay  the  captives  he  holds  beneath 
him,  who,  in  the  hieroglyphics  above, 
are  called  "  the  chiefs  of  the  foreign 
countries."  In  the  next  compartment, 
attended  by  his  fan-bearers,  and  still 
wearing  his  helmet,  he  approaches 
the  temple;  and  to  this  the  hiero- 
glyphics before  him  appear  to  allude. 

On  the  N.  face  of  the  S.E.  wall  of 
the  next  area  is  another  historical  sub- 
ject, representing  Rameses  II.  pursuing 
an  enemy,  whose  numerous  chariots, 
flying  over  the  plain,  endeavour  to  re- 
gain the  river,  and  seek  shelter  under 
the  fortified  walls  of  their  city.  And 
so  forcibly  do  the  details  of  this  picture 
call  to  mind  the  battles  of  the  Iliad, 
that  some  of  them  might  serve  as  illus- 
trations to  that  poem. 

In  order  to  check  the  apj)roach  of 
the  Egyptians,  the  enemy  has  crossed 
the  river,  whose  stream,  divided  into 
a  double  fosse,  surrounded  the  towered 
walls  of  their  fortified  city,  and  opposed 
their  advance  by  a  considerable  body 
of  chariots;  while  a  large  reserve  of 
infantry,  having  crossed  the  bridges,  is 
posted  on  the  other  bank,  to  cover  the 
retreat  or  second  their  advance ;  but, 
routed  by  the  Egyptians,  they  are 
forced  to  throw  themselves  back  upon 
the  town,  and  many,  in  recrossing  the 
river,  are  either  carried  away  by  the 
stream,  or  fall  under  the  arrows  of 
the  invaders.  Those  who  have  suc- 
ceeded in  reaching  the  opposite  bank 
are  rescued  by  their  friends,  who, 
drawn  up  in  three  phalanxes  (de- 
scribed in  the  hieroglyphics  as  8000 
strong),  witness  the  defeat  of  their 
comrades,  and  the  flight  of  the  re- 
mainder of  their  chariots.  Some  carry 
to  the  rear  the  lifeless  corpse  of  their 
chief,  who  has  been  drowned  in  the 
river,  and  in  vain  endeavour  to  restore 
life,  by  holding  his  head  downwards 


to  expel  the  water ;  and  others  implore 
the  clemency  of  the  victor,  and  ac- 
knowledge him  their  conqueror  and 
lord. 

As  in  the  sculpture  on  the  pro- 
pylon,  the  enemy  are  called  Klietas,  a 
name  probably  given  to  some  con- 
federation of  Asiatic  tribes.  The 
scene  is  probably  laid  in  Syria,  and 
the  river  is  the  Orontes.  The  scene 
in  which  Rameses  is  represented 
charging  the  enemy  by  himself,  and 
forcing  them  to  recross  the  river,  is 
the  subject  of  a  long  historical  poem, 
carved  on  one  of  the  exterior  walls  of 
Karnak,  and  on  the  N.  face  of  the 
pylon  of  the  temple  of  Luxor.  It  is 
known  as  the  Poem  of  Pentaoor,  and 
has  been  translated  by  M.  de  Rouge. 

Above  these  battle-scenes  is  a  pro- 
cession of  priests,  bearing  the  figures 
of  the  Theban  ancestors  of  Rameses  II. 
The  first  of  these  is  Menes;  then  a 
king  of  the  Xlth  dynasty  ;  and  after 
him  those  of  the  XVIIIth  dynasty. 
The  intermediate  monarchs  are  omit- 
ted. The  remaining  subjects  are 
similar  to  those  in  the  coronation  of 
the  king  at  Medeenet  Haboo,  where 
the  flight  of  the  four  carrier-pigeons  ; 
the  king  cutting  ears  of  corn,  after- 
wards offered  to  the  god  of  generation ; 
the  queen;  the  sacred  bull;  and  the 
figures  of  his  ancestors,  placed  be- 
fore the  god,  are  more  easily  traced 
from  the  greater  preservation  of  that 
building. 

Beyond  the  W.  staircase  of  the  N. 
corridor,  the  king  kneels  before 
Amunre,  Maut,  and  Khons  or  Khonso ; 
Thoth  notes  on  his  palm-branch  the 
years  of  the  panegyries ;  and  the  Gods 
Mandou  and  Atmoo  introduce  Rameses 
into  the  presence  of  that  triad  of  deities. 

On  the  other  side,  forming  the  S. 
wall  of  the  great  hall,  is  a  small  but 
interesting  battle,  where  the  use  of  the 
ladder  and  of  the  testudo  throws  consi- 
derable light  on  the  mode  of  warfare  at 
that  early  peiiod.  The  town,  situated 
on  a  lofty  rock,  is  obstinately  defended, 
and  many  are  hurled  headlong  from  its 
walls  by  the  spears,  arrows,  and  stones 
of  the  besieged ;  they,  however,  on  the 
nearer  approach  of  the  Egyptian  king, 
are  obliged  to  sue  for  peace,  and  send 


Egypt. 


EAMESITTM  OR 


MEMNONIUM. 


405 


heralds  with  presents  to  deprecate  his  ( 
fury ;  while  his  infantry,  commanded 
by  his  sons,  are  putting  to  the  sword 
the  routed  enemy  they  have  overtaken 
beneath  the  walls,  where  they  had  in 
vain  looked  for  refuge,  the  gates  being 
already  beset  by  the  Egyptian  troops. 

These  sculptures  are  strong  corro- 
borative proof,  were  any  needed,  of 
the  correctness  of  the  evidence  con- 
tained in  the  Bible  of  the  foreign  wars 
and  conquests  of  Egypt.  We  read 
there  that  "Necho,  king  of  Egypt, 
came  up  to  fight  against  Carchemish, 
by  Euphrates,"  in  the  reign  of  Josiah  ; 
while  imprudent  interference  cost  him 
his  kingdom  and  his  life.  Still 
stronger,  indeed,  is  the  following  ex- 
press statement  of  the  former  extent 
of  the  Egyptian  dominions,  that  "  the 
king  of  Egypt  came  not  again  any 
more  out  of  his  land ;  for  the  king  of 
Babylon  had  taken  from  the  river 
(torrent)  of  Egypt  unto  the  river  Eu- 
phrates, all  that  pertained  to  the  king 
of  Egypt."  And  even  if  the  authority 
of  Herodotus,  who  makes  the  Col- 
chians  an  Egyptian  colony,  and  of 
Diodorus,  who  speaks  of  their  Baetrian 
subjects,  were  called  in  question,  yet 
the  circumstantial  and  preponderating 
evidence  of  the  Scriptures  leaves  no 
room  to  doubt  that  the  arms  of  the 
early  and  more  potent  Egyptian  mon- 
archy had  extended  at  least  as  far  as 
the  Euphrates  and  the  neighbouring 
countries.  Nor  does  Egyptian  sculp- 
ture fail  to  prove  this  interesting 
historical  fact,  which,  independent  of 
the  colour  of  those  people,  of  much 
lighter  hue  than  the  inhabitants  of  the 
Nile,  is  confirmed  by  the  dress  and 
features  of  the  prisoners  of  Tirhakah,- — 
the  Assyrians  of  Sennacherib,  who 
are  similar  to  some  of  those  captured 
by  the  earlier  Pharaohs. 

To  return  to  the  great  hall.  One  of 
the  architraves  presents  a  long  inscrip- 
tion, purporting  that  Amunmai  Barne- 
ses has  made  the  sculptures  (or  the 
work)  for  his  father  Amunre,  king  of 
the  guds,  and  that  he  has  erected  the 

hall  of  hewn  stone,  good  and 

hard  blocks,  supported  by  fine  columns 


i  (alluding,  from  their  form,  to  those 
of  the  central  colonnade)  in  addition 
to  (the  side)  columns  (beiug  similar  to 
those  of  the  lateral  colonnades).  At 
the  upper  end  of  this  hall,  on  the 
north-west  wall,  the  king  receives 
the  falchion  and  sceptres  from  Amunre, 
who  is  attended  by  the  goddess  Maut ; 
and  in  the  hieroglyphics  mention  is 
made  of  this  palace  of  Barneses,  of 
which  the  deity  is  said  to  be  the  guar- 
dian. We  also  learn  from  them  that 
the  king  is  to  smite  the  heads  of  his 
foreign  enemies  with  the  former,  and 
with  the  latter  to  defend  or  rule  his 
country,  Egypt.  On  the  corresponding 
wall  he  receives  the  emblems  of  life 
and  power  from  Amunre,  attended  by 
Khons,  in  the  presence  of  the  lion- 
headed  goddess.  Below  these  com- 
partments, on  either  wall,  is  a  proces- 
sion of  the  twenty-three  sons  of  the 
king ;  and  on  the  west  corner  are  three 
of  his  daughters,  but  without  their 
names. 

On  the  ceiling  of  the  next  chamber 
is  an  astronomical  subject.  On  the 
upper  side  of  it  are  the  twelve  Egyp- 
tian months,  and  at  the  end  of  Mesdre 
a  space  seems  to  be  left  for  the  five 
days  of  the  epact,  opposite  which  is 
the  rising  of  the  Dog-star,  under  the 
figure  of  Isis-Sothis.  Ia  the  hiero- 
glyphics of  the  border  of  this  picture, 
mention  is  made  of  the  columns  and 
of  the  building  of  this  chamber  with 
"  hard  stone,"  where  apparently  were 
deposited  the  "  books  of  Thoth."  On 
the  walls  are  sculptured  sacred  arks, 
borne  in  procession  by  the  priests  ;  and 
at  the  base  of  the  door  leading  to  the 
next  apartment  is  an  inscription,  pur- 
porting that  the  king  had  dedicated  it 
to  Aniun,  and  mention  seems  to  be 
made  of  its  being  beautified  with  gold 
and  precious  ornaments.  The  door 
itself  was  of  two  folds,  turning  on 
bronze  pins,  which  moved  in  circular 
grooves  of  the  same  metal,  since  re- 
moved from  the  stones  in  which  they 
were  fixed.  On  the  N.  wall  of  the 
next  and  last  room  that  now  remains, 
the  king  is  making  offerings  and  burn- 
ing incense,  on  one  side  to  Phtah  and 
the  lion-headed  goddess ;  on  the  other 
to  Ba  (the  sun),  whose  figure  is  gone. 


406 


THEBES. 


Sect.  IV. 


Large  tablets  before  him  mention  the 
offerings  he  has  made  to  different 
deities. 

About  120  ft.  to  the  E.  of  the  outer 
court  and  the  front  towers  of  the 
Memnonium  is  the  tank  cased  with 
stone  usually  attached  to  the  Egyp- 
tian temples. 

Other  ruins. — In  its  immediate  vici- 
nity are  the  vestiges  of  another  sand- 
stone building,  the  bases  of  whose 
columns  scarcely  appear  above  the 
ground ;  and  between  these  two  ruins 
are  several  pits,  of  a  later  epoch,  used 
for  tombs  by  persons  of  an  inferior 
class. 

There  are  also  some  remains  to  the 
N.  of  the  Memnonium  built  of  crude 
bricks,  on  which  the  names  of  Amun- 
noo-het  and  Thothmes  I.  are  associated 
within  one  common  cartouche,  and 
others  have  the  names  of  Thothmes 
III.  and  of  Amunoph  II. 

On  the  W.  of  the  Memnonium  are 
other  remains  of  masonry ;  and  that 
edifice  is  surrounded  on  three  sides  by 
crude-brick  vaults,  which  appear  to 
have  been  used  for  habitations.  They 
are  probably  of  early  Christian  time. 
Other  vestiges  of  sandstone  remains 
are  traced  on  both  sides  of  these 
brick  galleries ;  and  a  short  distance 
to  the  W.  are  crude-brick  towers  and 
walls,  enclosing  the  shattered  remains 
of  a  sandstone  edifice,  which,  to  judge 
from  the  stamp  on  the  bricks  them- 
selves, was  erected  during  the  reign  of 
Thothmes  III.  The  total  ruin  of 
these  buildings  may  be  accounted  for 
from  the  sniallness  of  their  size,  the 
larger  ones  being  merely  defaced  or 
partially  demolished,  owing  to  the 
great  labour  and  time  required  for 
their  entire  destruction. 

Below  the  squared  scarp  of  the  rock 
to  the  W.  of  this  are  other  traces  of 
sandstone  buildings  ;  and  at  the  south 
lie  two  broken  statues  of  Amunoph  III., 
which  once  faced  towards  the  palace 
of  Rameses  II.  They  stood  in  the  usual 
attitude  of  Egyptian  statues,  the  left 
leg  placed  forward  and  the  arms  fixed 
to  the  side.  Their  total  height  was 
about  35  ft.  They  either  belonged  to 
an  avenue  leading  to  the  temple  at 


{  Kom  el  Hettan,  or  to  the  edifice  at  a 
short  distance  beyond  them,  which  was 
erected  by,  the  same  Amunoph,  as  we 
learn  from  the  sculptures  on  its  fallen 
walls.  These  consisted  partly  of  lime- 
stone and  partly  of  sandstone  ;  and,  to 
judge  from  the  execution  of  the  sculp- 
tures and  the  elegance  of  the  statues 
once  standing  within  its  precincts,  it 
was  a  building  of  no  mean  pretensions. 
Two  of  its  sitting  colossi  represented 
Amunoph  III. ;  the  others,  Menephtah, 
the  son  and  successor  of  Rameses  II. 
These  last  were  apparently  standing 
statues  in  pairs,  two  formed  of  one 
block,  the  hand  of  one  resting  on  the 
shoulder  of  the  other ;  but  their  muti- 
lated condition  prevents  our  ascertain- 
ing their  exact  form,  or  the  other 
persons  represented  in  these  groups. 
But  an  idea  may  be  given  of  their 
colossal  size  by  the  breadth  across  the 
shoulders,  which  is  5  ft.  3  in. ;  and 
though  the  sitting  statues  of  Amunoph 
were  much  smaller,  their  total  height 
could  not  have  been  less  than  10  ft. 

About  700  ft.  to  the  S.  of  these  ruins 
is  the  Kom  el  Hettan,  or  the  "  Mound 
of  Sandstone,"  which  marks  the  site 
of  another  temple  of  Amunoph  III.  ; 
and,  to  judge  from  the  little  that  re- 
mains, it  must  have  held  a  conspicuous 
rank  among  the  finest  monuments  of 
Thebes.  All  that  now  exists  of  the 
interior  are  the  bases  of  its  columns, 
some  broken  statues,  and  Syenite 
sphinxes  of  the  king,  with  several  lion- 
headed  figures  of  black  granite.  About 
200  ft.  from  the  N.  corner  of  these 
ruins  are  granite  statues  of  the  asp- 
headed  goddess  and  another  deity, 
formed  of  one  block,  in  very  high 
relief.  In  front  of  the  door  are  two 
large  tablets  <  stelae)  of  gritstone,  with 
the  usual  circular  summits,  in  the 
form  of  Egyptian  shields,  on  which 
are  sculptured,  long  inscriptions,  and 
the  figures  of  the  king  and  queen,  to 
whom  Amunre  and  Sokari  present  the 
emblems  of  life,  Beyond  these  a  long 
dromos  of  1100  ft.  extends  to  the  two 
sitting  colossi,  which,  seated  majesti- 
cally above  the  plain,  seem  to  assert 
the  grandeur  of  ancient  Thebes. 

Other  colossi  of  nearly  similar  di- 


Egypt- 


THE  COLOSSI  VOCAL  MEMNON. 


407 


mensions  once  stood  between  these  and 
the  tablets  before  mentioned  ;  and  the 
fragments  of  two  of  them,  fallen  pro- 
strate in  the  dromos,  are  now  alone 
visible  above  the  heightened  level  of 
the  alluvial  soil. 

3.  The  Colossi;  the  Vocal 
Memnon. 

These  two  huge  statues,  commonly 
called  "the  Colossi,"  both  represent 
Amunoph  III.,  and  no  doubt  stood  at 
the  entrance  of  the  temple  of  that 
monarch,  already  mentioned,  and  of 
which  next  to  nothing  remains.  They 
were  of  a  coarse  hard  gritstone  mixed 
with  chalcedonies,  and  were  both 
originally  monoliths.  They  stood  on 
pedestals  of  the  same  material,  which 
in  their  turn  rested  on  a  built  sand- 
stone foundation.  The  height  of  the 
statues  alone  is  about  50  ft. ;  but  with 
the  pedestals  they  must  have  stood 
more  than  60  ft.  above  the  surround- 
ing plain.  At  the  time  they  were 
erected,  the  ground  immediately  sur- 
rounding them  was  desert.  The  soil, 
which  now  rises  to  a  height  of  about 
7  ft.  above  their  base,  has  been  de- 
posited by  the  Nile  in  the  course  of 
the  successive  years  which  have 
since  elapsed.  During  the  inundation 
they  are  surrounded  by  water. 

The  northernmost  of  the  two  statues 
is  known  as  the  Colossus  of  Memnon, 
or  the  Vocal  Statue  of  Memnon  ;  and 
was  once  the  wonder  of  the  ancients, 
owing  to  the  sound  which  it  was  said 
to  utter  every  morning  at  the  rising 
of  the  sun. 

Like  the  other,  it  was  a  monolith  ; 
but  it  is  conjectured  to  have  been 
partially  thrown  down  by  the  earth- 
quake of  b.c.  27,  to  which  Eusebius 
attributes  the  destruction  of  so  many 
of  the  monuments  of  Thebes,  Some 
authors,  however,  attribute  its  muti- 
lation to  Cambyses,  and  others  to 
|  Ptolemy  Lathyrus.  The  repairs, 
effected  by  means  of  blocks  of  sand- 
stone placed  horizontally  in  five  layers, 
and  forming  the  body,  head,  and  upper 
part  of  the  arms,  were  made  in  the 
reign  of  Septiniius  Severus. 
No  record  exists  of  the  sound  ■which 


made  the  statue  so  famous  having 
been  heard  while  it  was  entire.  Strabo, 
who  visited  it  with  iElius  Gallus, 
the  governor  of  Egypt,  speaks  of  the 
"upper  part"  having  been  "broken 
and  hurled  down,"  as  he  was  told, 
"by  the  shock  of  an  earthquake,'' 
and  says  that  he  heard  the  sound,  but 
could  "  not  affirm  whether  it  pro- 
ceeded from  the  pedestal  or  from  the 
statue  itself,  or  even  from  some  of  those 
who  stood  near  its  base ;"  and  it  ap- 
pears, from  his  not  mentioning  the 
name  of  Memnon,  that  it  was  not  yet 
supposed  to  be  the  statue  of  that 
doubtful  personage.  But  it  was  not 
long  before  the  Roman  visitors  ascribed 
it  to  the  "Son  of  Tithonus,"  and  a 
multitude  of  inscriptions,  the  earliest 
in  the  reign  of  Nero,  and  the  most 
recent  in  the  reign  of  Septimius 
Severus,  testify  to  his  miraculous 
powers,  and  the  credulity  of  the 
writers. 

Pliny  calls  it  the  statue  of  Memnon, 
and  Juvenal  thus  refers  to  it : — 

"  Dimidio  magicae  resonant  ubi  Memnone 
chorda?." 

Various  opinions  exist  among  modern 
critics  as  to  whether  the  sound  this 
statue  was  said  to  emit,  and  which  is 
described  as  resembling  either  the 
breaking  of  a  harp-string  or  the  ring 
of  metal,  was  the  result  of  a  natural 
phenomenon  or  of  priestly  craft. 
Some  say  that  the  action  of  the 
rising  sun  upon  the  cracks  in  the 
stone  moist  with  dew  caused 
the  peculiar  sound  produced ;  while 
others  declare  that  it  was  a  trick  of 
the  priests,  one  of  whom  hid  himself 
in  the  statue,  and  struck  a  metallic- 
sounding  stone  there  concealed.  The 
chief  arguments  in  favour  of  this  last 
view  are,  that  such  a  stone  still  exists 
in  the  lap  of  the  statue,  with  a  recess 
cut  in  the  block  immediately  behind 
it,  capable  of  holding  a  person  com- 
pletely screened  from  view  below,  and, 
above  all,  the  suspicious  circumstance 
that  the  sound  was  heard  twice  or 
thrice  by  important  personages,  like 
the  Emperor  Hadrian,— "  Xaipwu  Kai 
rpirou  a-xov  irj"  rejoicing  (at  the 
presence  of  the  emperor),  it  "  uttered 


408 


THEBES. 


Sect.  IV. 


a  sound  a  third  time," — while  ordinary 
people  only  heard  it  once,  and  that 
sometimes  not  until  after  two  or  three 
visits. 

The  form  of  these  colossi  resembles 
that  mentioned  by  Diodorus  in  the 
tomb  of  Osymandyas,  in  which  the 
figures  of  the  daughter  and  mother 
of  the  king  stood  on  either  side  of 
the  legs  of  the  larger  central  statue,  the 
length  of  whose  foot  exceeded  7  cubits, 
or  3J  yards.  Such  indeed  is  the  size 
of  their  feet ;  and  on  either  side  stand 
attached  to  the  throne  the  wife  and 
mother  of  Amunoph,  in  height  about 
6  yards.  The  traces  of  a  smaller 
figure  of  his  queen  are  also  seen  be- 
tween his  feet. 

The  proportions  of  the  colossi  are 
about  the  same  as  of  the.  granite  sta- 
tue of  Barneses  II. ;  but  they  are 
inferior  in  the  weight  and  hardness  of 
their  materials.    They  measure  about 

18  ft.  3  across  the  shoulders;  16  ft.  6 
from  the  top  of  the  shoulder  to  the 
elbow;  10  ft.  6  from  the  top  of  the 
head  to  the  shoulder ;  17  ft.  9  from 
the  elbow  to  the  finger's  end;  and 

19  ft.  8  from  the  knee  to  the  plant  of 
the  foot.  The  thrones  are  ornamented 
with  figures  of  the  god  Nilus,  who, 
holding  the  stalks  of  two  plants  pe- 
culiar to  the  river,  is  engaged  in  bind- 
ing up  a  pedestal  or  table,,  surmounted 
by  the  name  of  the  Egyptian  monarch 
— a  symbolic  group,  indicating  his 
dominion  over  the  upper  and  lower 
countries.  A  line  of  hieroglyphics 
extends  perpendicularly  down  the 
back,  from  the  shoulder  to  the  pe- 
destal, containing  the  name  of  the 
Pharaoh  they  represent. 

Three  hundred  feet  behind  these 
are  the  remains  of  another  colossus  of 
similar  form  and  dimensions,  which, 
fallen  prostrate,  is  partly  buried  by 
the  alluvial  deposits  of  the  Nile. 

Corresponding  to  this  are  four 
smaller  statues,  formed  of  one  block, 
and  representing  male  and  female 
figures,  probably  of  Amunoph  and  his 
queen.  They  are  seated  on  a  throne, 
now  concealed  beneath  the  soil,  and 
two  of  them  are  quite  defaced.  Their 
total  height,  without  the  head,  which 
has  been  broken  off,  is  8  ft.  3  in.,  in- 


cluding the  pedestal,  and  they  were 
originally  only  about  9  ft.  10  in.  They 
are  therefore  a  strange  pendant  for  a 
colossus  of  GO  ft.,  and,  even  making 
every  allowance  for  Egyptian  sym- 
metrophobia,  it  is  difficult  to  account 
for  their  position.  But  the  accumu- 
lation of  the  soil,  their  position  on 
sandy  ground,  and.  their  general  di- 
rection, satisfactorily  prove  that  they 
occupy  their  original  site. 

Eighty- three  yards  behind  these  are 
the  fragments  of  another  colossus, 
which,  like  the  last,  has  been  thrown 
across  the  droruos  it  once  adorned  ■  and 
if  the  nature  of  its  materials  did  not 
positively  increase  its  beauty,  their 
novelty,  at  least,  called  on  the  spec- 
tator to  admire  a  statue  of  an  enor- 
mous mass  of  crystallized  carbonate 
of  lime.  From  this  point  you  readily 
perceive  that  the  ground  has  sunk 
beneath  the  vocal  statue,  which  may 
probably  be  partly  owing  to  the  nu- 
merous excavations  that  have  been 
made  at  different  times  about  its  base. 

This  dromos,  or  paved  approach  to 
the  temple,  was  probably  part  of  the 
Royal  Street"  mentioned  in  some 
papyri  found  at  Thebes ;  which,  cross- 
ing the  western  portion  of  the  city 
from  the  temple,  communicated,  by 
means  of  a  ferry,  with  that  of  Luxor, 
founded  by  the  same  Amunoph,  on 
the  other  side  of  the  river;  as  the 
great  dromos  of  sphinxes,  connecting 
the  temples  of  Luxor  and  Karnak, 
formed  the  main  street  in  the  eastern 
district  of  Thebes. 

Continuing  to  the  westward  along 
the  edge  of  the  hdger,  you  arrive  at 
the  extensive  mounds  and  walla  of 
Christian  hovels,  which  encumber  and 
nearly  conceal  the  ruins  of  Medeenet 
Haboo,  having  passed  several  remains 
of  other  ancient  buildings  which  once 
covered  the  intermediate  space.  Among 
these  the  most  remarkable  are  near 
the  N.N.E.  corner  of  the  mounds, 
where,  besides  innumerable  fragments 
of  sandstone,  are  the  vestiges  of  two 
large  colossi.  In  those  Christian  re- 
mains are  some  small  crude-brick 
pointed  arches  of  very  early  time. 


'Egypt. 


SMALL  TEMPLE  AT  MEDEEXET  HABOO. 


409 


4.  Temples  of  Medeenet  Haboo,  i 
axd  other  kutxs  xeae. 

The  ruins  at  Medeenet  Haboo  are  ! 
undoubtedly  of  one  of  the  four  temples  j 
mentioned  by  Diodorus ;  the  other  j 
three  being  those  of  Karnak,  Luxor,  ! 
and  the  Memnoniurn  or  first  Eame-  I 
seuni.  Strabo,  whose  own  observa- 
tion, added  to  the  testimony  of  several  ! 
ruins  still  traced  on  the  W.  bank,  is 
far  more  authentic,  affirms  that  Thebes  ! 
"  had  many  temples,  the  greater  part  \ 
of  vrhich  Cambyses  defaced." 

During  the  empire  the  village  of 
Medeenet  Haboo  was  still  inhabited,  | 
and  the  early  Christians  converted  j 
one  of  the  deserted  courts  of  the  great 
temple  into  a  church,  having  its  nave 
separated  from  the  aisles  by  columns,  j 
and  terminating  in  an  apse  at  the  E. 
end;  the  idolatrous  sculptures  of  their 
Pagan  ancestors  being  concealed  by  a 
coating  of  clay.  The  small  apart- 
ments at  the  back  part  of  this  building 
were  appropriated  by  the  priests  of 
the  new  religion,  and  houses  of  crude 
brick  were  erected  on  the  ruins  of  the 
ancient  village,  and  within  the  pre- 
cincts of  the  temple.  The  size  of  the 
church  and  extent  of  the  village 
prove  its  Christian  population  to  have 
been  considerable,  and  show  that 
Thebes  ranked  among  the  principal 
dioceses  of  the  Coptic  Church.  But 
the  invasion  of  the  Arabs  put  a  period 
to  its  existence,  and  its  timid  inmates, 
on  their  approach,  fled  to  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Esneh;  from  which  time 
Medeenet  Haboo  ceased  to  hold  a 
place  among  the  villages  of  Thebes. 

It  was  probably  on  this  occasion 
that  the  granite  doorway  was  entered 
by  violence ;  though  it  is  difficult  to 
ascertain  whether  it  took  place  then, 
or  during  the  siege  or  the  Persians 
or  Ptolemies.  But  it  is  curious  to  ob- 
serve that  the  granite  jambs  have  been 
cut  through  exactly  at  the  part  uhere 
the  bar  icas  placed  across  the  door. 

The  small  Temple  at  Medeenet  Haboo. 
— Before  this  temple  is  an  open  court, 
about  SO  ft.  by  125,  whose  front  gate 
bears  on  either  jamb  the  figure  and 
name   of  Autocrator,  Csesar,  Titus, 


xElius,  Adrianus.  Antoninus,  Eusehes. 
Besides  this  court,  Antoninus  Pius 
added  a  row  of  eight  columns,  united 
(four  on  either  side)  by  intercolumnar 
screens,  which  form  its  N.  end ;  and 
his  name  again  appears  on  the  inner 
faces  of  the  doorway,  the  remaining 
part  being  unsculptured.  On  the  N. 
of  the  transverse  area,  behind  this 
colonnade,  are  two  pyramidal  towers, 
apparently  of  Eoman  date,  and  a 
pylon  uniting  them,  which  last  bears 
the  names  and  sculptures  of  Ptolemy 
Lathyrus  on  the  S.,  and  of  Dionysius 
on  the  N.  face.  To  this  succeeds 
a  small  hypaethral  court  and  pyra- 
midal towers  of  the  Ethiopian  Pha- 
raoh who  defeated  Sennacherib  ; 
which,  previous  to  the  Ptolemaic  ad- 
ditions, completed  the  extent  of  the 
elegant  and  well-proportioned  vesti- 
bules of  the  original  temple.  Tl.is 
court  was  formed  by  a  row  of  four 
columns  on  either  side,  the  upper  part 
of  which  rose  considerably  above  the 
screens  that  united  them  to  each 
other  and  to  the  towers  at  its  northern 
extremity.  Here  Nectant  bo  has  effaced 
the  name  of  Tirhakah  and  introduced 
his  own :  and  the  hieroglyphics  of 
Ptolemy  Lathyrus  have  usurped  a 
place  among  the  sculptures  of  the 
Ethiopian  monarch. 

Passing  these  towers  you  enter  an- 
other court,  60  ft.  long,  on  either  side 
of  which  stood  a  row  of  nine  columns, 
with  a  lateral  entrance  to  the  right 
and  left.  The  jambs  of  one  of  these 
gateways  still  remain.  They  are  of 
red  granite,  and  bear  the  name  of 
Petamunap. 

The  corresponding  door  is,  like  the 
rest  of  the  edifice,  of  sandstone  from 
the  quarries  of  Silsilis.  This  court 
may  be  called  the  inner  vestibule,  and 
to  it  succeeds  the  original  edifice,  com- 
posed of  an  isolated  sanctuary,  sur- 
rounded on  three  sides  by  a  corridor 
of  pillars,  and  on  the  fourth  by  six 
smaller  chamber?. 

The  original  founder  of  this  part  of 
the  building  was  Amun-noo-het,  or 
Hatasoo,  who  raised  the  great  obelisk 
of  Karnak;  Thothmes  II.  continued  or 
altered  the  sculptures ;  and  Thothmes 
III.  completed  the  architectural  details 


410 


THEBES. 


Sect.  IV. 


of  the  sanctuary  and  peristyle.  To 
these  were  afterwards  added  the  hiero- 
glyphics of  Kameses  III.  on  the  out- 
side of  the  building,  to  connect,  by 
similarity  of  external  appearance,  the 
temple  of  his  predecessors  with  that 
he  erected  in  its  vicinity.  Some  re- 
storations were  afterwards  made  by 
Ptolemy  Physcon;  and,  in  addition 
to  the  sculptures  of  the  two  front 
door-ways,  he  repaired  the  columns 
which  support  the  roof  of  the  peristyle. 
Hakdris,  of  the  XXIXth  dynasty, 
had  previously  erected  the  wings  on 
either  side ;  and  with  the  above  men- 
tioned monarchs  he  completes  the 
number  of  eleven  who  added  repairs 
or  sculptures  to  this  building.  A 
stone  gateway  was  also  added  at  the 
N.E.  extremity  of  this  temple.  The 
doorway  is  curious,  from  being  made 
in  the  fashion  of  those  of  the  early 
time  of  the  Pyramid  kings.  About 
170  ft.  N.  by  E.  from  this  is  an  under- 
ground passage,  upwards  of  60  ft.  in 
length  and  2  ft.  5  in  breadth,  descend- 
ing to  a  small  tank,  also  of  hewn  stone, 
and  still  containing  water,  about  8  ft. 
deep ;  and  what  is  most  remarkable 
is  that  the  water  is  perfectly  sweet, 
though  in  the  midst  of  mounds  abound- 
ing in  nitre. 

About  i)0  ft.  from  the  E.  side  of  the 
inner  court  is  an  open  tank  or  basin, 
cased  with  hewn  stone,  whose  original 
dimensions  may  have  been  about  50  ft. 
square;  beyond  which,  to  the  S.,  are 
the  remains  of  a  large  crude-brick 
wall,  with  another  of  stone,  crowned 
by  battlements  in  the  form  of  Egyptian 
shields,  and  bearing  the  name  of 
Sameses  V.,  by  whom  it  was  probably 
erected.  This  wall  turns  to  the  N. 
along  the  E.  face  of  the  mounds,  and 
appears  to  have  enclosed  the  whole  of 
the  temenos  surrounding  the  temples, 
and  to  have  been  united  to  the  E.  side 
of  the  front  tower  of  the  great  temple. 
Close  to  the  tank  is  a  broken  statue, 
bearing  the  ovals  of  Kameses  II.  and 
of  Taia,  the  wife  of  Amunoph  III.,  his 
ancestor ;  and  several  stones,  inscribed 
with  the  name  of  this  Eameses,  have 
been  used  in  the  construction  of  the 
gateway  of  Lathyrus  and  the  adjoining 
towers. 


Great  Temple  at  Medeenet  Haboo. — 
We  now  proceed  to  notice  the  great 
temple  of  Kameses  III.     The  S.  or 
front  part  consists  of  a  building  once 
isolated,  but  since  united  by  a  wall 
with  the  towers  of  the  last-mentioned 
temple,  before  which  two  lodges  form 
the  sides  of  its  spacious  entrance. 
Still  farther  to  the  S.  of  this  stood  a  j 
raised  platform,  strengthened  by  other 
masonry,  bearing  the  name  of  the 
founder  of  the  edifice,  similar  to  those 
met  with  before  the  dromos  of  several 
Egyptian  temples.    Within,  or  to  the 
N.  of  the  lodges,  is  the  main  part  of 
the  building,  resembling  a  pyramidal 
tower  on  either  hand,  between  which 
runs  an  oblong  court,  terminated  by  a 
gateway,  which  passes  beneath  the 
chambers  of  the  inner  or  N.  side. 
The  whole  of  this  edifice  constituted 
what  has  been  called  the  palace  of  the 
king ;    and  in  addition  to  several 
chambers  that  still  remain,  several 
others  stood  at  the  wings,  and  in  the  1 
upper  part,  which  have  been  destroyed. 
The  sculptures  on  the  walls  of  these  ! 
private  apartments  are  the  more  inte- 
resting, as  they  are  a  singular  in- 
stance  of  the  internal  decorations  of 
an  Egyptian  palace.    Here  the  king  I 
is  attended  by  his  hareem,  some  of 
whom  present  him  with  flowers,  or  j 
wave  before  him  fans  and  flabella ;  j 
and  a  favourite  is  caressed,  or  invited 
to  divert  his  leisure  hours  with  a 
game  of  draughts :  but  they  are  all  ] 
obliged  to  stand  in  his  presence,  and  I 
the  king  alone  is  seated  on  an  elegant 
fauteuil  amidst  his  female  attendants 
— a  custom  still  prevalent  throughout  i 
the  East.    The  queen  is  not  among 
them;  and  her  oval  is  always  blank, 
wherever  it  occurs,  throughout  the 
building. 

The  same  game  of  draughts  is  re- 
presented in  the  grottoes  of  Beni 
Hassan,  which  are  of  a  much  earlier 
period,  in  the  reign  of  Osirtasen,  of  ; 
the  XHth  dynasty.  That  it  is  not 
chess  is  evident  from  the  men  being 
all  of  similar  size  and  form,  varying  ' 
only  in  colour  on  opposite  sides  of  the 
board.  They  have  sometimes  human 
heads ;  and  some  have  been  found  of 
a  small  size,  with  other  larger  pieces. 


Egypt. 


GREAT  TEMPLE  AT 


MEDEENET  HABOO- 


411 


as  if  there  was  a  distinction,  like  our 
kings  and  common  men  in  draughts. 

On  the  front  walls  the  conqueror 
smites  his  suppliant  captives  in  the 
presence  of  Amunre,  who,  on  the  N.E. 
side,  appears  under  the  form  of  Ba, 
the  physical  Sun.  with  the  head  of  a 
hawk.  An  ornamental  border,  repre- 
senting "the  chiefs"  of  the  vanquished 
nations,  Asiatic  and  African,  extends 
along  the  base  of  the  whole  front ;  and 
on  either  side  of  the  oblong  court  or 
passage  of  the  centre  Barneses  offers 
similar  prisoners  to  the  deity  of  the 
temple,  who  says.  "  Go,  my  cherished 
and  chosen,  make  war  on  foreign 

!    nations,  besiege  their  forts,  and  carry 
off  their  people  to  live  as  captives." 
Here  ornamented  balustrades,  sup- 

I  ported  each  by  four  figures  of  African 
and  Northern  barbarians,  leniind  us 
of  Gothic  taste;  and  the  summit  of 
the  whole  pavilion  was  crowned  with 
a  row  of  shields,  the  battlements  of 
Egyptian  architecture.  Hence  a  dro- 
mos  of  265  ft.  led  to  the  main  edifice 
on  the  northward,  whose  front  is 
formed  of  two  lofty  pyyramidol  towers 
or  propyla,  with  a  pydon  or  doorway 
between  them,  the  entrance  to  the  first 
area  or  propylseum. 

The  sculptures  over  this  door  refer 
to  the  panegyries  of  the  king,  whose 
name,  as  at  the  palace  of  Eameses  II., 
appears  in  the  centre.  Those  on  the 
W.  tower  represent  the  monarch  about 

I  to  slay  two  prisoners  in  the  presence 
of  Phtah-Sokari,  others  being  bound 
below  and  behind  the  figure  of  the 

i     god.     In  the  lower  part  is  a  tablet, 

t  commencing  with  the  12th  year  of 
Eameses;  and  on  the  E.  tower  the 

I     same  conqueror  smites  similar  captives 

e  before  Amunre.  Beneath  are  other 
names  of  the  conquered  cities  or  dis- 
tricts of  this  northern  enemy  ;  and  at 

1  the  upper  part  of  the  propylon  a  figure 
j  of  colossal  proportion  grasps  a  group 
j  of  suppliant  captives  his  uplifted  arm 
:     is  about  to  sacrifice. 

2  Passing  through  the  pylon,  you  enter 
d  a  large  hypsethral  court  about  110  ft. 
3e  by  135,  having  on  one  side  a  row  of 
lD  seven  Osiride  pillars,  and  on  the  other 
nf  (  eight  circular  columns,  with  bcll- 
4    formed    capitals,    geuerally,  though 


erroneously,  supposed  to  represent  the 
full-blown  lotus. 

Columns  of  this  form  are  usually 
met  with  in  the  great  halls  of  these 
temples,  and  are  undoubtedly  the 
must  elegant  of  the  Egyptian  orders. 
The  plant  from  which  their  capital  is 
borrowed  is  the  papyrus,  which  is 
frequently  seen  in  the  sculptures  of 
the  tomhs. 

On  the  western  pyramidal  tower,  or 
propylon,  at  the  inner  end  of  the  first 
court,  Eameses  HI.  leads  the  prisoners 
he  has  taken  of  the  Tochari  to 
Amunre,  who  presents  the  falchion  of 
vengeance,  which  the  king  holds  forth 
his  hand  to  receive ;  and  on  the  corre- 
sponding propylon  is  a  large  tablet, 
beginning  with  the  "  eighth  year  of 
his  beloved  Majesty"  Eameses  III. 
The  doorway,  or  pylon,  between  these 
towers,  is  of  red  granite,  the  hiero- 
glyphics on  whose  jambs  are  cut  to 
the  depth  of  two  or  three  inches. 
Those  on  the  outer  face  contain  offer- 
ings to  different  deities,  among  which 
we  find  a  representation  of  the  gate- 
way itself ;  and  at  the  base  of  the 
jambs  are  four  lines,  stating  that 
"  Barneses  made  these  buildings  for 
his  father  Amunre,  (and)  erected  for 
him  (this)  fine  gateway  of  good  blocks 
of  granite  stone,  the  door  itself  of  wood 
embellished  with  plates  of  pure  gold 
.  .  .  for  his  good  name  (Eameses), 
Am  mi  rejoicing  to  behold  it." 

The  summit  of  this  pylon  is  crowmed 
by  a  row  of  sitting  cynocephali  (or 
apes),  the  emhlems  of  Thoth. 

The  next  area  is  far  more  splendid, 
and  may  be  looked  upon  as  one  of  the 
finest  which  adorn  the  various  temples 
of  Egvpt.  Its  dimensions  are  about 
123  ft/ by  133,  and  its  height  from  the 
pavement  to  the  cornice  39  ft.  4.  It 
is  surrounded  by  an  interior  peristyle, 
whose  east  and  west  sides  are  sup- 
ported by  five  massive  columns,  the 
south  by  a  row  of  eight  Osiride  pillars, 
and  the  north  by  a  similar  number, 
behind  which  is  an  elegant  corridor 
of  circular  columns,  whose  effect  is 
unequalled  by  any  other  in  Thebes. 
The  colours,  too,  many  of  which  are 
still  preserved,  add  greatly  to  the 
beauty  of  its  columns,  of  whose  mas- 
t  2 


412 


THEBES. 


Sect.  IV 


sive  style  some  idea  may  be  formed, 
from  their  circumference  of  nearly 
23  ft.  to  a  height  of  24,  or  about 
3  diameters. 

In  contemplating  the  grandeur  of 
this  court,  one  cannot  but  be  struck 
with  the  paltry  appearance  of  the 
Christian  colonnade  that  encumbers 
the  centre  ;  or  fail  to  regret  the  de- 
molition of  the  interior  of  the  temple, 
whose  architraves  were  levelled  to 
form  the  columns  that  now  spoil  the 
architectural  effect  of  the  area ;  and 
the  total  destruction  of  the  Osiride 
figures  once  attached  to  its  pillars. 
But  if  the  rigid  piety,  or  the  domestic 
convenience,  of  the  early  Christians 
destroyed  much  of  the  ornamental 
details  of  this  grand  building,  we  are 
partly  repaid  by  the  interesting  sculp- 
tures they  unintentionally  preserved 
beneath  the  clay  or  stucco  with  which 
they  concealed  them. 

The  architraves  present  the  dedi- 
cation of  the  palace  of  "  Barneses  at 
Thebes,"  which  is  said  to  have  been 
built  of  hard  blocks  of  sandstone,  and 
the  adytum  to  have  been  beautified 
with  the  precious  metals.  Mention  is 
also  made  of  a  doorway  of  hard  stone, 
ornamented  in  a  manner  similar  to  the 
one  before  noticed. 

On  the  east,  or  rather  north-east, 
wrall,  Barneses  is  borne  in  his  shrine, 
or  canopy,  seated  on  a  throne  orna- 
mented by  the  figures  of  a  lion,  and  a 
sphinx  which  is  preceded  by  a  hawk. 
Behind  him  stand  two  figures  of  Truth 
and  Justice,  with  outspread  wings. 
Twelve  Egyptian  princes,  sons  of  the 
king,  bear  the  shrine;  officers  wave 
flabella  around  the  monarch ;  and 
others,  of  the  sacerdotal  order,  attend 
on  either  side,  carrying  his  arms  and 
insignia.  Four  others  follow;  then 
six  of  the  sons  of  the  king,  behind 
whom  are  two  scribes  and  eight  at- 
tendants of  the  military  class,  bearing 
stools  and  the  steps  of  the  throne.  In 
another  line  are  members  of  the  sacer- 
dotal order,  four  other  of  the  king's 
sons,  fan-bearers,  and  military  scribes ; 
a  guard  of  soldiers  bringing  up  the 
rear  of  the  procession.  Before  the 
shrine,  in  one  line,  march  six  officers, 
bearing  sceptres  and  other  insignia  ; 


in  another,  a  scribe  reads  aloud  the 
contents  of  a  scroll  he  holds  unfolded 
in  his  hand,  preceded  by  two  of  the 
king's  sons  and  twp  distinguished 
persons  of  the  military  and  priestly 
orders. 

The  rear  of  both  these  lines  is 
closed  by  a  pontiff,  who,  turning 
round  towards  the  shrine,  burns  in- 
cense before  the  monarch;  and  a  band 
of  music,  composed  of  the  trumpet, 
drum,  double  pipe,  and  crotala,  or 
clappers,  with  choristers,  forms  the 
van  of  the  procession.  The  king, 
alighted  from  his  throne,  officiates  as 
priest  before  the  statue  of  Amun- 
Khem,  or  Amunre  Generator;  and, 
still  wearing  his  helmet,  he  presents 
libations  and  incense  before  the  altar, 
which  is  loaded  with  flowers  and 
other  suitable  offerings.  The  statue 
of  the  god,  attended  by  officers  bear- 
ing flabella,  is  carried  on  a  palanquin, 
covered  with  rich  drapery,  by  twenty- 
two  priests;  and  behind  it  follow 
others,  bringing  the  table  and  the 
altar  of  the  deity.  Before  the  statue 
is  the  sacred  bull,  followed  by  the 
king  on  foot,  wearing  the  cap  of  the 
"lower  country."  Apart  from  the 
procession  itself  stands  the  queen  as 
a  spectator  of  the  ceremony;  and  be- 
fore her  a  scribe  reads  a  scroll  he  has 
unfolded.  A  priest  turns  round  to 
offer  incense  to  the  white  bull,  and 
another,  clapping  his  hands,  brings 
up  the  rear  of  a  long  procession  of 
hieraphori,  carrying  standards,  images, 
and  other  sacred  emblems;  and  the 
foremost  bear  the  statues  of  the 
king's  ancestors. 

This  part  of  the  picture  refers  to 
the  coronation  of  the  king,  who,  in  the 
hieroglyphics,  is  said  to  have  "  put  on 
the  crown  of  the  upper  and  lower 
countries ;  "  which  the  carrier-pigeons, 
flying  to  the  four  sides  of  the  world, 
are  to  announce  to  the  gods  of  the 
south,  north,  east,  and  west.  In  the 
next  compartment  the  president  of 
the  assembly  reads  a  long  invocation, 
the  contents  of  which  are  contained 
in  the  hieroglyphic  inscription  above  ; 
and  the  six  ears  of  corn,  which  the 
king,  once  more  wearing  his  helmet, 
has  cut  with  a  golden  sickle,  are  held 


Egypt 


SCULPTURES  AT  MEDEENET  HABOO. 


413 


out  by  a  priest  towards  the  deity. 
The  white  bull,  and  the  images  of 
the  king's  ancestors,  are  deposited  in 
his  temple,  in  the  presence  of  Amun- 
Khein,  the  queen  still  witnessing  the 
ceremony,  which  is  concluded  by  an 
offering  of  incense  and  libation  made 
by  Eameses  to  the  statue  of  the  god. 

In  the  lower  compartments,  on  this 
side  of  the  temple  is  a  procession 
of  the  arks  of  Amunre,  Maut,  and 
Khonso,  which  the  king,  whose  ark 
is  also  carried  before  him,  comes  to  j 
meet.  In  another  part  the  gods  Seth 
and  Hor-Hat  pour  alternate  emblems 
of  life  and  power  (or  purity)  over  the  ! 
king;  and  on  the  south  wall  he  is 
introduced  by  several  divinities  into 
the  presence  of  the  patron  deities  of 
the  temple.  In  the  upper  part  of  the 
west  wall  Rameses  makes  offerings  to 
Phtah-Sokari  and  to  Kneph ;  in  an- 
other compartment  he  burns  incense 
to  the  ark  of  Sokari ;  and  near  this  is  j 
a  tablet  relating  to  the  offerings  made  | 
to  the  same  deity.  The  ark  is  then  j 
borne  by  16  priests,  with  a  pontiff 
and  another  of  the  sacerdotal  order  in 
attendance.  The  king  then  joins 
in  another  procession  formed  by  eight 
of  his  tons  and  four  chiefs,  behind 
whom  two  priests  turn  round  to  offer 
incense  to  the  monarch.  The  hawk, 
the  emblem  of  the  king,  or  of  Horus, 
precedes  them,  and  18  priests  carry 
the  sacred  emblem  of  the  god  Nofre- 
Atmoo,  which  usually  accompanies  the 
ark  of  Sokari. 

On  the  south  wall  marches  a  long 
procession,  composed  of  hieraphori, 
bearing  different  standards,  thrones, 
arks,  and  insignia,  with  musicians, 
who  precede  the  king  and  his  attend- 
ants. The  figure  of  the  deity  is  not 
introduced,  perhaps  intimating  that 
this  forms  part  of  the  religious  pomp 
of  the  corresponding  wall,  and  from 
the  circumstance  of  the  king  here 
wearing  the  pshent,  it  is  not  impro- 
bable it  may  also  allude  to  his  coro- 
nation. 

The  remainder  of  the  temple  to  the 
W.  was  until  lately  completely  buried 
beneath  the  ruins  of  the  Coptic  village. 
Unfortunately  the  lab  mr  bestowed  on 


its  excavation  was  not  repaid  by  the 
discovery  of  anything  of  very  great 
interest.  A  large  hall  with  little  more 
than  the  base  of  the  splendid  columns 
which  once  adorned  it  remaining,  and 
some  small  chambers  on  either  side  of 
it,  covered  with  the  ordinary  religious 
scenes,  are  all  that  was  found.  The 
colours  of  the  paintings  in  some  of 
these  chambers  are  still  very  bright. 

Battle  Scenes. — The  commencement 
of  the  interesting  historical  subjects 
of  Medeenet  Haboo  U  at  the  south- 
west corner  of  this  court,  on  the  inner 
face  of  the  tower.  Here  Rameses, 
standing  in  his  car,  which  his  horses 
at  full  speed  carry  into  the  mid^t 
of  the  enemy's  ranks,  discharges  his 
arrows  on  their  flying  infantry.  The 
Egyptian  chariots  join  in  the  pursuit, 
and  a  body  of  their  allies  assist  in 
slaughtering  those  who  oppose  them, 
or  bind  them  as  captives.  The  right 
hands  of  the  slain  are  then  cut  off  as 
trophies  of  victory. 

The  sculptures  on  the  west  wall 
are  a  continuation  of  the  scene.  The 
Egyptian  princes  and  generals  con- 
duct "  captive  chiefs  "  into  the  pre- 
sence of  the  king.  He  is  seated  at 
the  back  of  his  car,  and  the  spirited 
horses  are  held  by  his  attendants  on 
foot.  Besides  other  trophies,  large 
heaps  of  hands  are  placed  before  him, 
which  an  officer  counts  one  by  one,  as 
the  other  notes  down  their  number  on 
a  scroll,  each  heap  containing  3000, 
and  the  total  indicating  the  returns 
of  the  enemy's  slain.  The  number  of 
captives,  reckoned  1000  in  each  line, 
is  also  mentioned  in  the  hieroglyphics 
above,  where  the  name  of  tlie  Rebo 
points  out  the  nation  against  whom 
this  war  was  carried  on.  Their  flow- 
ing dresses,  striped  horizontally  with 
blue  or  green  bands  on  a  white 
ground,  and  their  long  hair  and  aqui- 
line nose,  give  them  the  character  of 
some  eastern  nation,  probably  in  the 
vicinity  of  Assyria,  as  their  name  re- 
minds us  of  the  Rhibii  of  Ptolemy. 
A  long  hieroglyphic  inscription  is 
placed  over  the  king,  and  a  still  longer 
tablet,  occupying  a  great  part  of  this 
wall,  refers  to  the  exploits  of  the 


414 


THEBES. 


Sect.  IV. 


Egyptian  conqueror,  and  bears  the  date 
of  liis  fifth  year. 

The  suite  of  this  historical  subject 
continues  on  the  south  wall.  The 
king,  returning  victorious  to-  Egypt, 
proceeds  slowly  in  his  car,  conducting 
in  triumph  the  prisoners  he  has  made, 
who  walk  beside  and  before  it,  three 
others  being  bound  to  the  axle.  Two 
of  his  sons  attend  as  fan-bearers,  and 
the  seveial  regiments  of  Egyptian  in- 
fantry, with  a  corps  of  their  allies, 
under  the  command  of  three  other  of 
these  princes,  marching  in  regular 
step  and  in  the  close  array  of  disci- 
plined troops,  accompany  their  kin<r. 
He  arrives  at  Thebes,  and  presents  his 
captives  to  Amunre  and  Maut,  the 
deities  of  the  city,  who  compliment 
him,  as  usual,  on  the  victory  he  has 
gained,  and  the  overthrow  of  the 
enemy  he  has  "  trampled  beneath  his 
feet." 

On  the  north  wall  the  king  presents 
offerings  to  different  gods,  and  below 
is  an  ornamental  kind  of  border,  com- 
posed of  a  procession  of  the  king's  sons 
and  daughters.  Four  of  the  former, 
his  immediate  successors,  bear  the  asp 
or  basilisk,  the  emblem  of  majesty,  and 
have  their  kingly  ovals  added  to  their 
names.  In  the  E.  wall  of  the  corridor 
is  a  secret  passage,  which  leads  to  an 
opening  over  the  side  door,  as  if  in- 
tended to  enable  those  within  to  look 
down  and  annoy  any  assailants  from 
without ;  and  another  passage  is  on  the 
W.  wall  of  the  great  area  just  de- 
scribed ;  but  both  appear  to  have  been 
made  after  the  building  was  completed. 

Passing  through  the  centre  door,  on 
the  inner  or  north  side  of  this  cor- 
ridor, you  arrive  at  the  site  of  the 
1  all.  On  either  side  of  the  entrance 
the  king  is  attended  by  his  consort, 
who,  as  usual,  holds  the  histrum,  but 
her  name  is  not  introduced. 

If  the  sculptures  of  the  area  arrest 
the  attention  of  the  antiquary,  or  ex- 
cite the  admiration  of  the  traveller, 
those  of  the  exterior  of  the  building 
are  no  less  curious  in  an  historical 
point  of  view,  and  the  north  and  east 
walls  are  covered  with  a  profusion  of 
the  most  varied  and  interesting  sub- 
jects. 


Beginning  at  the  east  end  of  the 
!  north  wall,  there  are  a  succession  of 
•  10  pictures,  arranged  in  compartments, 
i  illustrating  the  history  of  a  war  waged 
!  by  Eameses  III.  against  the  Liboo  or 
!  Bebo,  and  the  Takkaro  or  Tochari.  1st 
i  picture :  A  trumpeter  assembles  the 
troops,  who  salute  the  king  as  he 
i  passes  in  his  car.  Eameses  advances 
|  at  a  slow  pace  in  his  chariot,  attended 
by  fan-bearers,  and  preceded  by  his 
I  troops ;  and  a  lion  running  at  the  side 
of  the  horses  reminds  us  of  the  account 
given  of  Osymandyas,  who  was  said 
to  have  been  accompanied  in  war 
by  that  animal.  Another  instance 
of  it  is  met  with  at  Derr,  in  Nubia, 
among  the  sculptures  of  the  second 
Eameses.  2nd  picture:  The  enemy 
await  the  Egyptian  invaders  in  the 
open  field;  the  king  presses  forwards 
in  his  car,  and  bends  his  bow  against 
the  enemy.  Several  regiments  of 
Egyptian  archers  in  close  array  ad- 
vance on  different  points,  and  harass 
them  with  showers  of  arrows.  The 
chariots  rush  to  the  charge,  and  a  body 
of  allies  maintains  the  combat,  hand 
to  hand,  with  the  enemy,  who  are  at 
length  routed,  and  fly  before  their 
victorious  aggressors.  '3rd  picture  : 
Some  thousands  are  left  dead  on  the 
field,  whose  tongues  and  hands,  being 
cut  off,  are  brought  by  the  Egyptian 
soldiers  as  proofs  of  their  success. 
Three  thousand  five  hundred  and 
thirty-five  hands  and  tongues  form 
part  "of  the  registered  returns  ;  and  two 
other  heaps,  and  a  third  of  tongues, 
containing  each  a  somewhat  larger 
number,  are  "brought"  under  the 
superintendence  of  the  chief  officers, 
like  David's  trophies,  "to  the  king." 
(Cf.  1  Sam.  xviii.  27,  and  2  Kings  x. 
8.)  Wi  picture:  The  monarch  then 
alights  from  his  chariot  and  distributes 
rewards  to  his  troops,  and  haran- 
gues the  generals,  while  his  military 
secretaries  draw  up  an  account  of 
the  number  of  spears,  bows,  swords, 
and  other  arms  taken  from  the  enemy, 
which  are  laid  before  them;  and 
mention  seems  to  be  made  in  the 
hieroglyphics  of  the  horses  that  have 
been  captured.  5th  picture:  Eameses 
then  proceeds  in  his  car,  having  his 


Egypt. 


SCULPTURES  AT  MEDEENET  HABOO. 


415 


bow  and  sword  in  one  hand  and 
his  whip  in  the  other,  indicating  that 
his  march  still  lies  through  an  ene- 
my's country.  The  van  of  his  army 
is  composed  of  a  body  of  chariots; 
the  infantry,  in  close  order,  preced- 
ing the  royal  car,  constitute  the  centre, 
and  other  similar  corps  form  the 
wings  and  rear.  The  hieroglyphic 
text  contains  little  but  praises  ad- 
dressed to  the  king  and  thanks  to 
the  gods.  6th  picture:  The  troops 
are  again  summoned  by  sound  of 
trumpet  to  the  attack  of  another 
enemy,  the  Takkaro,  and  the  Egyptian 
monarch  gives  orders  for  charging 
the  hostile  army  drawn  up  in  the  open 
plain.  The  troops  of  the  enemy,  after 
a  short  conliict,  are  routed,  and  retreat 
in  great  disorder.  The  women  en- 
deavour to  escape  with  their  children 
on  the  first  approach  of  the  Egyptians, 
and  retire  in  plaustra  drawn  by  oxen. 
The  flying  chariots  denote  the  great- 
ness of  the  general  panic.  1th  -picture : 
The  conquering  Egyptians  advance 
into  the  interior  of  the  country.  Here, 
while  passing  a  large  morass,  the  king  j 
is  attacked  by  several  lions,  one  of 
which,  transfixed  with  darts  and  arrows, 
he  lays  breathless  beneath  his  horse's 
feet ;  another  attempts  to  fly  towards  j 
the  jungle,  but,  receiving  a  last  and 
fatal  wound,  writhes  in  the  agony  of 
approaching  death.  A  third  springs 
up  from  behind  his  car.  and  the  hero 
prepares  to  receive  and  check  its  fury 
with  his  spear.  It  was,  perhaps  in 
this  country  that  Amunoph  III.  kilL-d 
the  110  lions,  which,  according  to  the 
inscription  on  a  scarabaeus  in  the  Cairo 
Museum,  he  boasts  of  having  slain  in 
the  first  10  years  of  his  reign.  Below 
this  group  is  represented  the  march  of 
the  Egyptian  army,  with  their  allies, 
tue  Shairetana,  the  Shaso  or  Shos  ? 
(supposed  to  be  Arabs),  and  a  third 
corps,  armed  with  clubs,  whose  form 
and  character  are  very  imperfectly 
preserved. 

8th  picture:  Here  we  have  the  only 
representation  existing  in  Egypt  of  a 
naval  engagement.  The  Egyptians 
attack  the  hostile  ships  with  a  fleet  of 
galleys,  which  in  their  shape  differ 
essentially  from  those  used   on  the 


Nile.  The  general  form  of  the  vessels 
,  of  both  combatants  is  very  similar:  a 
j  raised  gunwale,  protecting  the  rowers 
:  from  the  missiles  of  the  foe,  extends 
j  from  the  head  to  the  stern,  and  a  lofty 
!  poop  and  forecastle  contain  each  a 
!  body  of  archers  ;  but  the  head  of  a 
j  lion,  which  ornaments  the  prows  of 
the  Eg}7ptian  galleys,  serves  to  distin- 
guish them  from  those  of  the  enemy. 
The  former  bear  down  their  opponents, 
and  succeed  in  boarding  ihem  and 
taking  several  prisoners.  One  of  the 
hostile  galleys  is  upset,  and  the  slingers 
in  the  shrouds,  with  the  archers  and 
spearmen  on  the  prows,  spread  dismay 
among  the  few  who  resist.  The  king, 
trampling  on  the  prostrate  bodies  of 
the  enemy,  and  aided  by  a  corps  of 
bowmen,  discharges  from  the  shore  a 
continued  showers  of  arrows  :  and  his 
attendants  stand  at  a  short  distance 
with  his  chariot  and  horses,  awaiting 
his  return.  The  scene  of  this  engage- 
ment is  doubtful,  but  it  is  evident  that 
it  took  place  either  close  to  the  coast 
or  at  the  mouth  of  a  river.  9th  pic- 
ture :  The  conquering  army  leads  in 
triumph  the  prisoners  of  the  two 
nations  they  have  captured  in  the  naval 
fight,  and  the  amputated  hands  of  the 
slain  are  laid  in  heaps  before  the 
military  chiefs.  Though  this  custom 
savours  of  barbarism,  the  humanity  of 
the  Egyptians  is  very  apparent  in  the 
above  conliict :  where  the  soldiers  on  the 
fchore  and  in  the  ships  do  their  utmost 
to  rescue  their  enemies  from  a  watery 
grave.  The  king  distributes  rewards 
to  his  victorious  troops :  and  then  com- 
mences the  march  back  to  Egypt.  On 
the  way  he  stops  at  a  town  called  in 
the  hieroglyphics  Migdol-en-Bamesen- 
hakou.  1 0th picture  :  Triumphal  return 
of  the  king  to  Thebes  conducting  his 
prisoners  in  triumph,  and  making 
offerings  to  the  Theban  triad,  Amun, 
Maut,  and  Khons.  The  text  contains 
his  address  to  the  divinities  and  their 
response,  and  also  an  address  of  the 
prisoners  to  the  king  imploring  his 
clemency,  in  order  that  they  may  live 
and  celebrate  his  courage  and  virtues. 

In  the  compartments  above  these 
historical  scenes  the  king  makes  suit- 
able offerings  to  the  gods  of  Egypt ; 


416 


THEBES. 


Sect.  IV. 


and  on  the  remaining  part  of  the  E. 
wall,  to  the  S.  of  the  second  propylon, 
another  war  is  represented. 

In  the  fii  st  picture  the  king,  alighted 
from  his  chariot,  armed  with  his  spear 
and  shield,  and  trampling  on  the 
prostrate  bodies  of  the  slain,  besieges 
the  fort  of  an  Asiatic  enemy,  whom  he 
forces  to  sue  for  peace.  In  the  next 
he  attacks  a  larger  town  surrounded 
by  water.  The  Egyptians  fell  the 
trees  in  the  woody  country  which  sur- 
rounds it,  probably  to  form  testudos 
and  ladders  for  the  assault.  Some  are 
already  applied  by  their  comrades  to 
the  walls,  and,  while  they  reach  their 
summit,  the  gates  are  broken  open, 
and  the  enemy  are  driven  from  the 
ramparts,  or  precipitated  over  the 
parapet,  by  the  victorious  assailants, 
who  announce  by  sound  of  trumpet  the 
capture  of  the  place.  In  the  third 
compartment,  on  the  N.  face  of  the 
first  propylon,  Kameses  attacks  two 
large  towns,  the  upper  one  of  which 
is  taken  with  little  resistance,  the 
Egyptian  troops  having  entered  it  and 
gained  possession  of  the  citadel.  In 
the  lower  one  the  terrified  inhabitants 
are  engaged  in  rescuing  their  children 
from  the  approaching  danger,  by  hur- 
rying them  into  the  ramparts  of  the 
outer  wall.  The  last  piciure  occup;es  , 
the  upper  or  N.  end  of  the  E.  side,  j 
where  the  king  presents  his  prisoners  j 
to  the  gods  of  the  temple. 

The  western  wall  is  entirely  covered 
by  a  large  hieroglyphical  tablet,  re- 
cording various  offerings  made  in  the 
different  months  of  the  year  by  Ka- 
meses III. 

The  head  and  forepart  of  several 
lions  project,  at  intervals,  from  below 
the  cornice  of  the  exterior  of  the 
building,  who.>e  perforated  mouths, 
communicating  by  a  tube  with  the 
summit  of  the  roof,  served  as  conduits 
for  the  r-un-water  which  occasionally 
fell  at  Thebes.  Nor  were  they  ne- 
glectful of  any  precaution  that  might 
secure  the  paintings  of  the  interior 
from  the  effects  of  rain ;  and  the  joints 
of  the  stones  which  formed  the  ceiling 
being  protected  by  a  long  piece  of 
stone,  let  in  immediately  over  the  line 
of  their  junction,  were  rendered  im- 


pervious to  the  heaviest  storm.  For 
fchowers  fall  annually  at  Thebes ;  per- 
haps on  an  average  four  or  five  in  the 
year ;  and  every  eight  or  ten  years 
heavy  rains  fill  the  torrent-beds  of  the 
mountains,  which  run  to  the  banks  of 
the  Nile.  A  storm  of  this  kind  did 
much  damage  to  Belzoni's  tomb  some 
years  ago. 

Square  apertures  were  also  cut  at 
intervals  in  the  roofs,  the  larger  ones 
intended  for  the  admission  of  light, 
the  smaller  probably  for  suspending 
the  chains  that  supported  lamps  for 
the  illumination  of  the  interior. 

Six  hundred  and  fifty  feet  S.W.  of 
the  pavilion  of  Medeenet  Haboo  is  a 
small  Ptolemaic  temple,  dedicated  to 
Thoth.  In  the  adytum  are  some 
curious  hieroglyphical  subjects,  which 
have  thrown  great  light  upon  the 
names  and  succession  of  the  Ptolemies 
who  preceded  Physcon,  or  Euergetes 
II.  This  monarch  is  here  represented 
making  offerings  to  four  of  his  prede- 
cessors, Soter,  Philadelphus,  Philo- 
pator,  and  Epiphanes,  each  name  being 
accompanied  by  that  of  their  respective 
queens.  It  is  here,  in  particular,  that 
the  position  of  the  Ptolemaic  cogno- 
men, as  Soter,  Philadelphus,  and  others, 
satisfactorily  proves  that  it  is  after, 
and  not  in  the  name,_  that  we  must 
look  for  the  title  which  distinguished 
each  of  these  kings ;  nor  will  any  one 
conversant  with  hieroglyphics  fail  to 
remark  the  adoption  of  these  cogno- 
mens in  each  prenomen  of  a  succeed- 
ing Ptolemy;  a  circumstance  analo- 
gous to  the  more  ancient  mode  of 
borrowing,  or  quartering,  from  the 
prenomens  of  an  earlier  Pharaoh  some 
of  the  characters  that  composed  that 
of  a  later  king. 

This  small  sandstone  huilding,  whose 
total  length  does  not  exceed  48  ft., 
consists  of  a  transverse  outer  court, 
and  three  smaller  successive  chambers, 
communicating  with  each  other.  Near 
it,  to  the  W.,  was  an  artificial  basin, 
now  forming  a  pond  of  irregular  shape 
during  the  inundation,  and  surrounded 
on  three  sides  by  mimosas;  beyond 
which,  to  the  N.W.  and  W.,  are  the 
traces  of  some  ruins,  the  remains  of 


Egypt, 


DAYK  EL  MEDEENEH. 


417 


Egyptian  and  Copt  tombs,  and  the 
limited  enclosure  of  a  modern  church. 

A  low  plain,  once  a  lake,  extends 
from  the  S.W.  of  this  temple  to  the 
distance  of  7300  ft.,  by  a  breadth  of 
3000,  whose  limits  are  marked  by  high 
mounds  of  sand  and  alluvial  soil ;  on 
one  series  of  which  stands  the  modern 
village  of  Kom  el  By  rat,  the  two  south- 
ernmost presenting  the  vestiges  of 
tombs,  and  the  relics  of  human  skele- 
tons. This  lake  is  called  Birltet 
Haboo.  That  the  tradition,  which 
makes  this  a  real  lake,  is  founded  on 
fact,  is  evident  from  the  appearance 
of  the  mounds  of  alluvial  soil  around 
it,  which  are  taken  from  its  ex- 
cavated bed;  and,  if  required,  we 
might  find  an  additional  proof  in 
the  upper  part  of  the  mounds  on  the 
desert  side  having  on  their  summit 
some  of  the  stones  that  form  the  sub- 
stratum beneath  the  alluvial  deposit. 
The  excavation  was.  evidently  made 
after  the  mud  of  the  inundation  had 
accumulated  considerably  upon  the 
Theban  plain ;  and  though  a  smaller 
lake  had  probably  been  made  there 
before,  this  larger  one  may  not  date 
till  after  the  age  of  Amunoph  III.,  his 
colossi  being  based  on  the  stony  hdger 
of  the  desert,  which  the  inundation 
did  not  then  reach. 

The  lake  was  intended  for  the  same 
purpose  as  that  of  Memphis  ;  and  it  is 
not  impossible  that  the  tombs  on  its 
southern  shores  may  have  been  of 
those  offenders  who  were  doomed  to 
be  excluded  from  a  participation  in 
the  funeral  honours  which  the  pious 
enjoyed  in  the  consecrated  mansions 
of  the  dead  on  the  N.  side  of  this 
Acherusian  lake  :  —  "  Centum  errant 
annos." 

Another  small  Temple. — Three  thou- 
sand feet  S.W.  of  the  western  angle  of 
the  lake  is  a  small  Temple  of  Roman 
date,  bearing  the  name  of  Adrian,  and 
of  Antoninus  Pius,  who  completed  it, 
and  added  the  pylon  in  front.  Its 
total  length  is  45  ft.,  and  breadth  53 ; 
with  an  isolated  sanctuary  in  the 
centre,  two  small  chamber's  on  the 
N.E.,  and  three  on  the  S.W.  side  ;  the 
first  of  which   contains  a  staircase 


leading  to  the  roof.  In  front  stand 
two  pylons,  the  outermost  one  being 
distant  from  the  door  of  the  temple 
about  200  ft. 


5.  Dayr  el  Medeeneh. 

Between  the  Colossi  and  Medeenet 
Haboo,  and  behind  the  old  cemetery 
called  Koornet  Murraee,  is  a  small 
temple  erected  by  Ptolemy  Philopator. 
It  is  called  Dayr  el  Medeeneh,  from 
having  been  the  abode  of  the  early 
Christians.  It  measures  60  ft.  by  33. 
Being  left  unfinished,  it  was  completed 
by  Physcon,  or  Euergetes  II.,  who 
added  the  sculptures  to  the  walls  of  the 
interior,  and  part  of  the  architectural 
details  of  the  portico  ;  the  pylon  in 
front  bearing  the  name  of  Dionysus. 
The  vestibule  is  ornamented  with  two 
columns  supporting  the  roof,  but  it  is 
unsculptured.  The  corridor  is  sepa- 
rated from  this  last  by  intercolumnar 
screens,  uniting,  on  either  side  of  its 
entrance,  one  column  to  a  pilaster, 
surmounted  by  the  head  of  Athor. 
On  the  E.  wall  of  this  corridor  or  pro- 
naos,  Ptolemy  Philometor,  followed  by 
"  his  brother,  the  god,"  Physcon,  and 
the  queen  Cleopatra,  makes  offerings 
to  Amunre  ;  but  the  rest  of  the  sculp- 
tures appear  to  present  the  names  of 
Physcon  alone,  who  adopted,  on  his 
brother's  death,  the  name  and  oval  of 
Philometor,  with  the  additional  title 
of  "  god  Soter." 

A  staircase,  lighted  by  a  window 
of  peculiar  form,  once  led  to  the  roof; 
and  the  back  part  of  the  naos  consists 
of  three  parallel  chambers.  The  centre 
one,  or  adytum,  presents  the  sculp- 
tures of  Philopator  on  the  back  and 
half  the  side  walls,  which  last  were 
completed  by  the  2nd  Euergetes  ;  as 
recorded  in  a  line  of  hieroglyphics  at 
the  junction  of  the  first  and  subse- 
quent compartments.  Amunre,  with 
Maut  and  Khonso,  Athor  and  Justice, 
share  the  honours  of  the  adytum; 
but  the  dedication  of  Philopator  de- 
cides that  the  temple  was  consecrated 
to  the  Egyptian  Aphrodite,  "  the  pre- 
sident of  the  west."  In  the  eastern 
chamber  Philopator  again  appears  in 
t  3 


418 


THEBES. 


Sect.  IV. 


the  sculptures  of  the  end  wall,  where  \ 
Athor  and  Justice  hold  the  chief 
place ;  while  Amunre  and  Osiris,  the 
principal  deities  in  the  lateral  com- 
partments, receive  the  offerings  of 
Euergetes  II. 

In  the  western  chamber  the  sub- 
jects are  totally  different  from  any 
found  in  the  temples  of  Thebes ;  and 
appear  to  have  a  sepulchral  character. 
Here  Philopator  pays  his  devotions  to 
Osiris  and  Isis ;  on  the  E.  side  Phys- 
con  offers  incense  to  the  statue  of 
Khem,  preceded  by  Anubis,  and  fol- 
lowed by  the  ark  of  Sokari ;  and  on 
the  opposite  wall  is  the  judgment 
scene,  frequently  found  on  the  papyri 
of  the  Egyptians.  Osiris,  seated  on 
his  throne,  awaits  the  arrival  of  those 
souls  which  are  ushered  into  Amenti  ; 
the  four  genii  stand  before  him  on  a 
lotus-blosbom ;  and  the  female  Cer- 
berus is  there,  with  Harpocrates  seated 
on  the  crook  of  Osiris.  Thoth,  the 
god  of  letters,  presents  himself  before 
the  king  of  Hades,  bearing  in  his  hand 
a  tablet,  on  which  the  actions  of  the 
deceased  are  noted  down ;  while  Horus 
and  Aroeris  are  employed  in  weighing 
the  good  deeds  of  the  judged  against 
the  ostrich  -  feather,  the  symbol  of 
Justice  or  Truth.  A  cynocephalus, 
the  emblem  of  Thoth,  is  seated  on  the 
top  of  the  balance.  At  length  comes 
the  deceased;  who  advances  between 
two  figures  of  the  goddess,  and  bears  | 
in  his  hand  the  symbol  of  truth,  indi-  j 
eating  his  meritorious  actions,  and  his  ' 
fitness  for  admission  to  the  presence  of 
Osiris.  The  42  assessors,  seated  above, 
in  two  lines,  complete  the  sculptures  of 
the  W.  wall ;  and  all  these  symbols  of 
death  seem  to  show  that  the  chamber 
was  dedicated  to  Osiris,  in  his  peculiar 
character  of  judge  of  the  dead. 

Besides  the  monarchs  by  whom  the 
temple  was  commenced,  we  may  men- 
tion the  "  Autocrator  Ceesar,"  or  Au- 
gustus, whose  name  appears  at  the 
back  of  the  naos. 

Several  enchorial  and  Coptic  in- 
scriptions have  been  written  in  the  in- 
terior, and  on  the  outside  of  the  vesti- 
bule, whose  walls,  rent  by  the  sinking 
of  the  ground  and  human  violence, 
make  us  acquainted  with  a  not  uncom- 


mon custom  of  Egyptian  architects, — 
the  use  of  wooden  dovetailed  cramps, 
which  connected  the  blocks  of  masonry. 
Wood,  in  a  country  where  very  little 
rain  falls,  provided  the  stones  are 
closely  fitted  together,  lasts  for  ages,  as 
may  be  seen  by  these  sycamore  cramps ; 
and  the  Egyptians  calculated  very  ac- 
curately the  proportionate  durability  of 
different  substances,  and  the  situation 
adapted  to  their  respective  properties. 
Hence,  they  preferred  sandstone  to 
calcareous  blocks  for  the  construction 
of  their  temples,  a  stone  which,  in  the 
dry  climate  of  Egypt,  resists  the  action 
of  the  atmosphere  much  longer  than 
either  limestone  or  granite  ;  but  they 
used  calcareous  subtractions  beneath 
the  soil,  because  they  were  known  to 
endure  where  the  contact  with  the  salts 
would  speedily  decompose  the  harder 
but  less  durable  granite. 

The  walls  surrounding  the  court 
of  this  temple  present  a  peculiar  style 
of  building,  the  bricks  being  disposed 
in  concave  and  convex  courses  forming 
a  waving  line,  which  rises  and  falls 
alternately  along  their  whole  length. 

6.  Dayr  el  Bahree. 

After  passing  the  hill  of  Sheykh 
Abd  el  Koorneh,  at  the  northern 
extremity  of  the  Assasseef,  and  im- 
mediately be-low  the  cliffs  of  the 
Libyan  mountain,  is  an  ancient  temple, 
whose  modern  name,  Dayr  el  Bahree, 
or  "  the  Northern  Convent,"  indicates 
its  having  served,  like  most  of  the 
temples  at  Thebes,  as  a  church  and 
monastery  of  the  early  Christians. 

An  extensive  dromos  of  1600  ft., 
terminated  at  the  S.E.  by  a  sculptured 
pylon,  whose  substructions  alone  mark 
its  site,  led  in  a  direct  line  between  a 
double  row  of  sandstone  sphinxes  to 
the  entrance  of  its  square  enclosure; 
before  which  two  pedestals  still  point 
out  the  existence  of  the  obelisks  they 
once  supported.  Following  the  same 
line,  and  200  ft.  to  the  N.W.  of  this 
gateway,  is  an  inclined  plane  of  ma- 
sonry, leading  to  a  granite  pylon  in 
front  of  the  inner  court ;  and  about 
150  ft.  from  the  base  of  this  ascent  a 
wall  at  right  angles  with  it  extends 


Egypt. 


D  AYR  EL  BAHItEE. 


419 


on  either  side  to  the  distance  of  100  ft., 
having  before  it  a  peristyle  of  eight 
polygonal  columns,  forming  a  covered 
corridor. 

The  plan  on  which  this  temple  was 
constructed  is  curious,  and  differs 
entirely  from  that  of  any  other  in 
Egypt.  It  was  built  in  stages  up  the 
slope  of  the  mountain,  flights  of  steps 
leading  from  one  court  to  the  other. 
The  builder  of  this  temple  would  seem 
to  have  been  Amun-noo-het,  or  Hat- 
a-soo,  the  sister  of  Thothmes  II.  and 
Thothmes  III.  Her  name  appears 
constantly  in  various  parts  of  the 
building,  though  nearly  always  it  has 
been  defaced,  and  replaced  by  that ' 
of  Thothmes  III.  Considering  the  I 
material  of  which  this  temple  is  built, 
a  beautiful  marble-like  limestone,  it  is 
astonishing  that  it  should  have  escaped 
destruction,  were  it  not  that  the  tombs 
of  the  Assassee'f  afforded  a  quarrying 
ground  as  rich  and  more  accessible. 

On  the  S.W.  side  of  the  lowest  court 
of  the  temple—  the  one  first  arrived  at 
from  the  E.  —  are  some  interesting 
sculptures,  unfortunately  much  dis- 
figured. Several  regiments  of  Egyp- 
tian soldiers  are  marching  with  boughs 
in  their  hands,  bearing  the  weapons 
of  their  peculiar  corps,  and  forming 
a  triumphal  procession  to  the  sound 
of  the  trumpet  and  drum.  An  ox  is 
sacrificed,  and  tables  of  offerings  to  the 
deity  of  Thebes  are  laid  out  in  the 
presence  of  the  troops.  The  rest  of 
the  sculptures  are  destroyed,  but  the 
remains  of  two  boats  prove  that  the 
upper  compartments  were  finished 
with  the  same  care  as  the  others. 
The  other  walls  contain  remains  of 
similar  sculpture,  and  among  them 
a  series  of  hawks  in  very  prominent 
relief,  about  the  height  of  a  man,  sur- 
mounted by  the  asp  and  globe,  the 

;      emblems  of  the  sun  and  of  the  king 

'■      as  Pharaoh. 

The  granite  pylon  at  the  upper  ex- 

»      tremity  of  the  inclined  ascent  bears, 

3      like  the  rest  of  the  building,  the  name 
of  the  founder,  Amun-noo-het,  which, 

I  in  spite  of  the  architectural  usurpa- 
t  tion  of  the  third  Thothmes,  is  still 
J     traced  in  the  ovals  of  the  jambs  and 

I I  lintel.    We  read,  after  the  name  of 


Thothmes  III.  (but  still  preceded  by 
the  square  title,  banner,  or  e.-cutcheon 
of  Pharaoh  Amun-noo-het),  "  She  has 
made  this  work  for  her  father, 4  Amunre, 
lord  of  the  regions '  (i.  e.  of  Upper  and 
Lower  Egypt)  :  she  has  erected  to  him 
this  fine  gateway,— '  Amun  protects' 
the  work, — of  granite ;  she  has  done 
this  (to  whom)  life  is  given  for  ever." 

Beyond  this  pylon,  following  the 
same  line  of  direction,  is  a  small  area 
of  a  later  epoch,  and  another  granite 
pylon,  being  the  entrance  of  a  large 
chamber  to  which  is  it  attached. 

There  are  some  very  beautiful 
sculptures  at  th<-!  back  of  the  temple, 
a  short  distance  from  the  great  granite 
pylon.  A  warlike  expedition  appears 
to  have  reached  its  termination.  On 
the  S.  wall  is  depicted  the  arrival  of 
captives  and  hostages  bearing  tribute. 
Among  other  things  they  bring  trees 
whose  roots  are  tied  up  in  baskets. 
The  scene  appears  to  be  laid  on  the 
sea-shore,  along  which  a  detachment 
of  Egyptian  troops  advances  to  receive 
the  new-comers.  It  is  curious  to  note 
the  fishes  appearing  through  the  trans- 
parent water.  The  scene  is  continued 
on  the  W.  wall.  On  the  upper  com- 
partment is  represented  a  fresh  arrival 
of  prisoners.  Below  the  Egyptian 
fleet  is  drawn  up  on  tho  sea-shore, 
while  the  process  of  embanking  various 
merchandise  as  tribute  is  being  carried 
on.  The  fish  are  again  depicted  with 
the  same  curious  effect. 

In  a  side  chamber  to  the  S.  are  some 
more  scenes.  Here  it  is  no  longer  tho 
green  waves  of  the  sea,  but  the  'due 
waters  of  the  Nile,  on  which  float 
highly  ornamented  boats.  Below  are 
more  troops  on  the  march. 

In  one  of  the  smaller  chambers  the 
colours  of  the  paintings  are  wonderfully 
vivid  and  well  preserved.  On  both 
sides  of  one  of  the  passages  is  a  beauti- 
fully sculptured  scene,  representing 
the  royal  infant  suckled  by  the  god- 
dess Athor,  under  the  form  of  a  most 
perfectly  proportioned  cow. 

The  inner  chambers  are  made  to 
imitate  vaults,  like  the  one  still  re- 
maining on  the  outs:.de  ;  but  they  are 
not  on  the  principle  of  the  arch,  being 
1  composed  of  blocks  placed  horizon- 


420 


THEBES. 


Sect.  IV. 


tally,  one  projecting  beyond  that  im- 
mediately below  it,  till  the  uppermost 
two  meet  in  the  centre ;  the  interior 
angles  being  afterwards  rounded  off  to 
form  the  vault.  The  Egyptians  were 
not,  however,  ignorant  of  the  principle 
or  use  of  the  arch  ;  and  the  reason  of 
their  preferring  one  of  this  construction 
probably  arose  from  the  difficulty  of 
repairing  an  injured  vault  in  the  tun- 
nelled rock,  and  the  consequences 
attending  the  decay  of  a  single  block. 
Nor  can  any  one,  in  observing  the 
great  superincumbent  weight  applied 
to  the  haunches,  suppose  that  this  style 
of  building  is  devoid  of  strength,  and 
of  the  usual  durability  of  an  Egyptian 
fabric,  or  pronounce  it  to  be  ill-suited 
to  the  purpose  for  which  it  was  erected, 
the  support  of  the  friable  rock  of  the 
mountain,  within  whose  excavated 
base  it  stood,  and  which  threatened  to 
let  fall  its  crumbling  masses  on  its 
summit. 

The  entrance  to  these  vaulted 
chambers  is  by  a  granite  doorway ; 
and  the  first,  which  measures  30  ft. 
by  12.  is  ornamented  with  sculptures 
that  throw  great  light  on  the  names  of 
some  of  the  members  of  the  Thothmes 
family.  Here  Thothmes  I.,  and  his 
queen  Ames,  accompanied  by  their 
young  daughter,  but  all "  deceased  "  at 
the  time  of  its  construction,  receive 
the  adoration  and  offerings  of  Amuti- 
noo-het,  and  of  Thothmes  III.,  fol- 
lowed by  his  daughter  Ee-ni-nofre. 
The  niche  and  inner  door  also  present 
the  name  of  the  former,  effaced  by 
the  same  Thothmes,  whose  name 
throughout  the  interior  usurps  the 
place  of  his  predecessor's.  To  tliis 
succeeds  a  smaller  apartment,  which, 
like  the  2  lateral  rooms  with  which  it 
communicates,  has  a  vaulted  roof;  and 
beyond  is  an  adytum  of  the  late  date 
of  Ptolemy  Physcon. 

Several  blocks,  used  at  a  later  period 
to  repair  the  wall  of  the  inner  or  upper 
court,  bear  hieroglyphics  of  various 
epochs,  having  been  brought  from  other 
structures  ;  among  which  the  most 
remarkable  are — one  containing  the 
name  of  King  Horus,  the  predecessor 
of  Eameses  I.,  and  mentioning  "  the 
father  of  his  father's  lather's  father, 


Thothmes  III.,  who  was,  in  reality,  his 
fourth  ancestor;  and  another  of  the 
4th  year  of  Menephtah,  the  son  of 
Eameses  II. 

On  the  E.  side  of  the  dromos,  and 
about  600  ft.  from  the  pedestals  of  the 
obelisks,  are  the  fragments  of  granite 
sphinxes  and  cahareous  columns  of  an 
early  epoch,  at  least  coeval  with  the 
founder  of  these  structures ;  and  a  short 
distance  beyond  them  is  a  path  lead- 
ing over  the  hills  to  the  Tombs  of  the 
Kings. 


7.  Tombs  of  the  Kings. — Bab,  or 
blb4n  el  molook,  "  the  gate " 
or  "  Gates  .  op  the  Kings." 

The  distance  from  the  river  is  about 
3  miles.  The  road  lies  pa<t  the  temple 
of  Koorneh,  and  then  enters  a  barren, 
desolale  valley,  utterly  blasted  by  the 
heat  of  the  sun.  Near  the  entrance 
to  the  gor^e  in  which  are  the  tombs 
usually  visited,  belonging  entirely  to 
the  XlXth  and  XXth  dynasties,  a 
branch  path  leads  westward  to  another 
vallev,  in  which  are  the  tombs  of  the 
XVIIIth  dynasty. 

The  principle  of  construction  in  the 
royal  tombs  at  Bab  el  Molook  is 
entirely  different  from  that  which 
regulated  the  ordinary  Egyptian  mau- 
soleum, as  described  in  Sect.  II., 
Descbipt.  op  Cairo,  Exc.  vii.,  h. 
Here  there  is  no  rnastabah,  and  no 
exterior  chambers,  in  which  the  sur- 
viving relations  met  at  certain  seasons 
to  pay  their  respects  to  the  dead.  The 
"  Tombs  of  the  Kings "  at  Bab  el 
Molook  are  all  excavated  out  of  the 
rock,  and  consist  of  long  inclined 
passages,  with  here  and  there  halls 
and  small  chambers,  penetrating  to  a 
greater  or  less  distance  into  the  heart 
of  the  mountain.  Once  the  royal 
mummy  was  safely  deposited  in  it* 
resting-place,  the  entrance  was  built 
up,  and  the  surrounding  rock  levelled, 
so  as  to  leave  no  trace  of  the  existence 
of  the  tomb.  It  has  been  conjectured 
by  M.  Mariette  that  the  representa- 
tives, to  a  certain  extent,  of  the  masta- 
bahs,  are  to  be  found  at  Thebes  in 
the  temples  that  line  the  edge  of  the 


Egypt. 


TOMBS  OF 


THE  KINGS. 


421 


desert.  Thus  the  "Rameseum  would 
be,  as  it  were,  the  mastabah  of  the 
tomb  of  Rameses  II.,  situated  in  this 
valley  ;  Medeenet  Haboo,  of  the  tomb 
of  Rameses  III. ;  Koorneh,  of  the  tomb 
of  Eameses  I.,  and  so  on.  These 
temples  were  cenotaphs,  in  which  the 
memory  of  the  king  was  preserved  and 
worshipped. 

The  number  of  tombs  now  open  in 
the  principal  valley  is  25.  but  they  are 
not  all  kings'  tombs ;  some  are  those 
of  princes  and  high  functionaries. 
Strabo  speaks  of  having  seen  about 
40,  but  he  included  in  this  number 
those  of  the  western  valley,  and,  per- 
haps, the  Tombs  of  the  Queens. 

It  would  be  impossible  to  give  a 
detailed  account  of  all  these  tombs, 
which  indeed  differ  very  much  in  in- 
terest, or  to  offer  any  very  satisfactory 
explanation  of  the  paintings  they  con- 
tain. It  will  be  sufficient  to  notice  at 
length  a  few  of  the  most  important. 
They  are  known  to  the  guides  by  the 
numbers  affixed  to  them  by  Sir  Gard- 
ner Wilkinson,  but  two  or  three  of 
the  best  worth  seeing  have  special 
designations. 

No.  17.  The  Tomb  of  Sethi  L,  com- 
monly called  Belzmii's  Tomb. — This 
tomb,  which  was  discovered  by  Bel- 
zoni,  is  by  far  the  most  remarkable  for 
its  sculpture  and  the  state  of  its  pre- 
servation. But  the  plan  is  far  from 
being  well  regulated,  and  the  devia- 
tion from  one  line  of  direction  greatly 
injures  its  general  effect ;  nor  does  the 
rapid  descent  by  a  staircase  of  24  ft.  in 
perpendicular  depth,  on  a  horizontal 
length  of  29,  convey  so  appropriate 
an  idea  of  the  entrance  to  the  abode 
of  death  as  the  gradual  talus  of  other 
of  these  sepulchres.  To  this  staircase 
succeeds  a  passage  of  18J  ft.  by  9,  in- 
cluding the  jambs:  and  passing  another 
door,  a  second  staircase  descends  in 
horizontal  length  25  ft. ;  beyond  which 
2  doorways  and  a  passage  of  29  ft. 
bring  you  to  an  oblong  chamber  12  ft. 
by  14,  where  a  pit,  filled  up  by  Belzoni, 
once  appeared  to  form  the  utmost  limit 
of  the  tomb.  Part  of  its  inner  wall 
was  composed  of  blocks  of  hewn  stone, 
closely  cemented  together,  and  covered 


with  a  smooth  coat  of  stucco,  like  the 
other  walls  of  this  excavated  cata- 
comb, on  which  was  painted  a  con- 
tinuation of  those  subjects  that  still 
adorn  its  remaining  sides. 

Independent  of  the  main  object  of 
this  pit,  so  admirably  calculated  to  mis- 
lead, or  at  least  to  check  the  search  of 
the  curious  and  the  spoiler,  another 
advantage  was  thereby  gained  in  the 
preservation  of  the  interior  part  of  the 
tomb,  which  was  effectually  guaranteed 
from  the  destructive  inroad  of  the  rain- 
water, whose  torrent  its  depth  com- 
pletely intercepted;  a  fact  which  a 
storm  some  years  ago,  by  the  havoc 
caused  in  the  inner  chambers,  sadly 
demonstrated. 

The  hollow  sound  of  the  wall  of 
masonry  above  mentioned,  and  a  small 
aperture,  betrayed  to  Belzoni,  the  i-ecret 
of  its  hidden  chambers;  and  a  palm- 
tree,  supplying  the  pla  -e  of  the  more 
classic  ram,  soon  forced  the  inter- 
mediate barrier,  who.-e  breach  dis- 
played the  splendour  of  the  succeeding 
hall,  at  once  astonishing  and  delight- 
ing its  discoverer,  whose  labours  were 
so  gratefully  repaid.  But  this  was  not, 
the  only  part  of  the  tomb  that  had 
been  closed ;  the  outer  door  was  also 
blocked  up  with  masonry;  and  the 
staircase  before  it  was  concealed  by 
accumulated  fragments,  and  by  the 
earth  that  had  fallen  from  the  hill 
above.  And  it  was  the  sinking  of  the 
ground  at  this  part,  from  the  water 
that  had  soaked  through  into  the 
tomb,  that  led  the  peasants  to  suspect 
the  secret  of  its  position  ;'  which  was 
rev(  aled  by  them  to  Belzoni. 

The  four  pillars  of  the  first  hall 
beyond  the  pit,  which  support  a  roof 
about  26  ft.  square,  are  decorated,  like 
the  whole  of  the  walls,  with  highly- 
finished  and  well-preserved  sculptures, 
which  from  their  vivid  colours  appear 
but  the  work  of  yesterday  ;  and  near 
the  centre  of  the  inner  wall  a  few  steps 
lead  to  a  second  hall,  of  similar  dimen- 
sions, supported  by  two  pillars,  but  left 
in  an  unfinished  state,  the  sculptois 
not  having  yet  commenced  the  outline 
of  the  figures  the  draughtsmen  had  but 
just  completed.  It  is  hei^e  that  the 
first  deviations  from  the  general  line 


422 


THEBES. 


Sect,  IV. 


of  direction  occur  ;  which  are  still 
more  remarkable  in  the  staircase  that 
descends  at  the  southern  corner  of  the 
first  hall. 

To  this  last  succeed  two  passages, 
and  a  chamber  17  ft.  by  14,  communi- 
cating by  a  door  nearly  in  the  centre 
of  its  inner  wall,  with  the  grand  hall, 
which  is  27  it.  square,  and  supported 
by  six  pillars.  Ou  eitber  side  of  this 
hall  is  a  small  chamber,  opposite  the 
angle  of  the  first  pillars  ;  and  the  upper 
end  terminates  in  a  vaulted  saloon,  19 
ft.  by  30,  in  whose  centre  stood  an 
alabaster  sarcophagus,  now  in  the 
Soane  Museum,  upon  the  immediate 
summit  of  an  inclined  plane,  which, 
wdth  a  staircase  on  either  side,  de- 
scends into  the  heart  of  the  argil- 
laceous rock  for  a  distance  of  150  ft. 
When  Belzoni  opened  this  tomb  it  ex- 
tended much  farther ;  but  the  rock, 
which  from  its  friable  nature  could 
only  be  excavated  by  supporting  the 
roof  with  scaffolding,  has  since  fallen, 
and  curtailed  a  still  greater  portion  of 
its  original  length. 

This  passage,  like  the  entrance  of 
the  tomb  and  the  first  hall,  was  closed 
and  concealed  by  a  wall  of  masonry, 
which,  coming  even  with  the  base  of 
the  sarcophagus,  completely  masked 
the  staircase,  and.  covered  it  with  an 
artificial  floor. 

It  seems  hardly  probable  that  the 
sacred  person  of  an  Egyptian  king 
would  be  exposed  in  the  inviting  situa- 
tion of  these  sarcophagi,  especially 
when  they  took  so  much  care  to  conceal 
the  bodies  of  inferior  subjects.  It  is 
true  the  entrance  was  closed,  but  the 
position  of  a  monarch's  tomb  would  be 
known  to  many  besides  the  priest- 
hood, and  traditionally  remembered  by 
others ;  some  of  whom,  in  later  times, 
might  not  be  proof  against  the  tempta- 
tion of  such  rich  plunder.  The  priests 
must  at  least  have  foreseen  the  chance 
of  this;  and  we  know  that  many  of 
the  tombs  were  plundered  in  very  early 
times ;  several  were  the  resting-places 
of  later  occupants ;  some  were  burnt 
and  reoccupied  (probably  at  the  time 
of  the  Persian  invasion) ;  and  others 
were  usurped  by  Greeks. 

Some  of  the  sepulchres  of  the  kings 


were  open  from  a  very  remote  period, 
and  seen  by  Greek  and  .Roman  visitors, 
who  mention  them  in  inscriptions 
written  on  their  walls,  as  the  syringes 
(avpiyyes)  or  tunnels — a  name  by  which 
they  are  described  by  Pausanias :  and 
Diodorus,  who,  on  the  authority  of  the 
priests,  reckons  47,  says  that  17  re- 
mained in  the  time  of  Ptolemy  Lagus. 
From  this  we  may  infer  that  17  were 
then  open,  and  that  the  remaining  30 
were  closed  in  his  time.  Stiabo  too 
supposes  their  total  number  to  have 
been  about  40. 

A  small  chamber  and  two  niches 
are  made  in  the  N.W.  wall  of  this 
part  of  the  grand  hall;  and  at  the 
upper  end  a  step  It  ads  to  an  unfinished 
chamber,  17  ft.  by  43,  supported  by  a 
row  of  four  pillars.  On  the  S.W.  are 
other  niches,  and  a  room  about  25  ft. 
square,  ornamented  with  two  pillars 
and  a  broad  bench  (hewn,  like  the  rest 
of  the  tomb,  in  the  rock)  around  three 
of  its  sides,  4  ft.  high,  with  four  shallow 
recesses  on  ( ach  face,  and  surmounted 
by  an  elegant  Egyptian  cornice.  It  is 
difficult  to  understand  the  purport  of 
it,  unless  its  level  summit  served  as  a 
repository  for  the  mummies  of  the  in- 
j  ferior  persons  of  the  king's  household; 
but  it  is  more  probable  that  these  were 
also  deposited  in  pits. 

The  total  horizontal  length  of  this 
catacomb  is  320  ft.,  without  the  in- 
clined descent  below  the  sarcophagus, 
and  its  perpendicular  .depth  90.  But, 
including  that  part,  it  measures  470, 
and  in  depth  about  180  ft.,  to  the  spot 
where  it  is  closed  by  the  fallen  rock. 

The  sculptures  in  the  first  passage 
consist  of  lines  of  hieroglyphics  relat- 
ing to  th^  kine  Sethi,  or  Osirei,  "the 
beloved  of  Phtah,"  who  was  the  father 
of  Rameses  II.  and  the  occupant  of  the 
tomb.  In  the  staircase  which  succeeds 
it  are  on  one  side  37,  on  the  other  39 
genii  of  various  forms  ;  among  which 
■  a  figure  represented  with  a  stream  of 
j  tears  issuing  from  his  eyes  is  remark- 
I  able  from  having  the  (Coptic)  word 
rimi,  "lamentation,"  in  the  hierogly- 
phics above. 

In  the  next  passage  are  the  boats 
of  Kneph  ;  and  several  descending 
planes,  on  which  are  placed  the  valves 


Egypt. 


TOMBS  OF 


THE  KINGS. 


423 


of  door*,  probably  referring  to  the 
descent  to  Amenti.  The  goddess  of 
Truth  or  Justice  stands  at  the  lower 
extremity.  In  the  small  chamber  over 
the  pit  the  king  makes  offerings  to 
different  gods,  Osiris  being  the  prin- 
cipal deity.  Athor,  Horus,  Isis,  and 
Anubis,  are  also  introduced. 

On  the  pillars  of  the  first  hall  the 
monarch  stands  in  the  presence  of 
various  divinities,  who  seem  to  be  re- 
ceiving him  after  his  death.  But  one 
of  the  most  interesting  subjects  here  is 
a  procession  of  four  different  people, 
of  red,  white,  black,  and  again  white 
complexions,  four  by  four,  followed  by 
Re,  "  the  sun."  The  four  red  figures 
are  Egyptians,  designated  under  the 
name  rot,  "  mankind ;"  the  next,  a 
white  race,  with  blue  eyes,  long  bushy 
beards,  and  clad  in  a  short  dress,  are  a 
northern  nation,  with  whom  the  Egyp- 
tians were  long  at  war,  and  appear  to 
signify  the  nations  of  the  north ;  as  the 
negroes  (called  Nahsi)  the  south  ;  and 
the  four  others,  also  a  white  people, 
with  a  pointed  beard,  blue  eyes,  feathers 
in  their  hair,  and  crosses  or  other  de- 
vices about  their  persons,  and  dressed 
in  long  flowing  robes,  the  east.  These 
then  are  not  in  the  character  of  pri- 
soners, but  a  typification  of  the  four 
divisions  of  the  world,  or  the  whole 
human  race,  and  are  introduced  among 
the  sculptures  of  these  sepulchres  in 
the  same  abstract  sense  as  the  trades 
of  the  Egyptians  in  the  tombs  of  private 
individuals;  the  latter  being  an  epi- 
tome of  human  life,  as  far  as  regarded 
that  people  themselves,  the  former  re- 
ferring to  the  inhabitants  of  the  whole 
world. 

On  the  end  wall  of  this  ball  is  a  fine 
group,  which  is  remarkable  as  well  for 
the  elegance  of  its  drawing  as  for  the 
richness  and  preservation  of  the  colour- 
ing. The  subject  is  the  introduction  of 
the  king,  by  Horus,  into  the  presence 
of  Osiris  and  Athor. 

Though  not  the  most  striking,  the 
most  interesting  drawings  in  this 
tomb  are  those  of  the  next  hall,  which 
was  left  unfinished ;  nor  can  any  one 
look  upon  those  figures  with  the  eye 
of  a  draughtsman,  without  paying  a 


just  tribute  to  the  freedom  of  their 
outlines. 

|  In  preparing  the  wall  to  receive  the 
bas-reliefs  it  was  sometimes  customary 
to  portion  it  out  into  squares ;  but  it 
was  not  the  method  universally  adopted 
for  drawing  Egyptian  figures.  We 
see  in  this  and  other  places  that  they 
were  sketched  without  that  prescribed 
measurement ;  and  it  is  probable  that 
this  was  principally  used  when  a  copy 
was  made  of  an  original  drawing — a 
method  adopted  by  us  at  the  present 
day.  Here  we  find  that  the  position 
of  the  figures  was  first  traced  with  a 
red  colour  by  the  draughtsman ;  when, 
having  been  submitted  to  the  inspec- 
tion of  the  master-artist,  those  parts 
which  he  deemed  deficient  in  propor- 
tion or  correctness  of  attitude  were 
altered  by  him  in  black  ink  (as  appears 
to  have  been  the  case  in  the  figures 
here  designed) ;  and  in  that  state  they 
were  left  for  the  chisel  of  the  sculptor. 
But  on  this  occasion  the  death  of  the 
king  or  some  other  cause  prevented 
their  completion ;  though  their  un- 
finished condition,  so  far  from  exciting 
our  regret,  affords  a  satisfactory  op- 
portunity of  appreciating  the  skill  of 
the  Egyptian  draughtsmen.  We  here 
see  the  bold  decided  line  which  was 
the  aim  of  all  antique  drawing.  In 
these  figures  some  of  the  lines  are  a 
foot  or  a  foot  and  a  quarter  in  length ; 
as  from  the  shoulder  to  the  elbow,  or 
the  knee  to  the  instep ;  and  done  at  a 
single  stroke;  while  the  red  lines  of 
the  inferior  artist,  and  his  pentimenti, 
show,  that,  though  he  occasionally 
failed  in  the  perfect  use  of  his  pencil, 
he  was  instructed  in  the  same  bold 
style  of  drawing,  and  in  the  import- 
ance of  one  long-continuous  outline. 

The  subjects  in  the  succeeding 
passages  refer  mostly  to  the  liturgies 
or  ceremonies  perfoimed  to  the  de- 
ceased monarch.  In  the  square  cham- 
ber beyond  them  the  king  is  seen  in 
the  presence  of  the  deiti  s  Athor, 
Horus,  Anubis,  Isis,  Osiris,  Nofre- 
Atmoo,  and  Phtah. 

The  grand  hall  contains  numerous 
subjects,  among  which  are  a  series  of 
mummies,  each  in  its  own  repository, 
whose  folding-doors  are  thrown  open ; 


424 


THEBES. 


Sect.  IV. 


and  it  is  probable  that  all  the  parts  of 
these  catacombs  refer  to  different  states 
through  which  the  deceased  passed, 
and  the  various  mansions  of  Hades  or 
Amenti.  The  representations  of  the 
door-valves  at  their  entrance  tend  to 
confirm  this  opinion ;  while  many  of  the 
subjects  relate  to  the  life  and  actions  of 
the  deceased,  and  many  are  similar  to 
those  in  the  '  Book  of  the  Dead.' 

In  the  side  chambers  are  some 
mysterious  ceremonies  connected  with 
fire,  and  various  other  subjects;  and 
the  transverse  vaulted  part  of  the  great 
hall,  or  saloon  of  the  sarcophagus,  orna- 
mented with  a  profusion  of  sculpture,  is 
a  termination  worthy  of  the  rest  of  this 
grand  sepulchral  monument.  In  the 
chamber  on  the  1.,  with  the  broad  bench, 
are  various  subjects ;  some  of  which, 
especially  those  appearing  to  represent 
human  sacrifices,  may  refer  to  the  ini- 
tiation into  the  higher  mysteries,  by  the 
supposed  death  and  regeneration  of 
the  Neophyte. 

Although  when  this  tomb  was  dis- 
covered by  Belzoni  it  had  already,  at 
some  remote  period,  been  opened  and 
violated,  no  injury  had  been  done  to 
the  sculptures  on  the  walls,  and  when 
he  first  saw  it  every  bas-relief  was 
perfect,  and  the  paintings  as  vivid  and 
fresh  as  the  day  they  were  done. 
Fifty  years'  exposure  to  the  tender 
mercies  of  the  savan,  the  antiquity- 
monger,  and  the  tourist,  have  con- 
siderably spoilt  its  original  beauty, 
and  the  thoughtful  visitor  cannot  fail 
to  mark  with  regret  the  spoliations 
and  defacements  to  which  it  has  been 
subjected. 

No.  11.  The  Tomb  of  Barneses  III. 
commonly  called  JBruce's,  or  The  Har- 
pers' Tomb. — This  tomb  was  discovered 
by  the  traveller  Bruce,  hence  one  of 
its  names.  The  other  appellation  is 
derived  from  the  famous  picture  in 
one  of  the  chambers  of  the  men  play- 
ing the  harp.  The  execution  of  the 
sculptures  is  inferior  to  that  in  No.  17, 
but  the  nature  of  the  subjects  is  more 
interesting. 

The  line  of  direction  in  this  cata- 
comb, after  the  first  130  ft.,  is  inter- 
rupted by  the  vicinity  of  the  adjoining 


tomb,  and  makes,  in  consequence,  a 
slight  deviation  to  the  rt.  of  13  ft., 
when  it  resumes  the  same  direction 
again  for  other  275,  which  give  it  a 
total  length  of  405  ft. 

Its  plan  differs  from  that  of  No.  17, 
and  the  rapidity  of  its  descent  is  con- 
siderably less,  being  perpendicularly 
only  31  ft. 

The  most  interesting  part  is  unques- 
tionably the  series  of  small  chambers 
in  the  two  first  passages,  since  they 
throw  considerable  light  on  the  style 
of  the  furniture  and  arms,  and  conse- 
quently on  the  manners  and  customs, 
of  the  Egyptians. 

In  the  first  to  the  1.  (entering)  is  the 
kitchen,  where  the  principal  groups, 
though  much  defaced,  may  yet  be 
recognised.  Some  are  engaged  in 
slaughtering  oxen,  and  cutting  up  the 
joints,  which  are  put  into  caldrons  on 
a  tripod  placed  over  a  wood  fire  ;  and 
in  the  lower  line  a  man  is  employed 
in  cutting  a  leather  strap  he  holds 
with  his  feet— a  pract'ce  still  common 
throughout  the  East.  Another  pounds 
something  for  the  kitchen  in  a  large 
mortar  ;  another  apparently  minces  the 
meat ;  and  a  pallet,  suspended  by  ropes 
running  in  rings  fastened  to  the  roof, 
is  raised  from  the  ground,  to  guard 
against  the  intrusion  of  rats  and  other 
depredators.  On  the  opposite  side,  in 
the  upper  line,  two  men  knead  a  sub- 
stance with  their  feet ;  others  cook 
meat,  pastry,  and  broth,  probably  of 
lentils,  which  fill  some  baskets  beside 
them ;  and  of  the  frescoes  in  the  lower 
line,  sufficient  remains  to  show  that 
others  are  engaged  in  drawing  off,  by 
means  of  syphons,  a  liquid  from  vases 
before  them.  On  the  end  wall  is  the 
process  of  making  bread;  but  the 
dough  is  kneaded  by  the  hand,  and 
not,  as  Herodotus  and  Strabo  say,  by 
the  feet ;  and  small  black  seeds  (pro- 
bably the  habbeh  soda  still  used  in 
Egypt)  being  sprinkled  on  the  surface 
of  the  cakes,  they  are  carried  on  a 
wooden  pallet  to  the  oven. 

In  the  opposite  chamber  are  several 
boats,  with  square  chequered  sails, 
some  having  spacious   cabins,  ami 
others  only  a  seat  near  the  mast.  • 
They  are  richly  painted,  and  loaded 


Egypt. 


TOMBS  OF  THE  KINGS. 


425 


with  ornaments ;  and  those  in  the  lower 
lines  have  the  mast  and  yard  lowered 
over  the  cabin. 

The  succeeding  room,  on  the  rt. 
hand,  contains  the  various  arms  and 
warlike  implements  of  the  Egyptians  ; 
among  which  are  knives,  quilted  hel- 
mets, spears,  yatakans,  or  daggers, 
quivers,  bows,  arrows,  falchions,  coats 
of  mail,  darts,  clubs,  and  standards. 
On  either  side  of  the  door  is  a  black 
cow  with  the  head-dress  of  Athor,  one 
accompanied  by  hieroglyphics  signify- 
ing the  N.,  the  other  by  those  of  the  S. ; 
intimating  that  these  are  the  legends 
of  Upper  and  Lower  Egypt.  The  blue 
colour  of  some  of  the  weapons  suffices 
to  prove  them  to  have  been  of  steel, 
and  is  one  of  several  strong  arguments  ! 
in  favour  of  the  conclusion  that  the 
early  Egyptians  were  acquainted  with 
the  use  of  iron.  The  next  chamber 
has  chairs  of  the  most  elegaut  form, 
covered  with  rich  drapery,  highly  orna- 
mented, and  in  admirable  taste ;  nor 
can  any  one  who  sees  the  beauty  of  j 
Egyptian  furniture  refuse  for  one  mo- 
ment his  assent  to  the  fact  that  this 
people  were  greatly  advanced  in  the  j 
arts  of  civilisation  and  the  comforts  of  j 
domestic  life.  Sofas,  couches,  vases  j 
of  porcelain  and  pottery,  copper  uten- 
sils, cahirons,  rare  woods,  printed 
stuffs,  leopard-skins,  baskets  of  a  very 
neat  and  graceful  shape,  and  basins 
and  ewers,  whose  designs  vie  with 
the  productions  of  the  cabinet-maker, 
complete  the  interesting  series  of  these 
paintings. 

The  next  contains  agricultural  scenes, 
in  which  the  inundation  of  the  Nile 
passing  through  the  canals,  sowing 
and  reaping  wheat,  and  a  grain  which 
from  its  height  and  round  head  ap- 
pears to  be  the  doora  or  sorghum,  as 
well  as  the  flowers  of  the  country,  are 
represented.  But,  however  successful 
the  Egyptians  may  have  been  in  seiz- 
ing the  character  of  animals,  tbey 
failed  in  the  art  of  drawing  trees  and 
flowers,  and  their  coloured  plants 
would  perplex  the  most  profound  bo- 
tanist equally  with  the  fanciful  pro- 
ductions of  an  Arabic  herbarium. 
That  which  fellows  contains  different 


forms  of  the  god  Osiris,  having  various 
attributes. 

The  second  chamber,  on  the  oppo- 
site side,  merely  offers  emblems  and 
deities.  In  the  next  are  birds,  and 
some  productions  of  Egypt,  as  geese 
and  quails,  eggs,  pomegranates,  grapes, 
with  other  fruits  and  herbs,  among 
which  last  is  the  ghulga,  or  Periploca 
secamone  of  Linnams,  still  common  in 
the  deserts  of  Egypt,  and  resembling 
in  form  the  ivy,  which  is  unknown  in 
the  country.  The  figures  in  the  lower 
Lne  are  of  the  god  Nilus. 

In  the  succeeding  chamber  are  rud- 
ders and  sacred  emblems ;  and  the 
principal  figures  in  the  last  are  two 
harpers  playing  on  instruments  of  not 
inelegant  form  before  the  god  Moui,  or 
Hercules.  From  the.-e  the  tomb  re- 
ceived its  name.  One  (if  not  both) 
of  the  minstrels  is  blind. 

Each  of  these  small  apartments  has 
a  pit,  now  closed,  where  it  is  probable 
that  some  of  the  officers  of  the  king's 
household  were  buried ;  in  which  case 
the  subjects  on  the  walls  refer  to  the 
station  they  held ;  as,  the  chief  cook, 
the  superintendent  of  the  royal  boats, 
the  armour-bearer,  the  stewards  of  the 
household,  and  of  the  royal  demesne, 
the  priest  of  the  king,  the  gardener, 
hieraphoros,  and  minstrel. 

The  subjects  in  the  first  passage, 
after  the  recess  to  the  right,  are  similar 
to  those  of  No.  17,  and  are  supposed  to 
relate  to  the  descent  to  Amenti ;  but 
the  figure  of  Truth,  and  the  other 
groups  in  connection  with  that  part 
of  them,  are  placed  in  a  square  niche. 
The  character  of  the  four  people  in 
the  first  hall  differs  slightly  from  those 
of  the  former  tomb  ;  four  blacks,  clad 
in  African  dresses,  being  substituted 
instead  of  the  Egyptians,  though  the 
same  name,  Rot,  is  introduced  before 
them. 

Beyond  the  grand  hall  of  the  sarco- 
phagus are  three  successive  passages, 
in  the  last  of  which  are  benches  in- 
tended apparently  for  the  same  pur- 
pose as  those  of  the  lateral  chamber 
in  No.  17,  to  which  they  are  greatly 
inferior  in  point  of  taste.  The  large 
granite  sarcophagus  was  removed  hence 
by  Mr.  Salt.    This  tomb  is  much  de- 


426 


THEBES. 


Sect.  IV. 


faced,  and  the  nature  of  the  rock  was 
unfavourable  for  sculpture.  There  are 
several  Greek  graffiti,  a  fact  which 
shows  that  it  was  one  of  those  open 
during  the  reign  of  the  Ptolemies. 

No  9.  The  Tomb  of  Barneses  VI., 
called,  as  we  learn  from  the  graffiti 
inside,  by  the  Romans  the  Tomb  of 
Memnon,  prohably  from  its  being  the 
handsomest  then  open ;  though  the 
title  of  Miamun  given  to  the  occupant 
of  this  catacomb,  in  common  with  many 
other  of  the  Pharaohs,  may  have  led  to 
this  error.  It  was  greatly  admired  by 
the  Greek  and  Roman  visitors,  who 
expressed  their  satisfaction  by  ex-votos, 
and  inscriptions  of  various  lengths,  and 
who  generally  agree  that,  having  "ex- 
amined' these  syringes"  or  tunnels, 
that  of  Memnon  had  the  greatest 
claim  upon  their  admiration ;  though 
one  morose  old  gentleman,  of  the  name 
of  Epiphanius,  declares  he  saw  nothing 
to  admire  "but  the  stone,"  meaning 
the  sarcophagus,  near  which  he  wrote 
his  laconic  and  ill-natured  remark : 
EiTL<pauLOS  i(TTop7]!Ta  ovdev  5e  eQavy.aaa 
1}  fj-v  top  KiQou.  In  the  second  passage, 
on  the  left  going  in,  immediately  under 
the  figure  of  a  wicked  soul,  returning 
from  the  presence  of  Osiris  in  the  form 
of  a  pig,  is  a  longer  inscription  of  an  ' 
Athenian,  the  Daduclais  (SaSouxos)  of 
the  Eleusinian  mysteries,  who  visited 
Thebes  in  the  reign  of  Constantine. 
This  was  about  sixty  years  before  they 
were  abolished  by  Theodosius,  after 
having  existed  for  nearly  1800  years. 
The  inscription  is  also  curious,  from 
the  writer's  saying:  that  he  visited  the 
avpiyyes  "  a  long  time  after  the  divine 
Plato." 

The  total  length  of  this  tomb  is 
342  ft.,  with  the  entrance  passage,  the 
perpendicular  depth  below  the  surface 
24  ft.  6  in. ;  and  in  this  gradual  descent, 
and  the  regularity  of  the  chambers  and 
passages,  consists  the  chief  beauty  of 
its  plan.  The  general  height  of  the 
first  passages  is  12  and  13  ft.,  about 
two  more  than  that  of  No.  11,  and 
three  more  than  that  of  No.  17. 

The  sculptures  differ  from  those  of 
the  above-mentioned  tombs,  and  the 
figures  of  the  four  nations  are  not  in- 


troduced iu  the  first  hall ;  but  many  of 
the  ceilings  present  many  very  inter- 
esting astronomical  subjects. 

In  the  last  passage  before  the  hall 
of  the  sarcophagus,  the  tomb  No.  12 
crosses  over  the  ceiling,  at  whose  side 
an  aperture  has  been  forced  at  a  later 
epoch.  The  sarcophagus,  which  is  of 
granite,  has  been  broken  and  lies  in 
a  ruined  state  near  its  original  site. 
The  vaulted  roof  of  the  hall  presents 
an  astronomical  subject,  and  is  richly 
ornamented  with  a  profusion  of  small 
figures.  Indeed  all  the  walls  of  this 
tomb  are  loaded  with  very  minute 
details,  but  of  small  proportions. 

No.  8.  The  Tomb  of  Menephtah,  the 
son  of  Rameses  II.  On  the  left  side, 
entering  the  passage,  is  a  group  of 
very  superior  sculpture,  representing 
the  king  and  the  god  Re. 

The  style  of  this  tomb  resembles 
that  of  No.  17,  and  others  of  that 
epoch ;  and  in  the  first  hall  are  figures 
of  the  four  nations.  The  descent  is 
very  rapid,  which,  as  usual,  takes  off 
from  that  elegance  so  much  admired  in 
No.  9 ;  and  the  sculptures,  executed 
in  intaglio  on  the  stucco,  have  suf- 
fered much  from  the  damp  occasioned 
by  the  torrents,  which,  when  the  rain 
falls,  pour  into  it  with  great  violence 
from  a  ravine  near  its  mouth.  Its 
length,  exclusive  of  the  open  passage 
of  40  ft.  in  front,  is  167  ft.  to  the 
end  of  the  first  hall,  where  it  is  closed 
by  sand  and  earth.  This  was  also 
one  of  the  seventeen  mentioned  by 
Diodorus. 

No.  6.  77,  e  Tomb  of  Rameses  IX. 
The  sculptures  differ  widely  from  those 
of  the  preceding  tombs.  In  the  third 
passage  they  refer  to  the  generative 
principle.  The  features  of  the  king 
are  peculiar,  and,  from  the  form  of  the 
nose,  so  very  unlike  that  of  the  usual 
Egyptian  face,  there  is  no  doubt  that 
their  sculptures  actually  offer  por- 
traits. On  the  inner  wall  of  the  last 
chamber,  or  hall  of  the  sarcophagus, 
is  a  figure  of  the  child  Harpocrates, 
seated  in  a  winged  globe;  and  from 
being  beyond  the  sarcophagus,  which 
was  the  abode  of  death,  it  appears  to 


Egypt 


TOMBS  OF  THE  KXNGS. 


427 


refer  to  the  well-known  idea  that  dis- 
solution was  followed  by  reproduction 
into  life.  The  total  length  of  this 
tomb  is  243  ft.,  including  the  outer 
entrance  of  25.  It  was  open  during 
the  time  of  the  Ptolemies. 

No.  2.  Tomb  of  Earners  IV.  This  is 
a  small  but  elegant  tomb,  218  ft.  long, 
including  the  kypsethral  passage  of  47. 
The  colossal  granite  sarcophagus  re- 
mains in  its  original  situation,  though 
broken  at  the  side,  and  is  11  ft.  6  in. 
by  7,  and  upwards  of  9  ft.  iu  height. 
The  bodies  found  in  the  recesses  be- 
hind this  ball  seem  to  favour  the  con- 
jecture that  they  were  intended,  like 
those  before  mentioned,  in  Nos.  11 
and  17,  as  receptacles  for  the  dead. 
The  inscriptions  prove  it  to  have  been 
one  of  the  seventeen  open  in  the  time 
of  the  Ptolemies. 

No.  14.  Tomb  of  Pthah-se-pthah,  who 
seems  to  have  reigned  in  right  of  his 
wife,  the  queen  Taosiri ;  as  she  occurs 
sometimes  alone,  making  offerings  to 
the  gods,  and  sometimes  in  company 
with  her  husband.  This  catacomb 
was  afterwards  appropriated  by  king 
Sethi,  or  Osirei  II.,  and  again  by  his 
successor,  whose  name  is  met  with 
throughout  on  the  stucco  which  covers 
part  of  the  former  sculptures,  and  in 
intaglio  on  the  granite  sarcophagus  in 
the  grand  hall.  In  the  passages  be- 
yond the  staircase  the  subjects  relate 
to  the  liturgies  of  the  deceased  mon- 
arch, and  in  the  side  chamber  to  the 
1.  is  a  bier  attended  by  Anubis,  with 
the  vases  of  the  four  genii  beneath  it. 
In  the  first  grand  vaulted  hall,  below 
the  cornice  which  runs  round  the 
lower  part,  various  objects  of  Egyp- 
tian furniture  are  represented,  as  metal 
mirrors,  boxes  and  chairs  of  very  ele- 
gant shape,  vases,  fans,  arms,  neck- 
laces, and  numerous  insignia.  In  the 
succeeding  passages  the  subjects  re- 
semble many  of  those  in  the  un- 
finished hall'  of  No.  17.  The  sculp- 
tures are  in  intaglio ;  but  whenever 
the  name  of  the  king  appears  it  is 
merely  painted  on  the  stucco ;  and 
those  in  the  second  vaulted  hall  are 
partly  in  int  iglio  and  partly  in  out- 


line, but  of  a  good  style.  .The  sarco- 
phagus has  been  broken,  and  the  lid, 
on  which  is  the  figure  of  the  king  in 
relief,  has  the  form  of  the  royal  name 
or  oval. 

This  tomb  was  open  in  the  time 
of  the  Ptolemies.  Its  total  length 
is  3ti3  ft.,  without  the  hypsethral  en- 
trance, but  it  is  unfinished;  and  be- 
hind the  first  hall  another  large  cham- 
ber with  pillars  was  intended  to  have 
been  added. 

No.  15.  Tomb  of  Sethi,  or  Osirei  II. 
The  figures  at  the  entrance  are  in  relief, 
and  of  very  good  style.  Beyond  this 
passage  it  is  unfinished.  Part  of  the 
broken  sarcophagus  lies  on  the  other 
side  of  the  hall.  It  bears  the  name  of 
this  monarch  in  intaglio ;  and  his  figure 
on  the  .lid,  a  fine  specimen  of  bold  relief 
in  granite,  is  raised  9  in.  above  the 
surface.  This  catacomb  was  open  ut 
an  early  epoch.  Its  total  length  is 
236  ft 

No.  16.  Tomb  of  Barneses  J.,  the 
father  of  Sethi  I.,  and  grandfather  of 
Eameses  II.,  being  the  oldest  tomb 
hitherto  discovered  in  this  valley,  and 
among  the  number  of  those  opened 
by  Belzoni.  The  sarcophagus  within 
it  bears  the  same  name. 

Mention  has  already  been  made  of  a 
ravine  which  branches  off  from  the 
main  valley  of  the  Tombs  of  the  Kings, 
and  which  is  commonly  called  the 
Western  Valley.  In  it  are  the  tombs 
of  the  last  kings  of  the  XVIIIth  dy- 
nasty. Among  them  is  the  tomb  of 
Amunoph  III.  It  is  of  considerable 
size,  but  the  line  of  direction  varies  in 
three  different  parts,  the  first  extending 
to  a  distance  of  145  ft.,  the  second  119, 
and  the  third  88,  being  a  total  of 
352  ft.  in  length,  with  several  lateral 
chambers.  Towards  the  end  of  the 
first  line  of  direction  is  a  well  now 
nearly  closed,  intended  to  prevent  the 
ingress  of  the  rain-water  and  of  the  too 
curious  visitor  ;  and  this  deviation  may 
perhaps  indicate  the  vicinity  of  another 
tomb  behind  it. 

It  is  probable  that  there  are  more 
tombs  in  this  valley  belonging  to  kings 


428 


THEBES. 


Sect.  IV. 


of  the  XVIIIth  dynasty,  the  discovery 
of  which  would  be  very  interesting. 

All  who  have  the  time  and  are  not 
too  tired,  instead  of  returning  to  the 
river  by  the  way  they  came,  should 
climb  the  footpath  that  leads  up  from 
the  eastern  valley  of  the  Tombs  of  the 
Kings  to  the  top  of  the  mountain  over- 
looking the  plain  of  Thebes,  and  im- 
mediately above  the  temple  of  Dayr  el 
Bahree.  Not  only  is  the  view  to  be 
obtained  from  the  high  peak,  to  the 
right  of  the  flat  plateau  ou  which  the 
path  emerges,  the  most  beautiful  iu 
Egypt,  but  one  can  understand  the 
map  of  Thebes  better  from  this  point 
than  from  anywhere  else. 


8.  Tombs  of  Priests  and  Private 
Individuals. 

It  is  difficult  to  determine  what  par- 
ticular portions  of  the  vast  Necropolis 
of  Thebes  were  set  apart  for  the  sepul- 
ture of  the  various  classes  of  persons, 
but  it  may  be  observed  that  in  those 
places  where  the  compact  nature  of 
the  rock  was  not  suited  for  large  ex- 
cavations, the  tombs  of  the  priests  and 
important  functionaries  are  invariably 
met  with,  while  those  of  persons  of  in- 
ferior rank  are  to  be  looked  for,  either 
in  the  plain  beneath,  or  in  the  less 
solid  parts  of  the  adjacent  hills. 

It  is  equally  impossible  to  class  the 
different  parts  of  the  Necropolis  accord- 
ing to  their  antiquity,  as  tombs  of  a 
remote  epoch  are  continually  inter- 
mixed with  those  of  more  recent  date. 
There  is  every  reason,  however,  to 
believe  that  the  oldest  tombs  at  Thebes 
are  to  be  found  near  Koorneh  in  the 
hill  behind  the  temple. 

This  cemetery,  which  is  called  Drah 
Aboo'l  Negga,  contains  tombs  of  the 
Xlth-dynasty  period.  The  coffins  of 
two  kings  named  Entef  of  that  dy- 
nasty were  found  there,  and  are  now  at 
Paris.  There  are  also  tombs  of  the 
XVIIth,  and  of  the  beginning  of  the 
XVIIIth  dynasty.  Here  was  found, 
by  M.  Mariette  in  1859,  the  coffin  of 
Queen  Aah-Hotep,  with  the  magnifi- 
cent collection  of  jewellery  now  in  the 
Cairo  Museum  (see  Sect.  II.,  Descript. 


of  Cairo,  §  17).  There  are  no  tombs 
at  Drah  Aboo'l  Negga  worth  seeing, 
but  it  is  a  curiously  weird  place  with 
its  barren  terraced  hills  covered  with 
the  debris  of  the  excavations. 

Tombs  of  the  Assascef. — Continuing 
in  a  8.  direction  from  Drah  Aboo'l 
Negga,  we  reach  another  part  of  the 
necropolis,  situated  as  it  were  in  the 
centre  of  the  amphitheatre  at  the  back 
of  which  is  Dayr  el  Bahree.  The 
Tombs  of  the  Assase'ef,  as  they  are 
called,  are  excavated  out  of  the  hard 
white  limestone  which  forms  the  nu- 
cleus of  the  Libyan  hills ;  and  to  this 
circumstance  must  be  attributed  the 
dilapidated  state  in  which  they  now 
are,  they  having  been  destroyed  and 
broken  up  for  the  sake  of  the  lime. 
They  are  not  less  remarkable  for  their 
extent  than  for  the  profusion  and  de- 
tail of  their  ornamental  sculpture. 
The  smallest  commence  with  an  outer 
court,  decorated  by  a  peristyle  of  pil- 
lars. To  this  succeeds  an  arched  en- 
trance to  the  tomb  itself,  which  con- 
sists of  a  long  hall,  supported  by  a 
double  row  of  four  pillars,  and  another 
of  smaller  dimensions  beyond  it,  with 
four  pillars  in  the  centre. 

The  largest  of  all  the  Tombs  of  the 
Assaseef,  and  indeed  of  all  the  sepul- 
chres of  Thebes,  far  exceeding  in  extent 
any  of  the  Tombs  of  the  Kings,  is  that 
of  a  certain  Petamunoph,  situated  at 
the  extreme  west  of  the  cemetery.  Its 
outer  court  or  area  is  103  ft.  by  76, 
with  a  flight  of  steps  descendiug  to  its 
centre  from  the  entrance,  which  lies 
between  two  massive  crude-brick  walls, 
once  supporting  an  arched  gateway. 
The  inner  door,  cut  like  the  rest  of  the 
tomb  in  the  limestone  rock,  leads  to 
a  second  court.  53  ft.  by  67,  with  a 
peristyle  of  pillars  on  either  side,  be- 
hind which  are  two  closed  corridors. 
That  on  the  W.  contains  a  pit  and  one 
small  square  room,  and  the  opposite 
one  has  a  similar  chamber,  which  leads 
to  a  narrow  passage,  once  closed  in 
two  places  by  masonry,  and  evidently 
used  for  a  sepulchral  purpose. 

Continuing  through  the  second  area, 
you  arrive  at  a  porch  whose  arched 
summit,  hollowed  out  of  the  rock,  has 


Egypt. 


TOMBS  OF  THE  ASSASEEF, 


429 


the  light  form  of  a  small  segment  of  a  I 
circle;  and  from  the  surface  of  the  j 
inner  wall  project  the  cornice  and  j 
mouldings  of  an  elegant  doorway. 

This  opens  on  the  first  hall,  53  ft.  i 
by  37,  once  supported  by  a  double  , 
line  of  4  pillars,  dividing  the  nave  (if  j 
1  may  so  call  it)  from  the  aisles,  with 
half  pillars  as  usual  attached  to  the 
end  walls.  Another  ornamented  door- 
way leads  to  the  second  hall,  32  ft. 
square,  with  2  pillars  in  each  row, 
disposed  as  in  the  former.  Passing 
through  another  door  you  arrive  at 
a  small  chamber,  21  ft.  by  12,  at 
whose  end  wall  is  a  niche,  formed  of 
a  scries  of  jambs,  receding  successively 
to  its  centre.  Here  terminates  the 
first  line  of  direction.  A  square  room 
lies  on  the  left  (entering),  and  on  the 
right  another  succession  of  passages, 
or  narrow  apartments,  leads  to  2 
flights  of  steps,  immediately  before 
which  is  another  door  on  the  right. 
Beyond  these  is  another  passage,  and 
a  room  containing  a  pit  45  ft.  deep, 
which  opens  at  about  one-third  of  its 
depth  on  a  lateral  chambe  r. 

A  third  line  of  direction,  at  right 
angles  with  the  former,  turns  to  the 
right,  and  terminates  in  a  room,  at 
whose  upper  end  is  a  squared  pedestal. 

fit  turning  through  this  range  of 
passages,  and  re-ascending  the  2  stair- 
case s,  the  door  above  alluded  to  pre- 
sents itself  on  the  1.  hand.  You 
shortly  arrive  at  a  pit  (opening  on 
another  set  of  rooms,  beneath  the 
level  of  the  upper  ground-plan),  and, 
after  passing  it,  a  large  square,  sur- 
rounded by  long  passages,  arrests  the 
attention  of  the  curious  visitor.  At 
each  angle  is  the  figure  of  one  of 
the  8  following  goddesses  —  Neitl^ 
Sate',  Isis  Nephthys,  Nepte,  Justice, 
Selk,  and  Athor — who,  standing  with 
outspread  arms,  preside  over  and  pro- 
tect the  sacred  enclosure,  to  which 
they  front  and  are  attached. 

Eleven  niches,  in  six  of  which  are 
small  figures  of  different  deities,  oc- 
cur at  intervals  on  the  side  walls, 
and  the  summit  is  crowned  by  a 
fiieze  of  hieroglyphics.  Three  cham- 
bers lie  behind  this  square,  and  the 
passage  which  goes  round  it  descends 


on  that  side,  and  rejoins,  by  an 
ascending  talus  on  the  next,  the 
level  of  the  front.  A  short  distance 
beyond  is  the  end  of  this  part  of  the 
tomb  ;  but  the  above-mentioned  pit 
communicates  with  a  subterranean 
passage  opening  on  a  vaulted  cham- 
ber, from  whose  upper  extremity 
another  pit  leads,  downwards,  to  a 
second,  and,  ultimately,  through  the 
ceiling  of  the  last,  upwards,  to  a  third 
apartment  coming  immediately  below 
the  centre  of  the  square  above  noticed. 
It  has  one  central  niche,  and  seven 
on  either  side,  the  whole  loaded  with 
hieroglyph ical  sculptures,  which  cover 
the  walls  in  every  part  of  this  exten- 
sive tomb. 

An  idea  of  its  length,  and  conse- 
quently of  the  profusion  of  its  orna- 
mental details,  may  be  gathered  from  a 
statement  of  the  total  extent  of  each 
series  of  the  passages,  both  in  the  upper 
and  under  part  of  the  excavation. 
From  the  entrance  of  the  outer  area 
to  the  first  deviation  from  the  ori- 
ginal right  line  is  320  ft.  The  total 
of  the  next  range  of  passages  to  the 
chamber  of  the  great  pit  is  177  ft.  The 
third  passage,  at  right  angles  to  this 
last,  is  60  ft. ;  that  passing  over  the 
second  pit  is  125  ft. ;  and  adding  to 
these  three  of  the  sides  of  the  iso- 
lated square,  the  total  is  862  ft.,  in- 
dependent of  the  lateral  chambers. 

The  area  of  the  actual  excavation 
is  22,217  square  feet,  and  with  the 
chambers  of  the  pits  23,809  ;  though, 
from  the  nature  of  its  plan,  the 
ground  it  occupies  is  nearly  one  acre 
and  a  quarter ;  an  immoderate  space 
for  tire  sepulchre  of  one  individual, 
even  allowing  that  the  members  of  his 
family  shared  a  portion  of  its  extent. 
The  date  of  this  tomb  is  doubtful. 

In  one  of  the  side  chambers  is  the 
royal  name,  which  may  possibly  be  of 
king  Horus  of  the  XVTIIth  dynasty. 
If  so,  this  wealthy  priest  might  seem  to 
have  lived  in  the  reign  of  that  Pha- 
roah ;  but  the  style  of  the  sculptures 
would  rather  confine  his  era  to  the. 
later  period  of  the  XXVIth  dynasty. 

The  wealth  of  private  individuals 
who  lived  under  this  dynasty,  and 
immediately  before  the  Persian  inva- 


430 


THEBES. 


Sect,  IV. 


sion,  was  very  great ;  nor  can  any 
one,  on  visiting  these  tombs,  doubt 
a  fact  corroborated  by  the  testimony 
of  Herodotus  and  other  authors,  who 
state  that  Egypt  was  most  flourishing 
about  the  reign  of  Amasis. 

But  though  the  labour  and  expense 
incurred  in  finishing  them  far  exceed 
those  of  any  other  epoch,  the  execu- 
tion of  the  sculptures,  charged  with 
ornament  and  fretted  with  the  most 
minute  details,  is  far  inferior  to  that  in 
vogue  during  the  reign  of  the  XVIIIth 
dynasty,  when  freedom  of  drawing 
was  united  with  simplicity  of  effect. 
And  the  style  of  the  subjects  in  the 
catacombs  of  this  last-mentioned  era 
excites  our  admiration,  no  less  than 
the  skill  of  the  artists  who  designed 
them ;  while  few  of  those  of  the 
XXVIth  dynasty  can  be  regarded  with 
a  similar  satisfaction,  at  least  by  the 
eye  of  an  Egyptian  antiquary.  One, 
however,  of  these  tombs,  bearing  the 
name  of  an  individual  who  lived 
under  the  1st  Psammetichus,  deserves 
to  be  excepted  as  the  subjects  there 
represented  tend  to  throw  consider- 
able light  on  the  manners  and  cus- 
toms, the  trades  and  employments,  of 
the  Egyptians  ;  and  there  are  some 
elegant  and  highly-finished  sculptures 
in  the  area  of  a  tomb  immediately 
behind  that  of  Petamunoph. 

The  date  of  the  tombs  in  this  Necro- 
polis is  of  the  XlXth,  XXI  Ind,  and 
XXVIth  dynasties.  Unfortunately, 
those  that  remain  worth  seeing  are 
few,  and  not  very  interesting.  In  visit- 
ing them  the  best  plan  is  to  trust  to 
the  guides,  who  know  which  are 
worth  showing.  The  large  tomb  of 
Petamunoph  is  so  infested  with  bats, 
that  visitors  who  dislike  these  animals 
had  better  not  venture  into  it. 

Tombs  of  Sheykh  Abd-el-Koomeh. — 
Continuing  in  a  southerly  direction 
from  the  Assase'ef,  another  burying- 
ground  is  reached,  consisting  of  tombs 
hollowed  out  of  the  hill  called  Sheykh 
Abd-el-Koorneh,  immediately  behind 
the  Eameseum.  The  principle  of 
these  tombs  is  the  same  as  those  at 
Beni  Hassan, — a  chamber  hollowed  out 
in  the  rock  to  serve  as  a  mortuary 


chapel,  and  a  well  leading  from  it  to 
the  vault  in  which  reposed  the  mum- 
mied body.  From  a  distance  the 
great  square  doors  of  these  tombs,  ex- 
tending in  symmetrical  order  along 
the  side  of  the  hill,  have  all  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  batteries  of  a  fortress. 

Many  of  them  are  covered  with 
most  interesting  sculptures,  to  give  a 
detailed  account  of  which,  however, 
would  take  up  too  much  space  here. 
It  will  be  sufficient  to  mention  and 
describe  some  of  the  more  important. 
Like  the  Tombs  of  the  Kings,  they 
were  numbered  by  Sir  Gr.  Wilkinson, 
and  the  numbers  still  remain,  and 
are  known  to  the  guides,  who  will 
conduct  the  visitor  to  those  best  worth 
seeing,  and  in  the  best  state  of  repair. 
It  may  be  mentioned  that  Nos.  16 
and  35  are  considered  the  most  in- 
teresting. 

No.  14  is  much  ruined,  but  remark- 
able as  being  the  only  one  in  which  a 
drove  of  pigs  is  introduced.  They  are 
followed  by  a  man  holding  a  knotted 
whip  in  his  hand,  and  would  appear, 
from  the  wild  plants  before  them,  to 
be  a  confirmation  of  Herodotus's  ac- 
count of  their  employment  to  tread-in 
the  grain  after  the  inundation;  which 
singular  use  of  an  animal  so  little 
inclined  by  its  habits  to  promote  agri- 
cultural objects  has  been  explained 
by  supposing  they  were  introduced 
beforehand,  to  clear  the  ground  of  the 
roots  and  fibres  of  the  weeds  which 
the  water  of  the  Nile  had  nourished 
on  the  irrigated  soil.  They  are  here 
brought,  with  the  other  animals  of 
the  farmyard,  to  be  registered  by  the 
scribes  ;  who,  as  usual,  note  down  the 
number  of  the  cattle  and  possessions 
of  the  deceased ;  and  they  are  divided 
into  three  distinct  lines,  composed  of 
sows  with  young,  pigs,  and  boars.  The 
figures  of  the  animals  in  this  catacomb 
are  very  characteristic. 

No.  16  is  a  very  interesting  tomb, 
as  well  in  point  of  chronology  as  in 
the  execution  of  its  paintings.  Here  the 
names  of  four  kings,  from  the  third 
Thothmes  to  Amunoph  III.  inclusive, 
satisfactorily  confirm  the  order  of  their 


Egypt. 


TOMBS  OF  SIIEYKH 


ABD  EL  KOOKNEH. 


431 


succession  as  given  in  the  Abydus 
tablet  and  the  lists  of  Thebes.  In 
the  inner  chamber,  the  inmate  of  the 
tomb,  a  "royal  scribe,"  or  basilico- 
grammat,  undergoes  his  final  judg- 
ment previous  to  admission  into  the 
presence  of  Osiris.  Then  follows  a 
long  proces^on,  arranged  in  four 
lines,  representing  the  lamentations  of 
the  women,  and  the  approach  of  the 
coffin,  containing  the  body  of  the  de- 
ceased, drawn  on  a  sledge  by  four 
oxen.  In  the  second  line  men  advance 
with  different  insignia  belonging  to 
the  king  Amunoph;  in  the  third,  with 
variuus  offerings,  a  chariot,  chairs,  and 
other  objects ;  and  in  the  last  line  a 
priest,  followed  by  the  chief  mourners, 
officiates  before  the  boats,  in  which  are 
seated  the  basilico-grammat  and  his 
sister. 

"  The  rudders,"  according  to  Hero- 
dotus, "  are  passed  through  the  keel :" 
or  rather  attached  to  the  top  of  the 
sternpost,  or  to  the  tafirail,  in  their 
larger  boats  of  burthen,  while  those 
of  smaller  size  have  one  on  either 
side.  They  consist,  like  the  other,  of 
a  species  of  large  paddle,  with  a  rope 
fastened  to  the  upper  end,  by  which 
their  sway  on  the  centre  of  motion  is 
regulated  to  and  fro.  One  square  sail, 
lowered  at  pleasure  over  the  cabin, 
with  a  yard  at  the  top  and  bottom,  is 
suspended  at  its  centre  to  the  summit 
of  a  short  mast,  which  stands  in  the 
middle,  and  is  braced  by  stays  fastened 
to  the  fore  and  after  part  of  the  boat. 

On  the  opposite  wall  is  a  fowling 
and  fishing  scene  ;  and  the  dried  fish 
suspended  in  the  boat  remind  us  of 
the  observations  of  Herodotus  and 
Diodorus,  who  mention  them  as  con- 
stituting a  very  considerable  article  of 
food  among  this  people ;  for,  with  the 
exception  of  the  priesthood,  they  were 
at  all  times  permitted  to  eat  those 
which  were  not  comprised  among  the 
sacred  animals  of  the  country.  Here 
is  al.-o  the  performance  of  the  liturgies 
to  the  mummies  of  the  deceased.  Nor 
do  the  paintings  of  the  outer  chamber 
less  merit  our  attention.  Among  the 
most  interesting  is  a  party  entertained 
at  the  house  of  the  royal  scribe,  who, 
seated  with  his  mother,  caresses  on 


his  knee  the  youthful  daughter  of  his 
sovereign,  to  whom  he  had  probably 
been  tutor.  Women  dance  to  the 
sound  of  the  Egyptian  guitar  in  their 
presence,  or  place  before  them  vases 
of  flowers  and  precious  ointment ;  and 
the  guests,  seated  on  handsome  chairs, 
are  attended  by  servants,  who  offer 
them  wine  in  "golden  goblets,"  each 
having  previously  been  welcomed  by 
the  usual  ceremony  of  having  his  head 
anointed  with  sweet-scented  ointment. 
This  was  a  common  custom ;  and  in 
another  of  these  tombs  a  servant  is 
represented  bringing  the  ointment  in 
a  vase,  and  putting  it  on  the  heads  of 
the  guests,  as  well  as  of  the  master 
and  mistress  of  the  house.  A  lotus- 
flower  was  also  presented  to  them  on 
their  arrival. 

In  the  lower  part  of  the  picture,  a 
minstrel,  seated  cross-legged,  according 
to  the  custom  of  the  East,  plays  on 
a  harp  of  seven  strings,  accompanied 
by  a  guitar,  and  the  chorus  of  a  vocal 
performer,  the  words  of  whose  song 
appear  to  be  contained  in  eight  lines 
of  hieroglyphics,  which  relate  to 
Amun,  and  to  the  person  of  the  tomb, 
beginning,  "  Incense,  drink-offerings, 
and  sacrifices  of  oxen,"  and  conclud- 
ing with  an  address  to  the  basilico- 
grammat.  Beyond  these  an  ox  is 
slaughtered,  and  two  men,  having  cut 
off  the  head,  remove  the  skin  from  the 
legs  and  body.  Servants  carry  away 
the  joints  as  they  are  separated,  the 
head  and  fore-leg  with  the  shoulder 
being  the  first,  the  other  legs  and  the 
parts  of  the  body  following  in  proper 
succession.  A  mendicant  receives  a 
head  from  the  charity  of  one  of  the 
servants,  who  also  otters  him  a  bottle 
of  water.  This  gift  of  tlie  head  shows 
how  great  a  mistake  Herodotus  has 
made  on  the  subject,  when  he  says, 
"no  Egyptian  will  taste  the  head  of 
any  species  of  animal."  There  were 
no  Greeks  in  Egypt  at  the  time  this 
was  painted ;  and  the  colour  of  the 
man  (for  the  Egyptians  were  careful 
in  distinguishing  that  of  foreigners) 
is  the  same  as  usually  given  to  the 
inhabitants  of  the  valley  of  the  Nile. 
Indeed  the  head  is  always  met  with, 
even  in  an  Egyptian  kitchen.   On  the 


432 


THEBES. 


Sect.  IV. 


opposite  wall  are  some  buffoons  who 
dance  to  the  sound  of  a  drum,  and 
other  subjects. 

In  No.  17  is  a  very  rich  assortment  of 
vases,  necklaces,  and  other  ornamental 
objects,  on  the  innermost  corner  to 
the  rt.  (entering) ;  and  some  scribes 
on  the  opposite  wall,  take  account 
of  the  cattle  and  possessions  of  the 
deceased.  A  forced  passage  leads  to 
the  adjoning  tomb,  where,  at  one  end 
of  the  front  chamber,  are  several  in- 
teresting subjects,  as  chariot  makers, 
sculptors,  cabinet-makers,  and  various 
trades  ;  and  at  the  other  two  pyra- 
midal towers,  with  the  tapering  staffs 
to  which  streamers  were  usually  at- 
tached, and  with  two  sitting  statues 
in  front.  On  the  opposite  side  a  guest 
arrives  in  his  chariot  at  the  house  of 
his  friend,  attended  by  six  running- 
footmen,  who  carry  his  sandals,  tablet, 
and  stool.  "He  is  very  late,"  and 
those  who  have  already  come  to  the 
entertainment  are  seated  in  the  room, 
listening  to  a  band  of  music,  com- 
posed of  ihe  harp,  guitar,  double-pipe, 
lyre,  and  tambourine,  accompanied  by 
female  choristers. 

Behind  the  Christian  ruins,  close  to 
No.  23,  are  the  remains  of  a  curious 
Greek  inscription,  being  the  copy  of  a 
letter  from  the  celebrated  "Athanasius, 
Archbishop  of  Alexandria,  to  the 
orthodox  "  monks  at  Thebes. 

No.  31  presents  some  curious  sub- 
jects, among  which  are  offerings  of 
gold  rings,  eggs,  apes,  leopards,  ivory, 
ebnny,  skins,  and  a  camelopard,  with 
several  other  interesting  frescoes,  un- 
fortunately much  destroyed.  Over 
the  eggs  is  the  word  soouhi,  in  the 
hieroglyphics,  signifying  "  eggs."  The 
names  of  the  Pharaohs  here  are 
Thothmes  I.  and  III.  In  the  inner 
mom  is  a  chase,  and  the  chariot  of  the 
chasseur,  partially  preserved. 

In  No.  33  the  chief  object  worthy 
of  notice  is  the  figure  of  a  queen, 
wife  of  Thothmes  III.  and  mother  of 
Amunoph  II.,  holding  her  young  son 
in  her  lap,  who  tramples  beneath  his 


feet  nine  captives  of  nations  he  after- 
wards subdued.  Before  the  canopy, 
under  which  they  are  seated,  are  'a 
fan-bearer,  some  female  attendants, 
and  a  minstrel  who  recites  to  the 
sound  of  a  guitar  the  praises  of 
the  young  king.  On  the  corre- 
sponding wall  is  a  collection  of  fur- 
niture and  ornamental  objects,  with 
the  figures  of  Amunoph  II.,  his 
mother,  and  Thothmes  I.  On  the 
opposite  wall,  an  offering  of  ducks 
and  other  subjects  are  deserving  of 
notice. 

No.  34  has  the  name  of  the  same 
Amunoph  and  of  Thothmes  I.,  his 
immediate  predecessor.  It  contains  a 
curious  design  of  a  garden  and  vine- 
yard, with  other  subjects.  The  next 
tomb  to  this,  on  the  south,  though 
much  ruined,  offers  some  excellent 
drawing,  particularly  in  some  dancing 
figures  to  the  left  (entering),  whose 
graceful  attitudes  remind  us  rather  of 
the  Greek  than  the  Egyptian  school ; 
and  indeed,  were  we  not  assured  by 
the  name  of  Amunoph  II.  of  the 
remote  period  at  which  they  were 
executed,  we  might  suppose  them  the 
production  of  a  Greek  pencil.  (See 
woodcut  236, '  Anc.  Eg.') 

On  the  right-hand  wall  are  some 
very  elegant  vases,  of  what  has  been 
called  the  Greek  style,  but  common 
in  the  oldest  tombs  in  Thebes.  They 
are  ornamented  as  usual  with  ara- 
besques and  other  devices.  Indeed  all 
these  forms  of  vases,  the  so-called 
Tuscan  border,  and  many  of  the 
painted  ornaments  which  exist  on 
(Jreek  remains,  are  found  on  Egyptian 
monuments  of  the  earliest  epoch,  long 
before  the  Exodus  of  the  Israelites; 
plainly  removing  all  doubts  as  to 
their  original  invention.  Above  these 
are  curriers,  chariot-makers,  and  other 
artisans.  Others  are  employed  in 
weighing  gold  and  silver  rings,  the 
property  of  the  deceased. 

The  Egyptian  weights  were  an  en- 
tire calf,  the  head  of  an  ox  (the  half 
weight),  and  small  oval  balls  (the 
quarter  weights) ;  and  they  had  a  very 
ingenious  mode  of  preventing  the  scale 
from  sinking,  when  the  object  they 


Egypt. 


TOMBS  OF  SHEYK  ABD  EL  KOOBNEH. 


433 


weighed  was  taken  out,  by  means  of  a 
ring  upon  the  beam. 

The  semicircular  knife  used  for 
cutting  leather  is  precisely  similar  to 
that  employed  in  Europe  at  the  pre- 
sent day  for  the  same  purpose,  of 
which  there  are  several  instances  in 
other  parts  of  Thebes ;  and  another 
point  is  here  satisfactorily  established, 
that  the  Egyptian  chariots  were  of 
wood,  and  not  of  bronze,  as  some  have 
imagined. 

The  person  of  this  catacomb  was  a 
high-priest,  but  his  name  is  erased. 

No.  35  is  by  far  the  most  curious  of 
all  the  private  tombs  in  Thebes,  since 
it  throws  more  light  on  the  manners 
and  customs  of  the  Egyptians  than 
any  hitherto  discovered. 

In  the  outer  chamber  on  the  left 
hand  (entering)  is  a  grand  procession 
of  Ethiopian  and  Asiatic  chiefs,  bear- 
ing a  tribute  to  the  Egyptian  monarch, 
Thothmes  III.  They  are  arranged  in 
five  lines.  The  first  or  uppermost 
consists  of  blacks,  and  others  of  a 
red  colour  from  the  country  of  Pount, 
who  bring  ivory,  apes,  leopards,  skins, 
and  dried  fruits.  Their  dress  is  short, 
similar  to  that  of  some  of  the  Asiatic 
tribes, who  are  represented  at  Medeenet 
Haboo. 

In  the  second  line  are  a  people 
of  a  light  red  hue,  with  long  black 
hair  descending  in  ringlets  over  their 
shoulders,  but  without  beards  :  their 
dress  also  consists  of  a  short  apron 
thrown  round  the  lower  part  of  the 
body,  meeting  and  folding  over  in 
front,  and  they  wear  sandals  richly 
worked.  Their  presents  are  vases  of 
elegant  form,  ornamented  with  flowers, 
necklaces,  and  other  costly  gifts, 
|      which,  according  to  the  hieroglyphics, 

I  they  bring  as  "chosen  (offerings)  of 
the  chiefs  of  the  Gentiles  of  Kufa." 

In  the  third  line  are  Ethiopians,  who 
(      are  styled  "  Gentiles  of  the  South." 
The  leaders  are  dressed  in  the  Egyp- 
tian costume,  the  others  have  a  girdle 
|      of  skin,  with  the  hair,  as  usual,  out- 

II  wards.  They  bring  gold  rings,  and 
«  bags  of  precious  stones  (?)  or  rather 
\      gold-dust,  hides,  apes,  leopards,  ebon  y 

ivory,  ostrich  eggs  and  plumes,  ,a 


camelopard,  hounds  with  handsome 
collars,  and  a  drove  of  long-horned 
oxen. 

The  fourth  line  is  composed  of  men 
of  a  northern  nation,  clad  in  long 
white  garments,  with  a  blue  border, 
tied  at  the  neck,  and  ornamented  with 
a  cross  or  other  devices.  On  their  head 
is  either  a  close  cap,  or  their  natural 
hair,  short,  and  of  a  red  colour,  and 
they  have  a  small,  beard.  Some 
bring  long  gloves,  which,  with  their 
close  sleeves,  indicate  as  well  as 
their  white  colour,  that  they  are  the 
inhabitants  of  a  cold  climate.  Among 
other  offerings  are  vases,  similar  to 
those  of  the  Kufa,  a  chariot  and 
horses,  a  bear,  elephant,  and  ivory. 
Their  name  is  Kotennoo,  which  reminds 
us  of  the  Katheni  of  Arabia  Petrsea ; 
but  the  style  of  their  dress  and  the 
nature  of  their  offerings  require  them 
to  have  come  from  a  richer  and  more 
civilised  country,  probably  much  far- 
ther to  the  north.  Xenophon  mentions 
gloves  in  Persia. 

In  the  fifth  line  Egyptians  lead  the 
van,  and  are  followed  by  women  of 
Ethiopia  (Oush),  "  the  Gentiles  of 
the  South,"  carrying  their  children  in 
a  pannier  suspended  from  their  head. 
Behind  these  are  the  wives  of  the 
Kotennoo,  who  are  dressed  in  long 
robes,  divided  into  three  sets  of  ample 
flounces.  * 

The  offerings  being  placed  in  the 
presence  of  the  monarch,  who  is  seated 
on  his  throne  at  the  upper  part  of  the 
picture,  an  inventory  is  taken  of  them 
by  the  Egyptian  scribes.  Those  op- 
posite the  upper  line  consist  of  baskets 
of  dried  fruits,  gold  rings,  and  two 
obelisks. 

On  the  second  line  are  ingots  and 
rings  of  silver,  gold  and  silver  vases  of 
very  elegant  form,  and  several  heads 
of  animals  of  the  same  metals. 

On  the  third  are  ostrich  eggs  and 
feathers,  ebony,  precious  stones  and 
rings  of  gold,  an  ape,  several  silver 
cups,  ivory,  leopard-skins,  ingots  and 
rings  of  gold,  sealed  bags  of  precious 
stones  or  gold-dust,  and  other  objects ; 
and  on  the  fourth  line  are  gold  and 
silver  rings,  vases  of  the  same  metal, 
and  of  porcelain,  with  rare  woods  and 
u 


434 


THEBES. 


Sect.  IV. 


various  other  rich  presents.  (See  plate 
at  end  of  vol.  i.  1,  'Anc.  Eg.') 

The  inner  chamber  contains  sub- 
jects of  the  most  interesting  and  di- 
versified kind.  Among  them,  on  the 
left,  (entering),  are  cabinet-makers, 
carpenters,  rope-makers,  and  sculp- 
tors, some  of  whom  are  engaged  in 
levelling  and  squaring  a  stone,  and 
others  in  fiuishing  a  sphinx,  with  two 
colossal  statues  of  the  king.  The 
whole  process  of  brick -making  is  also 
introduced.  Their  bricks  were  made 
with  a  simple  mould ;  the  stamp  (for 
they  bore  the  name  of  a  king,  or  of 
some  high-priest)  was  not  on  the 
pallet,  but  was  apparently  impressed 
on  the  upper  surface  previous  to  their 
drying. 

The  makers  are  not,  however,  Jews, 
as  some  have  supposed  ;  but  of  the 
countries  mentioned  in  the  sculptures. 
It  is  sufficiently  interesting  to  find  a 
subject  illustrating  so  completely  tbe 
description  of  the  Jews  and  their 
taskmasters  given  in  the  Bible ;  with- 
out striving  to  give  it  an  importance 
to  which  it  has  no  claim.  ('Anc.  Eg.,' 
vol.  ii.  p.  99.) 

Others  are  employed  in  heating  a 
liquid  over  a  charcoal  fire,  to  which 
are  applied,  on  either  side,  a  pair  of 
bellows.  These  are  worked  by  the 
feet,  the  operator  standing  and  press- 
ing them  alternately,  while  »he  pulls 
up  each  exhausted  skin  by  a  string 
he  holds  in  his  hand.  In  one  in- 
stance the  man  has  left  the  bellows, 
but  they  are  raised,  as  if  full  of  air, 
which  would  imply  a  knowledge  of 
the  valve.  Another  singular  fact  is 
learnt  from  these  paintings — their  ac- 
quaintance with  the  use  of  glue — 
which  is  heated  on  the  fire,  and 
spread  with  a  thick  brush  on  a  level 
piece  of  board.  One  of  the  work- 
men then  applies  two  pieces  of  differ- 
ent coloured  wood  to  each  other,  and 
this  circumstance  seems  to  decide 
that  glue  is  here  intended  to  be  repre- 
sented rather  than  a  varnish  or  colour 
of  any  kind. 

On  the  opposite  wall  the  attitude 
of  a  maid-servant  pouring  out  some 
wine  to  a  lady,  one  of  the  guests,  and 
returning  an  empty  cup  to  a  black  | 


slave  who  stands  behind  her,  is  ad- 
mirably portrayed;  nor  does  it  offer 
the  stiff  position  of  an  Egyptian 
figure.  And  the  manner  in  which 
the  slave  is  drawn,  holding  a  plate 
with  her  arm  and  hand  reversed,  is 
very  characteristic  of  a  custom  pecu- 
liar to  the  blacks.  The  guests  are 
entertained  by  music,  and  the  women 
here  sit  apart  from  the  men.  Several 
other  subjects  are  worthy  of  notice 
in  this  tomb ;  among  which  may  be 
mentioned  a  garden  (on  the  right- 
hand  wall)  where  the  personage  of  the 
tomb  is  introduced  in  his  boat,  towed 
by  his  servants  on  a  lake  surrounded 
by  Theban  palms  and  date -trees. 
Numerous  liturgies  (or  parentalia)  are 
performed  to  the  mummy  of  the  de- 
ceased ;  and  a  list  of  offerings,  at  the 
upper  end  of  the  tomb,  are  registered, 
with  their  names  and  number,  in  se- 
parate columns. 

The  form  of  this  inner  chamber  is 
singular,  the  roof  ascending  at  a  con- 
siderable angle  towards  the  end  wall ; 
from  below  which  the  spectator,  in 
looking  towards  the  door,  may  ob- 
serve a  striking  effect  of  false  per- 
spective. In  the  upper  part  is  a  niche, 
or  recess,  at  a  considerable  height 
above  the  pavement.  The  name  of  the 
individual  of  the  tomb  has  been  erased. 

Other  very  curious  sculptures  adorn 
a  tomb,  immediately  below  the  isolated 
hill  to  the  west  of  the  entrance  of  the 
Assaseef.  In  the  outer  chamber  is 
the  most  complete  procession  of  boats 
of  any  met  with  in  the  catacombs  of 
Thebes.  Two  of  them  contain  the 
female  relatives  of  the  deceased,  his 
sister  being  chief  mourner.  One  has 
on  board  the  mummy,  deposited  in  a 
shrine,  to  which  a  priest  offers  in- 
cense; in  the  other  several  women 
seated,  or  standing  on  the  roof  of  the 
cabin,  beat  their  heads  in  token  of 
grief.  In  a  third  boat  are  the  men, 
who  make  a  similar  lamentation,  with 
two  of  the  aged  matrons  of  the  family  ; 
and  three  others  contain  the  flowers 
and  offerings  furnished  by  the  priests 
for  the  occasion,  several  of  whom 
are  also  in  attendance.  ('Anc.  Eg.,' 
plate  84.) 


Egypt. 


TOMBS  OF  KOORNET  MURRAEE. 


435 


The  Egyptians  ccmld  not  even  here 
resist  their  turn  for  caricature.  A 
small  boat,  owing  to  the  retrograde 
movement  of  a  larger  one  that  had 
grounded  and  was  pushed  off  the 
bank,  is  struck  by  the  rudder,  and  a 
large  table,  loaded  with  cakes  and 
various  things,  is  overturned  on  the 
boatmen  as  they  row. 

The  procession  arrives  at  the  oppo- 
site bank,  and  follows  the  officiating 
priest  along  the  sandy  plain.  The 
"  sister  "  of  the  deceased,  embracing 
the  mummy,  addresses  her  lost  relative : 
flowers,  cakes,  incense,  and  various 
offerings  are  presented  before  the  tomb; 
the  ululation  of  the  men  and  women 
continues  without ;  and  several  females, 
carrying  their  children  in  shawls  sus- 
pended from  their  shoulders,  join  in 
the  lamentation. 

On  the  corresponding  wall,  men  and 
women,  with  the  body  exposed  above 
the  waist,  throw  dust  on  their  heads, 
or  cover  their  face  with  mud,— a  cus- 
tom recorded  by  Herodotus  and  Di- 
odorus,  and  still  retained  in  the 
funeral  ceremonies  of  the  Egyptian 
peasants  to  the  present  day.  The 
former  states  that  "  the  females  of 
the  family  cover  their  heads  and  faces 
with  mud,  and  wander  through  the 
city  beating  themselves,  wearing  a 
girdle,  and  having  their  bosoms  bare, 
accompanied  by  all  their  intimate 
friends ;  the  men  also  make  similar 
lamentations  in  a  separate  company." 

Besides  other  interesting  groups  on 
this  wail  are  the  figures  of  the  mother, 
wife,  and  daughter  of  the  deceased, 
following  a  funeral  sledge  drawn  by 
oxen,  where  the  character  of  the  three 
ages  is  admirably  portrayed. 
_  In  the  inner  chamber  are  an  Egyp- 
tian house  and  garden,  the  cattle,  and 
a  variety  of  other  subjects,  among 
which  may  be  traced  the  occupations 
of  the  weaver,  and  of  the  gardener 
drawing  water  with  the  pole  and 
bucket,  the  shadoof  of  the  present 
day. 

Statues  in  high  relief  are  seated  at 
the  upper  end  of  this  part  of  the  tomb, 
and  on  the  square  pillars  in  its  centre 
are  the  names  of  Amunoph  I.  and 
queen  Ames-nofri-are. 


Tombs  of Koornet  Murraee. — S.W.  of 
the  cemetery  just  described,  after  pas- 
sing the  temple  of  Dayr  el  Medeeneh, 
are  some  more  tombs,  similar  in  their 
character  to  those  on  the  hill  of  Sheykh 
Abd  el  Koorneh,  and  known  by  the 
name  of  Koornet  Murraee.  Among 
them  are  one  or  two  interesting  ones, 
especially  that  of  a  certain  Hoo'f,  a 
great  functionary  of  the  XVIIIth  dy- 
nasty. It  is  covered  with  paintings, 
which,  unfortunately,  as  is  the  case 
in  so  many  of  the  tombs,  are  fast  dis- 
appearing. In  one  of  the  pictures  the 
lung  is  represented  on  his  throne, 
within  a  richly-ornamented  canopy, 
attended  by  a  fan-bearer,  who  also 
holds  his  sceptre.  A  procession  ad- 
vances in  four  lines  into  his  presence. 
The  lower  division  consists  of  Egyp- 
tians of  the  sacerdotal  and  military 
classes,,  some  ladies  of  consequence, 
and  young  people  bringing  bouquets 
and  boughs  of  trees.  They  have  just 
entered  the  gates  of  the  royal  court, 
and  are  preceded  by  a  scribe,  and 
others  of  the  priestly  order,  who  do 
obeisance  before  the  deputy  of  -his 
majesty,  as  he  stands  to  receive  them. 
This  officer  appears  to  have  been  the 
person  of  the  tomb,  and  it  is  remark- 
able that  he  is  styled  "  Eoyal  Son/' 
and  "  Prince  of  Cush,''  or  Ethiopia. 
In  the  second  line  black  "chiefs  of 
Cush "  bring  presents  of  gold  rings, 
copper,  skins,  fans,  or  umbrellas  of 
feather-work,  and  an  ox,  bearing  on 
its  horns  an  artificial  garden  and  a 
lake  of  fish.  Having  placed  their 
offerings  they  prostrate  themselves 
before  the  Egyptian  monaich.  A 
continuation  of  these  presents  follows 
in  the  third  line,  where,  besides  rings 
of  gold,  and  bags  of  precious  stones 
or  gold-dust,  are  the  camelopard, 
panthers'  skins,  and  long-horned  cat- 
tle, whose  heads  and  horns  are 
strangely  ornamented  with  the  heads 
and  hands  of  negroes. 

In  the  upper  line,  the  queen  of  the 
same  people  arrives  in  a  chariot  drawn 
by  oxen,  and  overshadowed  by  an 
umbrella,  accompanied  by  her  attend- 
ants, some  of  whom  bear  presents  of 
gold.  She  alights,  preceded  and  fol- 
lowed by  the  principal  persons  of  her 
u  2 


436 


THEBES  I  TOMBS 


OF  THE  QUEENS. 


Sect.  IV. 


suite,  and  advances  to  the  presence  of 
the  king.  This  may  refer  to  a  marriage 
that  was  contracted  between  the  Egyp- 
tian monarch  and  a  princess  of  Ethi- 
opia, or  merely  to  the  annual  tribute 
paid  by  that  people.  Among  the  dif- 
ferent presents  are  a  chariot,  shields 
covered  with  bulls'  hides  bound  with 
metal  borders  and  studded  with  pins, 
chairs,  couches,  head  stools,  and  other 
objects.  The  dresses  of  the  negroes 
differ  in  the  upper  line  from  those 
below,  the  latter  having  partly  the 
costume  of  the  Egyptians,  with  the 
plaited  hair  of  their  national  head- 
dress ;  but  those  who  follow  the  car  of 
the  princess  are  clad  in  skins,  whose 
projecting  tail,  while  it  heightens  the 
caricature  the  artist  doubtless  intended 
to  indulge  in,  proves  them  to  be  per- 
sons of  an  inferior  station,  who  were 
probably  brought  as  slaves  to  the 
Egyptian  monarch.  Behind  these 
are  women  of  the  same  nation,  bear- 
ing their  children  in  a  kind  of  basket 
suspended  to  their  back.  Many  other 
interesting  subjects  cover  the  walls  of 
this  tomb,  which  throw  much  light  on 
the  customs  of  the  Egyptians. 

In  another  catacomb,  unfortunately 
much  ruined,  is  a  spirited  chase,  in 
which  various  animals  of  the  desert 
are  admirably  designed.  The  fox, 
hare,  gazelle,  ibex,  eriel  (Antelope 
oryx),  ostrich,  and  wild  ox  fly  before 
the  hounds ;  and  the  porcupine  and 
hygena  retire  to  the  higher  part  of  the 
mountains.  The  female  hyaena  alone 
remains,  and  rises  to  defend  her 
young ;  but  most  of  the  dogs  are  re- 
presented in  pursuit  of  the  gazelles, 
or  in  the  act  of  seizing  those  they 
have  overtaken  in  the  plain.  The 
chasseur  follows,  and  discharges  his 
arrows  among  them  as  they  fly.  These 
arrows  were  very  light,  being  made  of 
reed,  feathered  and  tipped  with  stone. 
They  have  been  found  in  the  tombs, 
together  with  those  having  metal 
points ;  both  being  used,  as  the  sculp- 
tures show,  at  the  same  periods ;  the 
latter  for  war,  the  former  for  the  chace. 

In  observing  the  accuracy  with 
which  the  general  forms  and  charac- 
ters of  their  animals  are  drawn,  one 
cannot  but  feel  surprised  that  the 


Egyptians  should  have  had  so  imper- 
fect a  knowledge  of  the  art  of  repre- 
senting the  trees  and  flowers  of  their 
country,  which,  with  the  exception  of 
the  lotus,  palm,  and  dom,  can  scarcely 
ever  be  identified ;  unless  the  fruit, 
as  in  the  pomegranate  and  sycamore, 
is  present  to  assist  us. 

At  the  entrance  of  a  valley  to  the 
S.W.  of  Koornet  Murraee  are  several 
tombs  of  the  early  date  of  Amunoph  I., 
which  claim  the  attention  of  the  chro- 
nologer,  rather  than  the  admiration  of 
the  traveller  who  seeks  elegant  de- 
signs or  interesting  sculptures ;  and 
a  series  of  pits  and  crude-brick  cham- 
bers occupy  the  space  between  these 
and  the  brick  enclosure  of  a  Ptolemaic 
temple  to  the  E.  Among  the  most 
remarkable  of  these  tombs  is  one  con- 
taining the  members  of  Amunoph's 
family,  and  some  of  his  predecessors  ; 
and  another,  whose  crude-brick  roof 
and  niche,  bearing  the  name  of  the 
same  Pharaoh,  proves  the  existence  of 
the  arch  at  that  period ;  a  crude-brick 
pyramid  of  an  early  epoch ;  and  a 
tomb,  under  the  western  rock,  which 
offers  to  the  curiosity  of  chronologers 
the  names  of  three  successive  kings, 
and  their  predecessor  Amunoph  I., 
seated  with  a  black  queen.  Other 
vaulted  tombs  have  been  found  of  kings 
of  the  XVIIIth  and  XlXth  dynasties. 

The  deity  who  presided  over  this 
valley,  and  the  mountain  behind  it, 
was  Athor,  "the  guardian  of  the  west;" 
and  many  of  the  tombs  have  a  statue 
of  the  cow,  which  was  sacred  to  her, 
whose  head  and  breast  project  in  high 
relief  from  their  innermost  wall. 

10.  Tombs  of  the  Queens. — About 
J  hour's  walk  from  Koornet  Murraee 
to  the  W.  and  about  \  mile  to  the 
N.W.  of  Medeenet  Haboo  is  the  valley 
of  the  queens'  tombs.  But  they  have 
few  attractions  for  those  who  are  not 
interested  in  hieroglyphics;  and  who 
will  be  probably  satisfied  with  the 
tombs  of  the  kings,  of  Abd  el  Koorneh, 
and  of  the  Assaseef.  Among  the 
most  distinguished  names  in  the  se- 
pulchres of  the  queens  are  those  of 
Amunmeit,  or  Amun-tmei,  the  daugh- 


Egypt. 


LUXOR. 


437 


ter  of  Amunoph  I. ;  of  Taia,  wife  of 
the  third  Amunoph ;  of  the  favourite 
daughter  of  Barneses  II. ;  and  of  the 
consort  of  Barneses  V.  In  another 
appears  the  name  of  the  third  Ba- 
rneses, but  that  of  his  queen  is  not 
met  with  either  on  its  walls  or  on  its 
broken  sarcophagus.  All  these  tombs 
have  suffered  from  the  effects  of  fire  ; 
and  little  can  be  satisfactorily  traced 
of  their  sculptures,  except  in  that  of 
Queen  Taia. 

It  is  not  improbable,  from  the  hiero- 
glyphics on  the  jamb  of  the  inner  door 
of  this  tomb,  that  these  are  the  bury- 
ing-places  of  the  Pallacides,  or  Pellices 
Jovis,  mentioned  by  Strabo  and  Dio- 
dorus ;  and  the  distance  of  10  stadia 
from  these  "  first "  or  westernmost 
tombs  to  the  sepulchre  of  Osyman- 
dyas  agrees  with  that  from  the  sup- 
posed Memnonium  to  this  valley. 
The  mummies  of  their  original  pos- 
sessors must  have  suffered  in  the 
general  conflagration  which  reduced 
to  ashes  the  contents  of  most  of  the 
tombs  in  this  and  the  adjacent  valley 
of  Dayr  el  Medeeneh ;  and  the  bodies 
of  inferior  persons  and  of  Greeks,  less 
carefully  embalmed,  have  occupied  at 
a  subsequent  period  the  vacant  burial- 
places  of  their  royal  predecessors. 
About  J  hour's  walk  further  to  the 
S.W.  is  the  Gabba.net  el  Kerdod,  or 
"  Apes'  Burial-ground,"  so  called  from 
the  ape-mummies  found  in  the  ravines 
of  the  torrents  in  its  vicinity. 

Among  other  unusual  figures  care- 
fully interred  here  are  small  idols  in 
form  of  human  mummies,  with  the 
emblem  of  the  god  of  generation. 
Their  total  length  does  not  exceed 
2  ft.,  and  an  exterior  coat  of  coarse 
composition  which  forms  the  body, 
surmounted  by  a  human  head  with 
the  bonnet  "of  the  upper  country" 
made  of  wax,  conceals  their  singular 
but  simple  contents  of  barley. 

10.  Eastern  Bank.— Luxor,  el  Uk- 
sor,  or  Aboo  'l  Haggag,  called  by 
the  Ancient  Egyptians  "  Southern 
Tape." 

Luxor  or  Lixksor,  which  occupies 
part  of  the  site  of  ancient  Diospolis, 


still  holds  the  rank  of  a  market-town. 
Its  name,  Luksor,  or  El  Kosdor,  sig- 
nifies "  the  Palaces,"  from  the  temple 
there  erected  by  Amunoph  III.  |and 
Barneses  II.  The  former  monarch 
built  the  original  sanctuary  and  the 
adjoining  chambers,  with  the  addition 
of  the  large  colonnade  and  the  pylon 
before  it,  to  which  Barneses  II.  after- 
wards added  the  great  court,  the 
pyramidal  towers,  and  the  obelisks 
and  statues. 

These,  though  last  in  the  order  of 
antiquity,  necessarily  form  the  present 
commencement  of  the  temple,  which, 
like  many  others  belonging  to  different 
epochs,  is  not  "  two  separate  edifices," 
but  one  and  the  same  building.  A 
dromos,  connecting  it  with  Karnak, 
extended  in  front  of  the  two  beautiful 
obelisks  of  red  granite,  whose  four 
sides  are  covered  with  a  profusion  of 
hieroglyphics,  no  less  admirable  for 
the  style  of  their  execution  than  for 
the  depth  to  which  they  are  cut, 
which  in  many  instances  exceeds  2 
inches.  The  faces  of  the  obelisks, 
particularly  those  which  are  opposite 
each  other,  are  remarkable  for  a 
slight  convexity  of  their  centres,  which 
appears  to  have  been  introduced  to 
obviate  the  shadow  thrown  by  the 
sun,  even  when  on  a  line  with  a 
plane  -  surface.  The  exterior  angle 
thus  formed  by  the  intersecting  lines 
of  direction  of  either  side  of  the  face 
is  about  3  degrees ;  and  this  is  one  of 
many  proofs  of  their  attentive  observa- 
tion of  the  phenomena  of  nature.  The 
westernmost  of  these  two  obelisks  has 
been  removed  by  the  French,  and  is 
the  one  now  in  the  Place  de  la  Con- 
corde at  Paris. 

Behind  the  obelisks  are  two  sitting 
statues  of  the  same  Barneses,  one  on 
either  side  of  the  pylon  or  gateway ; 
but,  like  the  former,  they  are  much 
buried  in  the  earth  and  sand  accumu- 
lated around  them.  Near  the  N.W. 
extremity  of  the  propyla  another 
similar  colossus  rears  its  head  amidst 
the  houses  of  the  village,  which  also 
conceal  a  great  portion  of  the  interest- 
ing battle-scenes  on  the  front  of  the 
towers.  Many  of  these  are  very 
I  spirited  ;  and  on  the  western  tower  is 


438 


LUXOR. 


Sect,  IV. 


the  camp,  surrounded  by  a  wall,  re- 
presented by  Egyptian  shields,  with  a 
guard  posted  at  the  gate.  Within  are 
chariots,  horses,  and  the  spoil  taken 
from  the  enemy,  as  well  as  the  holy 
place  that  held  the  Egyptian  ark  in  a 
tent ;  instances  of  which  are  found  on 
other  monuments,  as  at  Aboo  Simbel. 
There  is  also  the  king's  chariot,  shaded 
by  a  large  umbrella  or  parasol. 

At  the  doorway  itself  is  the  name 
of  Sabaco,  and  on  the  abacus  of  the 
columns  beyond,  that  of  Ptolemy  Phi- 
lopator,  both  added  at  a  later  epoch. 

The  area  within,  whose  dimensions 
are  about  190  ft.  by  170,  is  surrounded 
by  a  peristyle,  consisting  of  two  rows 
of  columns,  now  almost  concealed  by 
hovels,  and  the  mosk  of  the  village. 
The  line  of  direction  no  longer  con- 
tinues the  same  behind  this  court,  the 
Eamesean  front  having  been  turned  to 
the  eastward ;  which  was  done  in  order 
to  facilitate  its  connexion  with  the 
great  temple  of  Karnak,  as  well  as  to 
avoid  the  vicinity  of  the  river. 

Passing  through  the  pylon  of 
Amunoph,  you  arrive  at  the  great 
colonnade,  where  the  names  of  this 
Pharaoh  and  of  Amun-Toonkh  (or 
Toonh)  are  sculptured.  The  latter, 
however,  has  been  effaced,  as  is  gene- 
rally the  case  wherever  it  is  met  with, 
and  those  of  Horus  and  of  Sethi  are 
introduced  in  its  stead. 

Thedength  of  the  colonnade  to  the 
next  court  is  about  170  ft.,  but  its 
original  breadth  is  still  uncertain,  nor 
can  it  be  ascertained  without  con- 
siderable excavation.  Indeed  it  can 
scarcely  be  confined  to  the  line  of  the 
wall  extending  from  the  pylon,  which 
would  restrict  its  breadth  to  67  ft. , 
but  there  is  no  part  of  the  wall  of  the 
front  court  where  it  could  have  been 
attached,  as  the  sculpture  continues 
to  the  very  end  of  its  angle.  The 
side-columns  were  probably  never 
added. 

To  this  succeeds  an  area  of  155  ft. 
by  167,  surrounded  by  a  peristyle  of 
12  columns  in  length  and  the  same 
in  breadth,  terminating  in  a  covered 
portico  of  32  columns,  57  ft.  by  111. 

Behind  this  is  a  space  occupying  the 
whole  breadth  of  the  building,  divided 


into  chambers  of  different  dimensions > 
the  centre  one  leading  to  a  hall  sup- 
ported by  four  columns,  immediately 
before  the  entrance  to  the  isolated 
sanctuary. 

On  the  E.  of  the  hall  is  a  chamber 
containing  some  curious  sculpture,  re- 
presenting the  accouchement  of  Queen 
Maut-ih-shoi,  the  mother  of  Amunoph. 
Two  children  nursed  by  the  deity  of 
the  Nile  are  presented  to  Amun,  the 
presiding  divinity  of  Thebes;  and 
several  other  subjects  relate  to  the 
singular  triad  wors  lapped  in  this 
temple. 

The  original  sanctuary  was  perhaps 
destroyed  by  the  Persians ;  but  the 
present  one  was  rebuilt  by  Alexander 
the  son  of  Alexander,  Ptolemy  being 
governor  of  Egypt),  and  bears  his 
name  in  the  following  dedicatory  for- 
mula :  "  This  work  (?  i  made  he,  the 
king  of  men,  lord  of  the  regions, 
Alexander,  for  his  father  Amunre,  pre- 
sident of  Tape  (Thebes) ;  he  erected  to 
him  the  sanctuary,  a  grand  mansion, 
with  repairs  of  sandstone,  hewn,  good, 
and  hard  stone,  in  lieu  of?  (that  made 
by?)  his  majesty,  the  king  of  men, 
Amunoph."  Behind  the  sanctuary  are 
two  other  sets  of  apartments,  the  larger 
ones  supported  by  columns  and  orna- 
mented with  rich  sculpture,  much  of 
which  appears  to  have  been  gilded. 
Between  this  part  and  the  great 
columnar  hall  is  one  of  the  old  cham- 
bers, measuring  31  ft.  6  by  57  ft.  1, 
with  a  semicircular  niche.  The  walls 
are  covered  with  frescoes  of  late 
Eoman  time ;  and  it  was  evidently  a 
court  of  law  with  the  usual  tribunal, 
in  which  are  painted  three  figures 
larger  than  life  wearing  the  toga  and 
sandals.  The  centre  one  holds  a  staff 
or  sceptre  (scipio)  in  the  right  hand 
and  a  globe  in  the  left ;  and  near  him 
was  some  object  now  defaced.  The 
other  two  figures  have  each  a  scroll 
in  one  hand.  On  the  walls  to  the 
right  and  left  are  the  traces  of  figures, 
which  are  interesting  from  their  cos- 
tume ;  and  on  the  side-wall  to  the  E. 
are  several  soldiers  with  their  horses, 
drawn  with  great  spirit.  The  colours 
are  much  damaged  by  exposure,  and 
the  frescoes  can  hardly  be  distin- 


Egypt 


kaenak:  the 


GEEAT  TEMPLE. 


439 


guished.  They  probably  date  after 
the  age  of  Constantine.  The  costumes 
are  remarkable ;  and  some  of  the  men 
wear  embroidered  upper  garments, 
tight  hose,  and  laced  boots,  or  shoes 
tied  over  the  instep.  The  false  wain- 
scot, or  dado,  below,  is  richly  coloured 
in  imitation  of  porphyry  and  other 
stones  incrusted  in  patterns,  and  is 
better  preserved  than  the  frescoes  of 
the  upper  part,  where  the  old  gods  of 
Egypt  in  bas-relief  have  outlived  the 
paintings  that  once  concealed  them. 
There  appear  to  be  traces  of  a  small 
cross  painted  at  one  side  of  the  tribune, 
and  the  figures  have  a  nimbus  round 
their  heads,  but  without  any  of  the 
character  of  Christian  saints.  Nor  was 
the  nimbus  confined  to  saints  by  the 
early  Christians. 

Behind  the  temple  is  a  stone  quay, 
apparently  of  the  late  era  of  the 
Ptolemies  or  Caesars,  since  blocks 
bearing  the  sculpture  of  the  former 
have  been  used  in  its  construction. 
Opposite  the  corner  of  the  temple  it 
takes  a  more  easterly  direction,  and 
points  out  the  original  course  of  the 
river,  which  continued  across  the  plain 
now  lying  between  it  and  the  ruins  of 
Karnak,  and  which  may  be  traced  by 
the  descent  of  the  surface  of  that 
ground  it  gradually  deserted.  The 
southern  extremity  of  the  quay  is  of 
brick  (probably  a  Bonian  addition), 
and  indicates  in  like  manner  the 
former  direction  of  the  stream.  The 
whole  plan  of  the  Temple  of  Luxor  is 
very  irregular,  from  its  having  been 
built  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  and 
following  the  direction  of  this  quay. 
At  the  present  day  it  is  so  buried 
beneath  modern  mud-huts  that  little  of 
it  can  be  satisfactorily  seen. 


11.  Karkak. 

The  road  to  Karnak  lies  through 
fields  of  poa  or  ftaZ/a-grass,  indicating 
the  site  of  ancient  ruins ;  and  a  short 
distance  to  the  right  is  a  mound,  with 
the  tomb  of  a  sheykh  called  Aboo 
Jood;  a  little  beyond  which,  to  the 
S.  are  remains  of  columns  and  an 
old  wall.   Here  and  there,  on  ap- 


proaching the  temple,  the  direction  of 
the  avenue  (once  a  great  street)  and 
the .  fragments  of  its  sphinxes  are 
traced  in  the  bed  of  a  small  canal  or 
watercourse,  which  the  Nile,  during 
the  inundation,  appropriates  to  its 
rising  stream.  To  this  succeeds  an- 
other dromos  of  Criosphinxes,  and  a 
majestic  pylon  of  Ptolemy  Euergetes, 
with  his  queen  and  sister  Berenice, 
who  in  one  instance  present  an  offering 
to  their  predecessors  and  parents,  Phil- 
adelphus  and  Arsinoe.  In  one  of  the 
compartments,  within  the  doorway,  the 
king  is  represented  in  a  Greek  cos- 
tume; instances  of  which  are  rare, 
even  on  Ptolemaic  monuments.  An- 
other avenue  of  sphinxes  extends  to 
an  isolated  temple  behind  this  pylon, 
founded  by  Eameses  III.,  and  con- 
tinued by  Eameses  IV.  and  VIII.,  and 
a  later  Pharaoh  of  the  XXIst  dynasty, 
who  added  a  gateway  and  the  court  of 
Columns.  Other  names  appear  in 
different  parts  of  the  building,  among 
which  are  those  of  Amyrtseus  (or  as 
some  read  it,  Nectanebo)  and  Alex- 
ander, on  the  inner  and  outer  gate- 
ways of  the  area. 

The  Great  Temple. — The  principal 
entrance  of  the  grand  temple  lies  on 
the  N.W.  side,  facing  the  river,  and 
about  5  mile  distant  from  it.  From  a 
raised  platform  commences  an  avenue 
of  Criosphinxes,  about  200  ft.  in  length, 
leading  to  the  front  propylon  (a),  be- 
fore which  stood  two  granite  statues 
now  mutilated  and  buried  in  the  soil. 
One  of  the  propylon  towers  retains  a 
great  part  of  its  original  height,  but 
has  lost  its  summit  and  cornice.  In 
the  upper  part  then*  solid  walls  have 
been  perforated  through  their  whole 
breadth,  for  the  purpose  of  fastening 
the  timbers  that  secured  the  flagstaffs 
usually  placed  in  front  of  these  pro- 
pyla ;  but  no  sculptures  have  ever 
been  added  to  either  face,  nor  was 
the  surface  yet  levelled  to  receive 
them. 

The  total  breadth  of  this  enormous 
propylon  is  about  370  feet,  and  its 
depth  50  feet;  the  height  of  the 
standing  tower  is  140  feet.  A  narrow 
staircase  leads  up  to  the  top,  whence 


440 


KAKNAK. 


Sect.  IV. 


West 


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North 


A.  First  Propylon. 

B.  Open  Area,  with  corridors,  and 

a  single  column  erect. 

C.  Second  Propylon. 

D.  Great  Hall. 

E.  Third  Propylon. 

F.  Fourth  Propylon. 

G.  Hali  with  Osiride  figures. 

H.  Granite  Sanctuary  and  adjoin- 

ing chambers. 

I.  Open  Corart. 

K.  Columnar  Edifice  of  Thothmes 
III. 

L.  Temple  of  Eameses  III. 

a.  Sculptures  of  Sethi  I. 

b.  Sculptures  of  Shishak. 

c.  Sculptures  of  Rameses  II. 

d.  Small  Obelisk. 

e.  Large  Obelisk. 

if.  Pillars  of  Osirtasen  L 
g.  Hall  of  Ancestors. 


East 


I'LAN  OF  GEEAT  TEMPLE  OF  KARNAK. 


is  obtained,  an  excellent  bird's-eye 
view  of  the  ruins. 

Passing  through  the  gateway  of 
this  propylon,  you  arrive  at  a  large 


open  court  (or  area)  (b),  275  ft.  by 
329,  with  a  covered  corridor  on  either 
side,  and  a  double  line  of  columns 
down  the  centre,  of  which  only  one 


Egypt 


THE  GBEAT  TEMPLE. 


441 


remains  standing.  The  corridors  are 
50  feet  high  :  that  on  the  N.  presents 
an  even  front  of  18  columns,  that  on 
the  S.  is  broken  by  a  small  temple 
built  by  Rameses  III.  (l),  the  entrance 
to  which  abuts  on  the  great  area. 

Passing  through  another  huge  pro- 
pylon  (c),  in  front  of  which  are  two 
granite  statues  of  Rameses  III. — one 
only  now  remains  much  mutilated, — 
we  enter  the  Grand  Hall  (d),  the 
largest  and  most  magnificent  of  the 
old  Egyptian  monuments.  The  lintel 
stones  of  its  doorway  were  40  ft. 
10  in.  in  length.  It  measures  170  ft. 
by  329,  and  is  supported  by  a  central 
avenue  of  12  massive  columns,  62  ft. 
high  (without  the  plinth  and  abacus) 
and  11  ft.  6  in.  diameter;  besides 
122  of  smaller  or  (rather)  less  gigantic 
dimensions,  42  ft.  5  in.  in  height, 
and  28  ft.  in  circumference,  dis- 
tributed in  seven  lines  on  either  side 
of  the  former :  134  columns  in  all. 
Originally  the  hall  was  roofed  over, 
and  the  light  only  penetrated  into 
it  through  the  sort  of  clerestory,  re- 
mains of  which  may  still  be  seen  on 
the  S.  side.  The  oldest  king's  name 
found  in  this  hall  is  that  of  Sethi  I., 
and  he  is  generally  credited  with 
its  construction,  but  there  is  some 
reason  for  supposing  that  that  honour 
belongs  to  Amunoph  III.  The  12 
central  columns  were  originally  14, 
but  the  two  westernmost  have  been 
enclosed  within  the  front  towers  of  the 
propylon.  The  two  at  the  other  end 
were  also  partly  built  into  the  project- 
ing wall  of  the  doorway,  as  appears 
from  their  rough  sides,  which  were 
left  uneven  for  that  purpose.  Attached 
to  this  doorway  are  two  other  towers, 
closing  the  inner  extremity  of  the 
hall. 

Another  much  ruined  propylon  (e) 
closes  the  E.  end  of  the  Great  Hall. 
Beyond  is  a  narrow  uncovered  court, 
extending  along  the  whole  width  of 
the  building,  in  which  stood  two 
obelisks  of  red  granite  (d)  about  75 
ft.  in  height.  One  is  thrown  down 
and  broken,  the  other  still  stands. 
They  bear  on  one  side  the  name  of 
Thothmes  I.  of  the  XVIIIth  dynasty, 
and  on  the  other  that  of  Rameses  II. 


of  the  XlXth,  showing  a  difference  of 
age  of  the  sculptures  of  250  years. 

To  this  court  succeeds  another  but 
smaller  propylon  (p),  passing  through 
the  vestibule  of  which — about  40  ft. 
long — we  reach  another  court,  sur- 
rounded by  a  peristyle  of  Osiride 
pillars  (g).  In  it  are  two  obelisks  of 
red  granite  {_e)  like  the  others,  but 
of  larger  dimensions,  the  one  now 
standing  being  92  ft.  high  and  8  square, 
the  largest  obelisk  known.  This  part 
of  the  building  bears  the  name  of 
Thothmes  I. ;  the  obelisk,  that  of  his 
daughter  Amunoohet,  or  Hatasoo. 
From  a  part  of  the  inscription  on  one 
of  these  obelisks,  we  learn  that  only 
seven  months  were  employed  in  its 
erection,  including  the  time  spent  in 
transporting  it  from  the  quarries  of 
Assooan.  Passing  through  the  portal 
of  a  dilapidated  pylon,  you  enter  an- 
other smaller  area,  succeeded  by  a 
vestibule  in  front  of  the  granite  gate- 
way of  the  towers  which  form  the 
facade  of  the  court  before  the  sanc- 
tuary (h). 

This  sanctuary  is  of  red  granite, 
divided  into  two  apartments,  and  sur- 
rounded by  numerous  chambers  of 
small  dimensions,  varying  from  29  ft. 
by  16,  to  16  ft.  by  8. 

The  actual  sanctuary  itself  is  one 
mass  of  ruins,  but  some  of  the  cham- 
bers are  still  standing,  and  are  covered 
with  sculptures  of  the  XVIIIth  dynasty. 
The  date  of  the  sanctuary  itself  is 
much  earlier,  though  the  blocks  now 
in  situ  bear  the  name  of  Philip  Ari- 
dseus,  who  restored  it ;  for  in  the  large 
open  space  (i)  immediately  behind  are 
some  polygonal  columns  (/),  with  the 
cartouche  of  Osirtasen  I.,  of  the  XHth 
dynasty,  in  the  midst  of  fallen  archi- 
traves of  the  same  era ;  showing  that 
the  original  construction  of  the  sanc- 
tuary dates  from  that  era.  Further 
on  in  this  open  space  axe  two  pedestals 
of  red  granite.  They  may  have  sup- 
ported obelisks;  but  they  are  not 
square,  like  the  basements  of  those 
monuments,  and  rather  resemble,  for 
this  reason,  the  pedestals  of  statues. 
Their  substructions  are  of  limestone. 

After  this  you  come  to  the  columnar 
edifice  of  the  3rd  Thothmes  (k).  Its 
u  3 


442 


KARNAK  :  THE  GREAT  TEMPLE. 


Sect.  IV. 


exterior  wall  is  entirely  destroyed, 
except  on  the  N.  side.  Parallel  to 
the  four  outer  walls  is  a  row  of  square 
pillars,  going  all  round,  within  the 
edifice,  32  in  number:  and  in  the 
centre  are  20  columns,  disposed  in 
two  lines,  parallel  to  the  back  and 
front  row  of  pillars.  But  the  position 
of  the  latter  does  not  accord  with  the 
columns  of  the  centre  ;  and  an  unusual 
caprice  has  changed  the  established 
order  of  the  architectural  details,  the 
capitals  and  cornices  being  reversed, 
without  adding  to  the  beauty  or  in- 
creasing the  strength  of  the  building. 
The  latter,  however,  had  the  effect  of 
admitting  more  light  to  the  interior. 
Adjoining  the  S.W.  angle  of  its  front 
is  a  small  room,  commonly  called  the 
Hall  of  Ancestors  (g),  from  its  having 
contained  on  its  walls  a  bas-relief  re- 
presenting King  Thothmes  III.  mak- 
ing offerings  to  56  of  his  predecessors. 
This  valuable  monument  is  now  at 
Paris.  A  series  of  small  halls  and 
rooms  occupy  the  extremity  of  the 
temple. 

In  the  southern  side  adytum  are 
the  vestiges  of  a  colossal  hawk,  seated 
on  a  raised  pedestal ;  the  sculptures 
within  and  without  containing  the 
name  of  Alexander,  by  whose  order  it 
was  repaired  and  sculptured. 

The  total  dimensions  of  this  part  of 
the  temple,  behind  the  inner  propylon 
of  the  grand  hall,  are  600  ft.,  by  about 
half  that  in  breadth,  making  the  total 
length,  from  the  front  propylon  to  the 
extremity  of  the  wall  of  circuit,  in- 
clusive, 1180  ft.  And  from  this  it 
will  appear  that  Diodorus  is  fully 
justified  in  the  following  statement : 
that  "  the  circuit  of  the  most  ancient 
of  the  four  temples  at  Thebes  measured 
13  stadia,"  or  about  1J  mile  English. 
The  thickness  of  the  walls,  "of  25 
feet,"  owing  to  the  great  variety  in 
their  dimensions,  is  too  vague  to  be 
noticed ;  but  the  height  he  gives  to 
the  building  of  45  cubits  (67  ft.),  is 
far  too  little  for  the  grand  hall,  which, 
from  the  pavement  to  the  summit  of  the 
joof  inclusive,  is  not  less  than  80  ft. 

Comparative  antiquity  of  the  build- 
ings of  the  Great  Temple. — No  part, 


probably,  remains  of  the  earliest  foun- 
dation of  the  temple;  but  the  name 
of  Osirtasen  suffices  to  support  its* 
claim  to  great  antiquity ;  and  if  no 
monument  remains  at  Thebes  of  the 
earliest  dynasties,  this  may  be  ex- 
plained by  the  fact  of  its  not  having 
been  founded  when  the  kings  of  the 
Pyramid  period  ruled  at  Memphis. 
The  original  sanctuary,  which  was 
probably  of  sandstone,  doubtless  ex- 
isted in  the  reign  of  that  monarch, 
and  stood  on  the  site  of  the  present 
one,  an  opinion  confirmed  by  our 
finding  the  oldest  remains  in  that 
direction,  as  well  as  by  the  propor- 
tions of  the  courts  and  propyla,  whose 
dimensions  were  necessarily  made  to 
accord  with  those  of  the  previous  parts, 
to  which  they  were  united.  All  is  here 
on  a  limited  scale,  and  the  polygonal 
columns  of  Osirtasen  evince  the  chaste 
style  of  architecture  in  vogue  at  that 
early  era. 

Subsequently  to  his  reign  were 
added  the  small  chambers  of  Am- 
unoph  I.  Then  Thothmes  I.  built 
the  court  of  Osiride  columns,  and  put 
up  the  two  obelisks  in  the  open  space 
outside  it.  The  great  obelisks  inside 
the  Osiride  court  were  erected  to  his 
memory  by  his  daughter  Amun-noo- 
het  or  Hatasoo,  whose  name  also 
appears  on  the  walls  of  some  of  the 
chambers  near  the  sanctuary.  The 
rest  of  these  chambers  were  built 
by  Thothmes  II.  The  succeeding 
monarch,  Thothmes  III.,  made  con- 
siderable additions  to  the  buildings 
and  sculptures,  and  erected  the  great 
columnar  edifice  at  the  extreme  east 
of  the  enclosure  of  the  Great  Temple. 

The  sanctuary,  destroyed  by  the 
Persians,  and  since  rebuilt  by  Philip 
Aridseus,  was  also  of  the  same  Pha- 
raoh ;  who  seems  to  have  been  the 
first  to  build  it  of  red  granite,  and  a 
block  of  that  stone  which  now  forms 
part  of  the  ceiling,  and  bears  the 
name  of  the  3rd  Thothmes,  belonged 
most  probably  to  the  sanctuary  he 
rebuilt. 

At  the  close  of  his  reign  the  temple 
only  extended  to  the  smaller  obelisks ; 
before  which  were  added,  by  Amunoph 
III.,  the  towers  of  the  propylon,  whose 


Egypt 


HISTORICAL 


SCULPTURES. 


443 


recesses  for  the  flagstaff's,  proving  them 
to  have  been  originally  the  front 
towers  of  the  temple,  are  still  visible 
on  the  W.  face. 
The  Great  Hall  was  added  by  Sethi 

I.  ,  the  3rd  king  of  the  XlXth  dynasty ; 
and  besides  the  innumerable  bas- 
reliefs  that  adorn  its  walls,  historical 
scenes,  in  the  most  finished  and 
elegant  style  of  Egyptian  sculpture, 
were  designed  on  the  exterior  of  the 
N.  side. 

In  the  reign  of  Sethi's  son,  Eameses 

II.  ,  great  additions  were  made.  He 
completed  the  sculptures  on  the  S. 
side  of  the  Great  Hall,  and  on  the  ex- 
terior of  the  wall  of  circuit.  He  also 
built  the  area,  in  front,  with  massive 
propyla,  preceded  by  granite  colossi 
and  an  avenue  of  sphinxes.  Succeeding 
monarchs  continued  to  display  their 
piety,  to  gratify  their  own  vanity,,  or 
to  court  the  goodwill  of  the  priesthood, 
by  making  additions  to  the  buildings 
erected  by  their  predecessors ;  and  the 
several  isolated  monuments,  becoming 
attached  to  the  principal  pile,  formed 
at  length  one  immense  whole,  con- 
nected either  by  great  avenues  of 
sphinxes,  or  by  crude-brick  enclosures. 

The  principal  edifices  united  to  the 
main  temple  by  the  successors  of  the 
2nd  Rameses  are  the  three  chambers 
below  the  front  propylon,  and  the 
small  but  complete  temple  (l)  on  the 
W.  side  of  the  large  area ;  the  latter  by 
Rameses  III.,  the  former  by  his  second 
predecessor,  Sethi,  or  Osirei,II.  Several 
sculptures  were  added,  during  the 
XXIInd  dynasty,  at  the  western  cor- 
ner of  the  same  area.  The  columns 
in  this  court,  one  alone  of  which  is 
now  standing,  bear  the  name  of  Tir- 
hakah,  Psammetichus  II.,  and  of 
Ptolemy  Philopator  ;  and  the  gateway 
between  them  and  the  grand  hall 
having  been  altered  by  Ptolemy  Phys- 
con,  additional  sculptures,  bearing  his 
name,  were  inserted  amidst  those  of 
the  2nd  Rameses.  On  the  left,  as 
you  enter,  he  wears  a  Greek  helmet. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  above 
account  that  the  earliest  name  found 
on  any  of  the  buildings  of  the  Great 
Temple  is  that  of  Osirtasen  I.,  and  ' 
the  latest  that  of  Alexander  II.,  whose  ■ 


name  appears  in  one  of  the  small 
chambers  belonging  to  the  columnar 
edifice  of  Thothmes  IH. 

Historical  Sculptures  of  the  Great 
Temple.  —  The  principal  historical 
sculptures  are  on  the  exterior  of  the 
Great  Hall. 

They  were  commenced  by  Sethi  I., 
and  finished  by  his  son  Rameses  the 
Great,  the  supposed  Sesostris.  Those 
on  the  N.  side  are  of  Sethi  I.,  and 
relate  to  his  campaigns  in  the  East. 

To  commence  with  the  western  ex- 
tremity (a) :  the  upper  compartment 
represents  the  king  attacking  a  forti- 
fied town  situated  on  a  rock,  which  is 
surrounded  by  a  wood,  and  lies  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  the  mountains, 
whither  the  flying  enemy  drive  off 
their  herds  on  the  approach  of  the 
Egyptian  army.  The  suite  of  it  is 
entirely  lost. 

In  the  first  compartment  of  the 
second  line,  the  king  engages  the 
enemy's  infantry  in  the  open  field,  and, 
having  wounded  their  chief  with  a 
lance,  entangles  him  with  his  bow- 
string and  slays  him  with  his  sword. 
The  drawing  in  these  figures  is  remark- 
ably spirited ;  and,  allowance  being 
made  for  the  conventional  style  of  the 
Egyptians,  it  must  be  admitted  that  the 
principal  groups  in  all  these  subjects 
are  admirably  designed.  In  the  second 
compartment  (following  the  same  line) 
the  Egyptian  hero,  having  alighted 
from  his  car,  fights  hand-in-hand  with 
the  chiefs  of  the  hostile  army :  one  has 
already  fallen  beneath  his  spear,  and, 
trampling  on  the  prostrate  foe,  he 
seizes  his  companion,  who  is  also  des- 
tined to  fall  by  his  powerful  hand. 
Returning  in  triumph,  he  leads  before 
his  car  the  fettered  captives,  whom  he 
offers,  with  the  spoil  of  the  cities  he 
has  taken,  to  Amunre,  the  god  of 
Thebes.  This  consists  of  vases,  silver, 
gold,  and  other  precious  things,  and 
whatever  the  monarch  has  been  ena- 
bled to  collect  from  the  plunder  of  the 
conquered  country. 

The  lowest  line  commences  with 
an  encounter  between  the  Egyptians 
and  the  chariots  and  infantry  of  the 
Rotennoo.  Their  chief  is  wounded  by 


444 


KAKSfAK  :  THE  GREAT  TEMPLE  AND 


Sect.  IV, 


the  arrows  of  the  Egyptian  monarch, 
who  closely  pursues  him,  and  disables 
one  of  his  horses  with  a  spear.  He 
then  attempts  to  quit  his  car,  as  his 
companion  falls  by  his  side  covered 
with  wounds.  The  rout  of  the  hostile 
army  is  complete,  and  they  fly  in  the 
utmost  consternation.  One  is  on  horse- 
back. The  victorious  return  of  King 
Sethi  is  the  next  subject ;  and,  alight- 
ing from  his  chariot,  he  enters  the 
temple  of  Amunre,  to  present  his  cap- 
tives and  booty  to  the  protecting  deity 
of  Thebes.  He  then  slays  with  a  club 
the  prisoners  of  the  two  conquered  na- 
tions, in  the  presence  of  Amunre,  the 
names  of  whose  towns  and  districts  are 
attached  to  other  figures  on  the  lower 
part  of  the  wall. 

The  order  of  the  other  historical 
subject  commences  at  the  S.E.  angle. 
In  the  lower  line  the  Egyptians 
attack  the  infantry  of  an  Asiatic 
enemy  in  the  open  field, — the  Eoten- 
noo,  whose  dress  and  colour,  if  they 
are  the  same  as  those  represented 
in  the  Theban  tombs,  prove  them  to 
have  inhabited  a  country  very  far  to 
the  N.  of  Egypt.  The  Egyptians  sub- 
due them  and  make  them  captives ; 
and  their  march,  perhaps  during  their 
return,  is  directed  through  a  series  of 
districts,  some  of  which  are  at  peace 
with,  others  tributary  to,  them.  The 
inhabitants  of  one  of  these  fortified 
cities  come  out  to  meet  them,  bringing 
presents  of  vases  and  bags  of  gold, 
which,  with  every  demonstration  of 
respect,  they  lay  before  the  monarch, 
as  he  advances  through  their  country. 
He  afterwards  meets  with  opposition, 
and  is  obliged  to  attack  a  hostile 
army,  and  a  strongly  fortified  town, 
situated  on  a  high  rock,  and  sur- 
rounded by  water,  with  the  exception 
of  that  part  which  is  rendered  inacces- 
sible by  the  steepness  of  the  cliff  on 
whose  verge  it  is  built.  It  seems  to 
defy  the  Egyptian  army,  but  the 
enemy  are  routed  and  sue  for  peace. 
(This  is  at  the  angle  of  the  wall.) 

Their  arms  are  a  spear  and  battle- 
axe,  and  they  are  clad  in  a  coat  of 
mail,  with  a  short  and  close  dress. 
The  name  of  the  town  Kanana  (or 
Kanaan),  and  the  early  date  of  the  first 


year  of  the  king's  reign,  leave  little 
room  to  doubt  that  the  defeat  of  the 
Canaanites  is  here  represented. 

In  the  other  compartments  is  repre- 
sented the  return  of  the  Pharaoh  to 
Thebes,  leading  in  triumph  the  cap- 
tives he  has  taken  in  the  war,  followed 
by  his  son  and  a  "  royal  scribe,"  with 
a  body  of  Egyptian  soldiers, "  the  royal 
attendants,  who  have  accompanied  him 
to  the  foreign  land  of  the  Kotennoo." 

The  succession  of  countries  and  dis- 
tricts he  passes  through  on  his  return 
is  singularly  but  ingeniously  detailed : 
a  woody  and  well-watered  country  is 
indicated  by  trees  and  lakes,  and  the 
consequence  of  each  town  by  the  size 
of  the  fort  that  represents  it ;  bearing 
a  slight  analogy  to  the  simple  style  of 
description  in  Xenophon's  retreat. 

The  Nile  is  designated  by  the  cro- 
codiles and  fish  peculiar  to  that  river : 
and  a  bridge  serves  as  a  communica- 
tion witb  the  opposite  bank.  This  is 
very  remarkable,  as  it  shows  they  had 
bridges  over  the  Nile  at  that  early 
period ;  but  being  drawn  as  seen  from 
above,  we  cannot  decide  whether  it 
was  made  with  arches  or  rafters.  A 
concourse  of  the  priests  and  distin- 
guished inhabitants  of  a  large  city 
comes  forth  to  greet  his  arrival ;  and 
he  then  proceeds  on  foot  to  offer  the 
spoil  and  captives  he  has  taken  to 
the  deity.  Though  probable,  it  is  by 
no  means  certain,  that  Thebes  is  here 
represented,  especially  as  the  name  of 
that  city  does  not  occur  in  the  hiero- 
glyphics. The  deputation  consists  of 
the  "  priests  and  the  chief  men  of  the 
upper  and  lower  countries ; "  it  should 
therefore  rather  refer  to  his  entrance 
into  Egypt;  and  Tanis  would  agree 
better  with  the  hieroglyphics.  But 
Thebes  is  more  likely  to  be  repre- 
sented in  Theban  sculptures.  The 
battlemented  edifices  on  the  road, 
bearing  the  name  of  the  king,  appear 
to  be  out  of  Egypt ;  and  may  either 
point  out  the  places  where  he  had  a 
palace,  or  signify  that  they  were  tribu- 
tary to  him. 

In  the  compartments  of  the  upper 
line  the  Egyptians  attack  the  enemy 
in  the  open  field,  and  oblige  them  to 
take  shelter  in  a  fortified  town,  situ- 


Egypt. 


OTHER  BUILDINGS  AND  REMAINS. 


445 


ated  on  a  lofty  hill  flanked  by  a  lake 
of  water.  Near  its  banks  and  on 
the  acclivity  of  the  mountain,  are 
several  trees  and  caverns;  amongst 
which  some  lie  concealed,  while 
others,  alarmed. for  the  fate  of  their 
city,  throw  dust  on  their  heads,  and 
endeavour  to  deprecate  the  wrath  of 
the  victor.  The  chariots  are  routed, 
and  the  king,  having  seized  the  hostile 
chief,  smites  off  his  head,  which  he 
holds  by  the  beard.  The  pursuit  of  the 
enemy  continues,  and  they  take  re- 
fuge amidst  the  lofty  trees  that  crown 
the  heights  of  their  mountainous 
country.  The  Egyptians  follow  them 
to  the  woods,  and  heralds  are  sent  by 
the  king  to  offer  them  their  lives,  on 
condition  of  their  future  obedience  to 
his  will,  and  the  payment  of  an  annual 
tribute.  The  name  of  the  place,  called 
in  the  hieroglyphics  Lemanon,  is  pro- 
bably Mount  Lebanon  (m  and  b  being 
transmutable  letters),  though,  from  its 
being  mentioned  with  the  Kotennoo, 
it  should  be  farther  to  the  northward ; 
unless  the  Eotennoo  were  a  Syrian 
people.  Alighting  from  his  car,  he 
awaits  their  answer,  which  is  brought 
by  an  Egyptian  officer,  who  on  his 
return  salutes  his  sovereign,  and  re- 
lates the  success  of  his  mission.  In 
the  third  compartment,  the  hero,  who 
in  the  heat  of  the  fight  had  alighted 
from  his  chariot,  gives  proofs  of  his 
physical  powers  as  well  as  his 
courage,  and  grasps  beneath  each 
arm  two  captive  chiefs ;  while  others, 
bound  with  ropes,  follow  to  adorn  his 
triumph,  and  grace  the  offerings  of 
his  victory  to  the  god  of  Thebes. 

At  the  western  end  of  the  S.  wall  of 
the  Great  Hall  are  some  very  interest- 
ing sculptures  (6).  They  are  near  the 
gateway  leading  into  the  open  area. 
They  commemorate  a  victorious  cam- 
paign undertaken  by  the  1st  king  of 
the  XXIInd  Dynasty,  Sheshonk  L, 
the  Shishak  of  the  Bible,  against 
Palestine.  To  the  right  Shishak  is 
represented  with  upraised  arm  in  the 
act  of  striking  a  group  of  captives  at 
his  feet.  To  the  left,  the  god  Ammon 
of  Thebes,  and  the  Thebaid,  personified 
under  the  form  of  a  woman  holding  a 
quiver,  a  box,  and  a  mace,  present 


themselves  before  him.  Behind  them 
are  150  persons  whose  heads  alone  are 
visible,  their  bodies  being  hidden  by 
a  sort  of  battlemented  shield,  on  which 
is  figured  the  plan  of  a  fortified  town. 
These  150  heads  and  shields,  as  we 
learn  from  the  hieroglyphics,  represent 
the  towns  taken  by  Shishak  in  his 
campaign.  The  name  of  Judah  Melek 
on  the  29th  shield  led  Champollion  to 
suppose  that  the  head  surmounting  it 
was  that  of  the  Xing  of  Judah,  Jero- 
boam, vanquished  by  Shishak.  But  M. 
Brugsh  has  shown  that  Judah  Melek 
can  only  be  considered,  like  the  others, 
as  the  name  of  some  place  in  Pales- 
tine. Indeed  all  the  faces  are  of 
one  type,  intended  no  doubt  to  sym- 
bolise the  general  cast  of  features  of 
the  conquered  people ;  though  that, 
perhaps,  can  be  found  more  distinctly 
traced  in  the  physiognomies  of  the 
prisoners  whom  the  conqueror  is  about 
to  strike. 

Continuing  eastwards  along  this 
same  S.  wall,  we  reach  a  wall  jutting 
out  from  it  at  right  angles,  on  the  west 
face  of  which  is  a  stela,  containing  the 
treaty  of  peace  concluded  between 
Kameses  II.  and  Khetasar,  king  of  the 
Khetas,  in  the  21st  year  of  the  reign  of 
the  former  prince.  The  incidents  pro- 
bably of  the  war  which  preceded  this 
peace  are  sculptured  on  the  main  wall 
to  the  west  of  this  side  wall  (c).  And 
to  the  east  of  it,  on  the  main  wall,  is  a 
long  list  of  hieroglyphics  containing 
the  famous  poem  of  Pentaoor,  recount- 
ing the  famous  feats  of  arms  accom- 
plished by  Barneses  II.  There  are  a 
variety  of  other  warlike  scenes,  all 
more  or  less  like  those  already  de- 
scribed. 

Other  Buildings  and  Remains. — Be- 
ginning on  the  N.  side  of  the  Great 
Temple,  the  most  important  is  the 
temple  of  Amunoph  III.  It  was  once 
adorned  with  elegant  sculptures  and 
two  granite  obelisks,  but  is  now  a 
confused  heap  of  ruins,  whose  plan  is 
with  difficulty  traced  beneath  its 
fallen  walls. 

In  front  of  it  stands  a  well-pro- 
portioned pylon,  bearing  the  names 
and  sculptures  of  Ptolemy  Euergetes 


446 


KARNAK 


LAKES. 


Sect.  IV. 


with  Berenice,  and  of  Philopator; 
beyond  which  an  avenue  of  sphinxes 
extends  to  a  raised  platform  at  its 
N.E.  extremity.  The  pylon,  which 
was  of  a  much  earlier  date  than  the 
sculptures  it  bears,  having  attached 
to  it  the  statues  of  Barneses  II.,  is  .the 
only  portion  of  this  building  which 
has  remained  uninjured ;  and,  though 
we  may  with  reason  attribute  much 
of  the  ruinous  condition  of  Thebes  to 
the  Persians,  the  names  on  this  pylon, 
and  many  Ptolemaic  additions  to  the 
temple  of  Amun,  fully  prove  that  its 
capture  by  Lathyrus  was  far  more 
detrimental  to  this  city  than  the  pre- 
vious invasion  of  Cambyses. 

On  the  E.  of  the  Great  Temple  is  a 
magnificent  pylon,  the  sculptures  of 
which  have  never  been  completed. 
In  the  doorway  is  the  name  of  Nec- 
tanebo,  and  on  the  upper  part  of  the 
S.E.  side  those  of  Ptolemy  Phila- 
delphus,  and  of  Arsinoe,  his  sister  and 
second  wife. 

In  the  area  within  this  gateway  are 
a  few  other  remains  of  the  time  of 
Sethi  L,  Barneses  II.,Tirhakah,  Ptolemy 
Physcon,  Dionysus,  and  Tiberius. 
All  the  ground  to  the  N.E.  is  covered 
with  mounds  and  crude-brick  remains. 

To  the  S.  of  the  Great  Temple,  op- 
posite the  end  of  the  Osiride  hall, 
with  which  it  communicated,  is  a 
long  avenue  marked  at  certain  dis- 
tances by  four  pylons,  resembling  so 
many  triumphal  gates,  and  which  was 
adorned  by  a  row  of  colossal  statues. 
All  these  pylons  are  more  or  less 
ruined,  the  first  and  fourth  almost  en- 
tirely so ;  and  only  two  of  the  statues 
remain  in  front  of  the  second  from  the 
Great  Temple.  They  all  bear  the 
names  of  the  Thothmes'  and  other 
kings  of  the  XVIIIth  dynasty.  The 
third  has  the  name  of  Horus  cut  over 
that  of  Amunoph  IV.  or  Khoo-en-aten, 
the  monarch  represented  in  the  grot- 
toes of  Tel  el  Amarna. 

Beyond  these  pylons,  to  the  S.E.,  is  a 
lake  or  spacious  reservoir,  lined  with 
masonry,  which  still  receives  the 
water  of  the  rising  Nile  as  it  oozes 
through  the  ground ;  and  on  its  banks 
are  a  few  small  ruins  of  the  late  epoch 


of  Psammouthis,  of  the  XXIXth 
dynasty. 

The  small  edifice  attached  to  the 
front  area  is  of  the  2nd  Amunoph, 
but  the  name  on  the  neighbouring 
outer  propyla  is  of  the  successor  of 
Amunoph  III.,  and  the  androsphinxes 
before  them  bear  that  of  Sethi  II.  In 
a  small  isolated  edifice  are  the  ovals 
of  Thothmes  I.  and  the  3rd  Amunoph, 
whose  statues  of  black  granite  adorn 
the  inner  doorway. 

The  ruins  within  the  crude-brick 
enclosure  of  the  other,  or  western  lake, 
are  of  various  epochs ;  and  among 
the  sculptures  are  observed  the  names 
of  Thothmes  III.,  Amunoph  III., 
Sheshonk  I.,  and  Ptolemy  Dionysus. 
The  temple  and  statues  which  once 
stood  before  it  are  of  Eameses  II. ; 
and  that  on  the  western  corner  of 
the  lake,  also  adorned  with  two 
granite  statues,  is  of  Eameses  III. 
Numerous  figures  of  black  granite, 
representing  the  lion-headed  goddess, 
are  deposited  in  the  precincts  of  the 
inner  enclosure ;  and  on  the  back  of 
one  of  them  is  an  inscription  with 
the  names  of  king  Pisham  and  a 
queen  of  the  XXIst  dynasty.  Some 
elegant  androsphinxes  on  the  left  of  the 
front  door  are  also  worthy  of  notice. 

The  water  of  this  lake  also  receives 
an  annual  supply,  through  the  soil, 
from  the  Nile  ;  but  being  strongly  im- 
pregnated with  nitre  and  other  salts, 
and  stagnant  during  the  heat  of  the 
summer,  it  is  no  longer  drinkable. 

The  temple  of  Eameses  III.,  pre- 
ceded by  the  pylon  of  Ptolemy  Euer- 
getes  by  which  we  approached  Karnak, 
and  the  other  temple  of  the  same 
monarch  attached  to  the  wall  of  the 
area  preceding  the  Great  Hall,  have 
been  already  mentioned. 

The  above  is  a  brief  and  imperfect 
attempt  to  give  some  idea  of  the  most 
marvellous  mass  of  ruins  in  the  world. 
"  Travel  and  opportunity  have  their 
duties,"  and  the  unantiquarian  tra- 
veller feels  it  incumbent  on  him  to  try 
and  make  something  out  of  the  various 
remains  of  Karnak.  It  is  hoped  that 
this  short  sketch  may  help  him  to  do 
so.  But  it  is  almost  a  hopeless  task 
even  for  the  learned  archaeologist  to 


Egypt.       route  19. — thebes,  and  keneh,  to  kosseir. 


447 


unravel  any  complete  and  satisfactory 
plan  from  such  a  mass  of  ruin.  Per- 
haps the  best  way  of  viewing  Karnak 
is  to  regard  it  simply  as  the  most 
wonderful  thing  of  its  kind  in  the 
world,  alike  for  its  size,  its  grandeur, 
and  the  incredible  mass  of  ruins  it 
presents. 

It  remains,  perhaps,  to  say  a  few 
words  on  the  causes  which  have 
brought  about  the  destruction  of  Kar- 
nak. It  has  been  variously  attributed 
to  the  effects  of  an  earthquake,  to  the 
religious  animosity  of  Cambyses  and 
the  Persians,  and  to  the  fury  of 
Ptolemy  Lathyrus,  who  was  exas- 
perated against  his  revolted  Theban 
subjects  for  having  stood  a  protracted 
siege  of  several  months.  One  or  all  of 
these  causes  may  have  contributed 
towards  the  general  destruction  ;  but 
it  is  possible  that  there  is  a  another 
reason  for  it,  which  has  been  pointed 
out  by  M.  Mariette.  "  Is  it  not  pro- 
bable," he  says,  "  that  it  (the  destruc- 
tion of  the  Great  Temple  of  Karnak) 
is  the  effect  of  the  faults  in  its  con- 
struction, and  of  its  position  with 
regard  to  the  Nile  and  the  surround- 
ing plain,  the  pavement  being  some 
7  ft.  below  the  soil  ?  The  Pharaonic 
temples  are  indeed  generally  very 
carelessly  built.  The  west  pylon,  for 
example,  has  settled  down  simply  be- 
cause it  was  hollow;  and,  therefore, 
the  inclination  of  its  walls,  instead  of 
being  a  means  of  strengthening  it,  has 
merely  helped  its  fall.  It  must  be 
noted,  besides,  that  Karnak,  more  than 
any  other  Egyptian  temple,  has  for  a 
long  time  suffered  from  infiltrations 
from  the  Nile,  whose  waters  saturated 
with  nitre  eat  into  the  sandstone. 
The  temple  of  Karnak  has  thus 
suffered  more  than  any  other  from  the 
negligence  of  its  builders,  and  more 
especially  from  its  position  with  regard 
to  the  Nile :  and  as  the  same  causes 
produce  the  same  effects,  the  time 
may  be  foreseen  when,  with  crash 
after  crash,  the  columns  of  the  magni- 
ficent hypostyle  hall,  whose  bases  are 
already  three  parts  eaten  through, 
will  fall,  as  have  fallen  the  columns 
in  the  great  court  preceding  it." 


KOUTE  19. 

THEBES,  AND  KENEH,  TO  KOSSEIR  ON  THE 
BED  SEA. 

Two  principal  roads  lead  from 
Keneh,  and  one  from  Thebes,  to 
Kosseir.  The  following  are  the  dis- 
tances : — 

Miles 

a.  By  the  Moileh  road  : 

Keneh  to  Beer  Amber  ..  ..  llf 
Wells  of  El  Egayta  (Eghayta)  21| 
The  1st  Wells  to  W.  of  Moileh 

(Moayleh)   38£ 

2nd  Wells  to  W.  of  Moileh      . .  3 

Wells  of  Moileh   4 

Beer  il  Ingleez  (near  El  Bayda)  29J 
Springs  of  El  Ambagee  . .  . .  5£ 
Kosseir  (fort)    6 

119| 

b.  By  the  Bussafa  road  : 

Keneh  to  Beer  Amber      ..     ..  llf 

Wells  of  Egayta   21| 

Wells  of  Hammamat   24  J 

Well  called  Moie-t  (or  Sayal-t) 

Hagee  Soolayman     . .     . .  33 

Beer  el  Ingleez  . .     . .     . .     . .  15 

Ambagee    5| 

Kosseir   6 

H7| 

Thebes  (Karnak)  to  Medamot, 

(E.  bank)   5 

Coptos(E.)..    37A 

Wells  of  El  Egayta   27' 

El  Egayta  to  Kosseir  83| 

(Kte.  7)      .'.    86| 

155J 


448 


ROUTE  19.  THEBES,  AND  KENEH,  TO  KOSSEIR.      Sect.  IV. 


The  roads  from  Thebes  and  from 
Keneh  unite  at  the  wells  of  El  Egay  ta, 
and  are  thence  the  same  to  Kosseir. 
The  Moileh,  or  Moayleh  road,  and 
the  Derb  El  Kussafa  are  the  most 
frequented.  They  both  meet  at  El 
Egay  ta,  where  they  diverge,  and  unite 
again  at  El  Bayda  "  the  white  "  (hills), 
so  called  from  the  colour  of  the  rocks ; 
where  there  is  a  well,  called  Beer  el 
Ingleez,  from  having  been  dug  by  our 
Indian  army  on  its  way  to  the  Nile. 
The  water  is  brackish;  and  that  at 
El  Ambagee  is  bad.  At  the  others 
the  water  is  good. 

Arabs  with  their  camels  for  the 
journey  had  perhaps  better  be  en- 
gaged at  Keneh. 

There  is  nothing  worthy  of  remark 
on  the  Moayleh  road.  There  are 
some  Ababdeh  Arabs  settled  near  this 
and  the  Derb  Er  Bussafa,  from  whom 
milk  may  sometimes  be  obtained  ; 
and  camels,  laden  with  corn  for  Arabia 
are  occasionally  met  on  their  way  to 
Kosseir. 

*  The  most  interesting  road  is  the 
Derb  Er  Bussafa ;  from  the  ancient 
Boman  stations  met  with  at  intervals, 
and  from  its  having  been  the  old  road 
from  Coptos  to  Bhiloteras  -  Portus. 
There  are  eight  of  these  stations,  or 
Hydreumas,  some  of  which  are  distant 
from  each  other  only  6,  others  from 
8  to  12  m. ;  besides  the  wells  of  El 
Egayta,  which  were  also  known  to 
the  ancients.  The  first  station,  whose 
site  and  plan  is  less  easily  traced  than 
the  others,  was  distant  from  Coptos 
only  9  m.,  and  was  probably  common 
to  the  Philoteras  P.  and  Berenice 
roads,  though  not  given  in  the  lists  of 
Pliny  or  the  Itinerary  of  Antoninus. 

Breccia  Quarries. — Near  the  large 
well  of  Hammamat,  on  this  road,  are 
the  quarries  of  Breccia  Verde,  from 
which  so  many  sarcophagi,  fonts, 
tazze,  and  other  ornamental  objects 
made  of  this  beautiful  stone,  were 
cut  by  the  ancients,  both  in  Phara- 
onic  and  Boman  times.  The  valley 
of  the  quarries  is  called  Wadee  Foak- 
heer,  from  the  quantity  of  pottery 
(fokhdr)  found  there.  It  is  also  re- 
markable for  the  number  of  hiero- 


glyphic inscriptions  on  the  rocks,  of 
very  early  time,  for  the  numerous 
huts  of  workmen  who  lived  there, 
and  for  the  remains  of  a  small  Egyp- 
tian temple  of  the  time  of  Ptolemy 
Euergetes  I.  The  inscriptions  on  the 
rocks  are  interesting  from  their  anti- 
quity, some  being  of  very  ancient 
Pharaohs. 

The  principal  names  are  of  Papa, 
or  Papi; — of  Bemeren; — and  three 
very  early  Pharaohs,  two  of  which 
occur  in  the  chamber  of  kings  at 
Karnak ;  —  of  Mantoftep,  or  Man- 
dothph  ;  —  Osirtasen  I.  and  III. ; 
Amenem-ha  I.  and  II. ; —  Thothmes 
III. ;  Sethi  I.  and  II. ; — Barneses  IV. 
and  VIII. ; — Sabaco,  and  the  Princess 
Amunatis ; — Psammetichus  I.  and  II. ; 
— Amasis ;  —  Cambyses ;  —  Darius ; — 
Xerxes ;  and  Artaxerxes ;  —  Amyr- 
tseus  (?) ;  and  Nectanebo. 

There  are  many  hieroglyphic  and 
Greek  exvotos.  In  one  of  the  latter 
the  writer  is  said  to  be  a  native  of 
Alabastron ;  and  in  one  of  the  former 
Amun-re  is  styled  "  Lord  of  the  re- 
gions of  the  world,"  and  Neph  (Nou  ? 
or  Kneph)  is  called  "  the  Lord  of  the 
foreign  land  of  the  Elephant,"  or  the 
island  of  Elephantine.  Khem  or  Pan 
is  the  deity  of  the  place.  .He  was 
supposed  to  be  the  particular  "  guar- 
dian of  the  roads ; "  and  until  the  wor- 
ship of  Serapis  was  introduced  by  the 
Greeks  and  Bomans,  he  seems  to  have 
been  the  principal  god  to  whom  tem- 
ples were  built  and  prayers  made  in  the 
Egyptian  deserts.  The  triad  of  this 
valley  consisted  of  Khem,  the  infant 
Horus,  and  "  Isis,  the  beautiful  Mother 
of  the  gods,  queen  of  Heaven." 

(For  Kosseir,  see  Bte.  7,  d.) 

The  Ababdeh  Desert. — The  principal 
roads  made  by  the  ancients  across 
this  desert  were  those  from  Coptos  to 
Berenice,  and  to  Philoteras-Portus, 
just  mentioned;  one  from  Contra- 
Apollinopolis  (opposite  Edfoo)  to  the 
emerald-mines  of  Gebel  Zabara ;  and 
another  from  Philoteras-Portus,  along 
the  sea-coast,  to  the  Leucos-Portus, 
Nechesia,  and  Berenice,  which  con- 
tinued thence  southwards  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Sowakin.    There  was  also  one 


Egypt.        eoute  19. — ababdeh 

which  left  the  Nile  near  Contra- 
Apollinopolis,  and,  taking  a  southerly 
direction,  ran  probably  to  the  gold- 
mines (of  Gebel  Ollagee)  mentioned 
by  Agatharcides  and  other  authors, 
and  subsequently  by  the  Shereef 
Edrisi  and  Aboolfeda.  The  roads  were 
generally  furnished  with  stations, 
built  at  short  intervals,  where  water 
could  always  be  obtained  by  means  of 
large  wells  sunk  within  them  to  a 
great  depth,  and  by  supplies  preserved 
in  cisterns,  frequently  in  the  solid 
rock.  The  cisterns  were  spacious  and 
covered  by  awnings  supported  on 
poles,  or  pillars  of  masonry,  and  were 
filled  as  occasion  required,  for  the  use 
of  the  soldiers  quartered  there,  as  well 
well  as  of  those  who  passed ;  and  hence 
the  name  of  "  Fons"  or  "  Hydreuma." 

The  gold-mines  lie  some  distance  to 
the  S.  of  the  Ababdeh  desert,  in  the 
territory  of  the  Bishareeyah.  They  are, 
as  Edrisi  and  Aboolfeda  observe,  "  in 
the  land  of  Begga,"  the  Bisharee  coun- 
try ;  and,  as  appears  from  two  of  the 
Arabic  funeral  inscriptions  found  by 
Mr.  Bonomi  and  Linant-Bey,  were 
worked  in  the  years  339  a.h.  (951 
a.d.)  and  378  a.h.  (989  a.d.),  the 
former  being  the  5th  year  of  the  Ca- 
liph El  Motee  al  Illah,  a  short  time 
before  the  arrival  of  the  Fatemites  in 
Egypt ;  and  the  other  in  the  14th  year 
of  El  Azeez,  the  second  king  of  the 
Fatemite  dynasty.  Certain  it  is,  how- 
ever, that  they  were  also  mined  pre- 
vious to  and  after  that  period,  though 
there  are  no  other  epitaphs  with  dates. 

The  stations  on  the  road  from  Cop- 
tos  to  Berenice  have  a  peculiar  inte- 
rest, from  being  mentioned  by  Pliny, 
and  the  Itinerary  of  Antoninus. 

According  to  Pliny. 

M.P. 

First  Hydreuma,  from  Coptos    ..  32 

Second  Hydreuma    63 

Apollinis    89 

Novum  Hydreuma    49 

(the  Hyreuma  Vetus  being  4 
miles  off,  out  of  the  road) 

Berenice    25 

Total  in  Roman  miles  258 


desert:  gold-mines.  449 

Itinerary. 

M.P. 

Phoenicon,  or)  r.      n    i.  on 

Peniconon    )f™*  Coptos  27 

Didyme   24 

Afrodito   20 

Compasi   22 

Jovis    33 

Aristonis    25 

Phalacro    25 

Apollonos    23 

Cabalsi   27 

Csenon  Hydreuma    27 

Berenice    18 


Total  271 

Besides  all  those  stations  men- 
tioned in  the  Itinerary,  an  inter- 
mediate one  between  Didyme  and 
Afrodito  is  met  with,  on  the  direct 
road  from  Coptos  to  Berenice,  about 
4J  m.  to  the  northward  of  the  latter. 
The  Novum  and  Vetus  Hydreuma  are 
the  last  stations  before  reaching  Bere- 
nice, the  latter  being  out  of  the  road, 
about  4  m.  up  a  valley. 

(For  Berenice,  see  Rte.  7,  d.~) 

The  road  now  usually  taken  from 
the  Nile  to  Berenice  lies  through  the 
Wady  Sakayt ;  the  ancient  road  from 
Coptos  to  that  port  passed  through 
Wady  Matoolee,  and  other  valleys 
that  succeed  it  to  the  southward. 

The  modern  name  of  Berenice  is 
Sakayt  el  Kublee,  or  "  the  Southern 
Sakayt." 

A  road  leads  from  Berenice  to  the 
basanite  mountain,  now  Om  Kerrebeh, 
passing  by  some  ruined  stations,  and 
an  ancient  village  of  considerable  ex- 
tent; and  some  distance  to  the  east- 
ward of  those  quarries  is  the  Mons 
Pentedactylus,  now  Gebel  Feraid, 
whose  five  cones  are  still  more  re- 
markable when  seen  from  Berenice. 
At  Om  Kerrebeh  are  considerable 
workings  of  what  the  ancients  called 
basanite. 

Emerald  Mines. — The  emerald-mines 
are  far  less  interesting  than  might  be 
supposed.  Some  are  at  the  Gebel 
Zabara,  and  others  in  that  neighbour- 
hood, about  the  Wady  Sakayt.  They 
have  been  successively  worked  by 


450 


ROUTE  19.  THEBES,  AND  KENEH,  TO  KOSSEIR.      Sect.  IV. 


the  ancient  Egyptians,  the  caliphs, 
the  Memlooks,  and  Mohammed  Ali, 
but  are  now  abandoned.  They  lie  in 
micaceous  schist ;  and  numerous  shafts 
of  considerable  depth  have  been  ex- 
cavated at  the  base  of  the  mountain. 
The  largest  is  at  Gebel  Zabara,  ex- 
tending downwards,  at  an  angle  of  37°, 
to  the  distance  of  about  360  feet,  being 
318  in  horizontal  length,  and  215  in 
perpendicular  depth. 

To  the  south  of  Gebel  Zabara  is 
the  extensive  village  of  Sakayt,  con- 
sisting of  numerous  miners'  huts  and 
houses  ;  and  independent  of  its  mines, 
a  temple  excavated  in  its  rock,  and 
some  Greek  inscriptions,  render  it  pe- 
culiarly interesting  to  the  antiquary. 
The  name  of  Sakayt  is  evidently  de- 
rived from  that  given  to  the  town  in 
old  times.  A  Greek  inscription  there 
speaks  of  the  god  Serapis  and  the  lady 
Isis  of  Senskis,  or  Senskete. 

In  the  adjoining  valley,  called  Wady 
Nogrus,  which  is  only  separated  from 
Wady  Sakayt  by  a  ridge  of  hills,  is 
another  similar  village,  whose  houses 
are  better  built  and  on  a  larger  scale, 
with  the  advantage  of  a  natural  reser- 
voir, under  the  neighbouring  cliffs,  of 
excellent  water. 

It  is  through  this  Wady  Sakayt 
that  the  road  goes  from  the  Nile  to 
Berenice. 

Ancient  Boad  from  Contra-Apolli- 
nopolis  to  the  Emerald  Mines. — On 
the  road  from  Contra-Apollinopolis 
to  the  emerald-mines  are  three  sta- 
tions. The  first  is  small,  and  presents 
nothing  interesting  except  the  name  of 
one  of  the  alien  kings  of  the  XVIIIth 
dynasty;  but  close  to  the  second 
is  a  temple  cut  in  the  rock,  founded, 
and  dedicated  to  Amun,  by  King 
Sethi  I.,  the  father  of  Kameses  the 
Great.  Though  small,  its  sculptures 
are  of  a  very  good  style;  and  in  the 
hall  is  a  curious  tablet  of  hieroglyphics 
bearing  the  date  of  the  ninth  year  of 
this  Pharaoh. 

The  temple  consists  of  a  portico 
supported  by  four  columns,  and  a  hall, 
with  four  pillars  in  the  centre,  at  the 
end  of  which  are  three  small  cham- 
bers, or  rather  niches,  each  contain- 


ing three  statues.  Many  visitors  have 
written  Greek  inscriptions  on  its  walls, 
most  of  which  are  ex-votos  to  Pan ; 
but  one  is  remarkable  as  being  of 
the  soldiers  quartered  in  the  fortified 
station,  whose  thirteen  names  are  in- 
scribed on  one  of  the  columns  of  the 
portico. 

In  a  chamber  of  the  station  is  a 
block  of  stone,  bearing  an  ex-voto  to 
"  Arsinoe  Philadelphe,"  the  wife  of 
Ptolemy  Philadelphus,  who  founded 
the  town  of  Berenice,  to  which  this 
road  also  led  from  the  upper  part  of 
the  Thebaic!.  The  third  station  pre- 
sents nothing  of  interest;  and  be- 
tween it  and  the  emerald-mines  no 
other  ruins  occur,  though  several 
wells  once  afforded  a  supply  of  water 
to  those  who  passed  on  the  road. 
This  road,  which  leaves  the  Nile 
nearly  opposite  Edfoo,  is  perhaps  the 
best  for  a  visit  to  the  emerald-mines 
and  Berenice,  especially  as  the  Abab- 
deh  Arabs  live  there,  who  are  not  to 
be  engaged  at  Thebes,  and  other  places 
to  the  north. 

The  Bishareeyah  Tribe  of  Arabs. — 
To  the  south  of  the  Ababdeh  Arabs 
are  the  Bishareeyah,  who,  like  the 
Ababdeh,  wear  long  hair,  and  have 
the  same  wild  appearance  as  the 
Nubians  and  many  other  people  of 
Ethiopia.  They  have  a  peculiar  lan- 
guage, and  call  themselves  de- 
scendants of  Kooka,  who  was  both 
their  god  and  their  ancestor ;  but 
they  are  now  Moslems.  The  Abab- 
deh also  had  at  one  time  a  peculiar 
language,  but  they  now  speak  Arabic. 

The  arms  of  both  these  tribes  are 
the  spear,  knife,  and  .sometimes  the 
shield ;  which  they  prefer  to  fire-arms. 
They  are  frequently  at  war  with  each 
other;  and  it  is  therefore  necessary 
in  going  into  their  desert,  to  apply  to 
some  of  their  sheykhs  for  protection. 
But  there  is  little  there  worthy  of  a 
visit ;  the  gold-mines  are  of  no  great 
interest,  and  it  is  difficult  to  obtain 
permission  to  see  their  stronghold, 
the  isolated  mountain,  called  Gebel  el 
Elbeh. 


Egypt.        route  20. — ltjxor  to 


EOUTE  20. 

LUXOR  (THEBES)  TO  ASSOOAN,  THE  FIEST 
CATARACT,  AND  VBILM. 


Miles. 

Luxor  to  Erment      ...    ..     ..  8| 

Esneh   26 

El  Kab  (Eileithyias)       ..     ..  17* 

Edfoo   13* 

Hagar  Silsileh    26- 

Kom  Ombo   15 

Assooan    26J 

133 

Philaa   5 


There  is  nothing  of  any  interest  be- 
tween Luxor  and  Erment. 

(W.)  Erment  (8J  m.)  The  ruins  of 
Erment,  the  ancient  Hermonthis,  lie  at 
some  distance  from  the  river.  The  boat 
usually  stops  close  to  a  large  sugar- 
factory  on  the  W.  bank,  picturesquely 
surrounded  by  trees  and  gardens,  and 
with  a  small  village  attached  to  it. 
The  whole  aspect  of  the  country  here 
is  very  pretty.  On  the  left  bank  are 
fine  avenues  of  sycamore-figs,  running 
alongside  the  river  and  inland;  on 
the  right  are  some  picturesque  villages 
with  groups  of  trees,  and  bright 
patches  of  cultivation,  while,  as  a 
background  to  the  whole,  rises  the 
yellow  desert  and  a  splendid  range  of 
mountains. 

The  ruins  of  Erment  are  hardly 
worth  a  visit,  except  for  the  purpose 
of  seeing  what  is  supposed  to  be  an 
authentic  portrait  of  Cleopatra.  Ex- 
tensive mounds  mark  th  e  site  of  the  old 
town,  which  was  of  very  early  origin. 
The  large  temple  has  been  long  de- 


ASSOOAN  AND  PHILJE.  451 

stroyed,  and  its  materials  probably 
used  in  the  construction  of  the  Chris- 
tian church  whose  remains  can  still  be 
traced.  The  few  ruins  still  standing 
are  those  of  the  mammeisi,  or  "  lying- 
in-house,"  where  Eeto,  the  second 
member  of  the  triad  of  the  place,  gave 
birth  to  Horpi-re,  the  infant  child  of 
that  goddess  and  of  Mandoo.  It  was 
built  by  the  celebrated  Cleopatra,  who 
is  there  accompanied  by  Neocsesar,  or 
Csesarion,  her  son  by  Julius  Caesar, 
and  consisted  of  an  exterior  court, 
formed  by  two  rows  of  columns  con- 
nected by  intercolumnar  screens,  a 
small  transverse  colonnade,  serving  as 
a  portico,  at  right  angles  with  the 
former,  and  the  naos,  which  is  divided 
into  two  chambers.  Ptolemy  Neocaesar 
and  his  mother  have  both  the  titles 
gods  Philometores,  Philopatores ;  but 
the  offerings  are  mostly  made  by  the 
queen  Cleopatra,  who  is  also  repre- 
sented adoring  Basis,  the  bull  of  Her- 
monthis. This  sacred  animal  is  found 
on  the  reverse  of  the  coins  of  the  Her- 
monthite  nome.  Its  head  is  depressed, 
while  that  of  Apis  on  the  Memphite 
coins  is  raised,  which  may  serve  as  a 
distinguishing  mark  when  the  legend 
containing  the  name  of  the  nome  has 
disappeared. 

There  is  also  a  reservoir  cased  with 
hewn  stone,  appertaining  to  the  temple, 
the  water  of  which,  Wansleb  says,  was 
used  in  his  time  for  bleaching  linen. 
The  same  traveller  mentions  a  tra- 
dition of  the  people  claiming  for  their 
town  the  honour  of  having  been  the 
birthplace  of  Moses,  with  the  same 
gravity  as  the  natives  of  Bornoo  pre- 
tend that  their  country  received  its 
name  (Bur-nod h)  from  being  "  the 
country  of  Noah." 

The  Christian  church  dates  in  the 
time  of  the  lower  empire.  It  was 
evidently  of  considerable  size,  measur 
ing  75  paces  by  33  (about  190  ft.  by 
85);  and  from  the  style  of  the  small 
portion  of  the  outer  wall  that  still 
remains,  and  its  granite  columns,  there 
is  little  doubt  that  it  was  erected  after 
Christianity  had  become  the  estab- 
lished religion  of  the  country. 

(E.)  Tuot,  in  Coptic  Thouot,  the 
ancient  Tujphium,  lies  on  the  opposite 


452 


ROUTE  20.  LUXOR  TO  ASSOOAN  AND  PHILiE.       Sect.  IV. 


bank,  in  the  district  of  Selemeeah,  and 
is  easily  distinguished  by  its  lofty 
minaret.  The  only  ruins  consist  of 
a  small  temple,  probably  also  a  mam- 
meisi,  now  nearly  concealed  by  the 
hovels  of  the  villagers  who  inhabit  the 
few  chambers  that  remain.  On  one 
of  the  blackened  walls  is  the  name  of 
Ptolemy  Physcon.  It  presents  little 
worthy  of  a  visit,  and  will  not  repay 
the  traveller  for  the  trouble  of  an  ex- 
cursion from  the  river,  unless  he  is 
very  much  interested  in  Egyptian  re- 
searches. 

The  river  above  Erment  is  inter- 
sected by  numerous  sandbanks,  and 
the  navigation,  unless  the  wind  is 
favourable,  is  very  tedious. 

(W.)  Gebelayn,  "the  two  hills,"  is 
a  curious  detached  ridge  of  rocks. 
There  are  vestiges  of  an  ancient  town 
on  the  hill  nearest  the  river,  and  some 
grottoes.  It  may  have  been  the  site 
of  Crocodilopolis,  the  next  town  on 
the  W.  bank  mentioned  by  Strabo 
after  Hermonthis. 

(W.)  A  few  miles  above  Gebelayn 
the  river  makes  a  very  sharp  bend, 
and  at  the  corner  on  the  W.  bank  is 
the  newly  sprung  up  village  of  Mu- 
taneh,  with  a  large  pumping-engine 
establishment  for  sending  water  along 
an  aqueduct  to  the  inland  town  of 
Wady  Geen,  some  distance  from  the 
river. 

(If.)  Tofne'es  is  on  the  site  of  an 
ancient  town,  perhaps  Aphroditopolis ; 
as  Asfoon  of  Asphinis :  and  in  the 
plain,  about  2f  m.  to  the  N.W.  of 
Esneh,  was  the  small  temple  of  Ed 
Dayr  ("  the  Convent "),  which  marked, 
perhaps,  the  position  of  Chnoubis ; 
though  Ptolemy  seems  to  place  it  on 
the  E.  bank,  20'  S.  of  Tuphium,  and 
15'  N.  of  Eileithyias.  Chnoubis  and 
Chnumis  were  the  same  place;  as 
Chnouphis,  Noub,  or  Noum,  were  the 
same  god. 

(IF.)  Esneh  (26  miles),  in  Coptic 
Sne,  was  known  to  the  Greeks  and 
Eomans  by  the  name  of  Latopolis, 
from  the  worship  of  the  Latus  fish, 
which,  according  to  Strabo,  shared 
with  Minerva  the  honours  of  the 
sanctuary.     It    is    the    capital  of 


the  province  of  the  same  name,  and 
residence  of  the  governor ;  and  pos- 
sesses a  population  of  from  6000  to 
7000  inhabitants.  It  carries  on  a  con- 
siderable trade  in  cereals  with  the 
Soodan  in  exchange  for  the  products 
of  that  country.  Esneh  is  a  good 
place  for  laying  in  live  stock  for  the 
remainder  of  the  voyage  up  to  the 
2nd  Cataract,  as,  though  they  are  not 
much  dearer  at  Assooan,  the  supply  of 
sheep,  turkeys,  and  chickens  is  more 
limited,  and  in  Nubia  everything  is 
very  dear. 

The  usual  mooring-place  at  Esneh 
is  at  the  upper  end  of  the  town,  close 
under  the  numerous  coffee- shops  ad- 
joining the  separate  hamlet  inhabited 
by  the  Ghawazee  or  dancing-girls, 
who  have  a  numerous  colony  here. 
Those,  however,  who  prefer  quiet  to 
noise  should  moor  below  the  town, 
under  the  garden  of  the  pasha's  palace. 
They  will,  no  doubt,  find  various  ob- 
jections started  to  this  proposal,  as  the 
crew  naturally  prefer  society  and  the 
coffee- shops. 

Esneh  has  the  reputation  of  being 
the  healthiest  place  in  Egypt.  Its  air 
and  that  of  the  immediate  neighbour- 
hood is  considered  particularly  good 
for  invalids,  who  are  constantly  sent 
by  the  native  doctors  for  the  benefit 
of  the  change  from  Cairo  and  Alex- 
andria. The  temperature  is  more  even 
than  either  at  Thebes  or  Assooan — 
the  nights  being  fresh  without  being 
cold,  and  the  day's  warmth  nearly 
always  tempered  by  a  breeze  from 
the  N. 

The  temple  of  Esneh  is  in  the 
middle  of  the  town.  The  portico, 
which  was  cleared  out  to  the  floor  by 
order  of  Mohammed  Ali,  during  his 
visit  to  Esneh  in  1842,  is  the  only  part 
visible.  The  remainder  is  buried  be- 
neath the  houses  of  the  modern  town. 

"Whatever  may  have  been  the  date 
of  the  inner  portion  of  this  temple,  the 
portico  merely  presents  the  names  of 
some  of  the  early  Caesars :  those  of 
Tiberius  Claudius  Csesar,  Germanicus, 
and  Autocrator  Csesar  Vespasianus, 
occurring  in  the  dedication  over  the 
entrance ;  and  those  of  Trajan,  Adrian, 
and  Antoninus  in  the  interior.  Men- 


Egypt. 


KOUTE  20.  ESNEH  HIEEACONPOLIS. 


453 


tion  is  also  made  of  Thothmes  III.,  by 
whom  the  original  temple  was  perhaps 
founded. 

On  the  ceiling  is  a  zodiac,  similar 
to  that  of  Denderah :  and  upon  the  pi- 
lasters, on  either  side  of  the  front  row 
of  columns  are  several  lines  of  hiero- 
glyphics, which  are  interesting  from 
their  containing  the  names  of  the 
Egyptian  months. 

The  sculptures  in  this  temple  are 
very  inferior,  and  furnish  another  ex- 
ample of  the  decline  in  the  arts  of 
engraving  and  sculpture  which  took 
place  in  Egypt  under  the  Ptolemies 
and  the  Caesars. 

Extensive  mounds  sufficiently  prove 
the  size  and  consequence  of  ancient 
Latopolis ;  but  no  remains  are  now 
visible,  except  the  portico  of  the 
temple  and  the  remains  of  a  stone 
quay  on  the  E.  side.  That  the  latter 
is  of  Eoman  date  may  be  inferred 
from  the  style  of  the  building. 

Wansleb  mentions  the  tombs  of 
Christian  martyrs,  who  were  buried 
near  Esneh,  and  are  believed  to  have 
been  put  to  death  during  the  perse- 
cutions of  Diocletian.  But  report  also 
states  that  the  Christians  who  fled 
from  Medeenet  Haboo  at  the  time  of 
the  Arab  invasion,  and  were  overtaken 
and  slain  at  Esneh,  were  buried  in  the 
same  spot.  Of  all  the  convents  in  the 
valley  of  the  Nile  that  of  Ammonius 
at  Esneh,  said  to  have  been  erected  by 
the  Empress  Helena,  in  honour  of  the 
martyrs  killed  by  Diocletian,  is  reputed 
the  most  ancient. 

(E.)  Near  the  village  of  El  Uelleh, 
on  the  opposite  bank,  stood  the  small 
town  of  Contra-Laton. 

The  subcarbonate  of  soda,  natron,  is 
found  in  the  vicinity  of  El  Helleh. 
The  Ababdeh  also  bring  from  the 
eastern  desert  a  talcose  stone,  called 
hamr,  for  which  there  is  a  great  de- 
mand throughout  Upper  Egypt,  being 
peculiarly  adapted  to  the  manufacture 
of  the  birdm,  or  earthen  vessels  for 
cooking,  which  have  the  power  of  re- 
sisting a  great  degree  of  heat,  and  are 
universally  used  by  the  peasants.  It 
is  the  lapis  ollaris  of  the  Eomans. 
The  hamr  is  first  pounded  and  sifted ; 
and,  after  being  moistened  and  mixed 


with  brickdust,  is  fashioned  with  the 
hand,  and  baked  in  a  kiln  heated  to  a 
proper  temperature.  But  they  have 
not  yet  become  acquainted  with  the 
process  of  vitrifying  their  pottery,  for 
which  the  Arabs  were  once  so  famous; 
and  the  glazed  earthenware  now  used 
in  Egypt  is  imported  from  foreign 
countries. 

(IT.)  Seven  miles  above  Esneh  are 
mounds  of  an  old  town,  now  called 
Kom  Ayr.  A  short  distance  above 
El  Kenan,  and  about  14  m.  from 
Esneh,  is  an  ancient  quay  of  hewn 
stone.  Some  suppose  it  to  mark  the 
site  of  Chnoubis. 

(W.)  Three  miles  beyond  this,  and 
a  short  distance  from  the  river  is  a 
ruined  pyramid,  called  El  Kodla.  It 
is  built  in  degrees  (as  were  probably 
all  other  pyramids),  and  is  composed 
of  limestone  blocks,  from  the  rock  on 
which  it  stands,  of  irregular  form,  and 
hewn  with  little  care.  Though  in  a 
dilapidated  state,  25  tiers  still  remain, 
and  its  total  height,  now  reduced  to 
about  35  ft.,  may  perhaps  originally 
have  exceeded  50 ;  the  base  being 
about  60  ft.  square. 

(IT.)  Four  miles  farther  to  the 
southward  is  El  Kom  el  ahmar,  or 
"  the  Bed  Mound."  It  marks  the  site 
of  Hieraconpolis,  which,  as  Strabo  in- 
forms us,  was  opposite  Eileithyias ; 
and  though  little  now  exists  of  the 
ancient  buildings  that  once  adorned 
the  "  City  of  the  Hawks,"  the  name  of 
the  first  Osirtasen  suffices  to  establish 
their  claim  to  a  very  remote  antiquity. 
About  half  a  mile  to  the  eastward  of 
them  is  an  Egyptian  fortress  of  crude 
brick,  with  the  usual  double  wall, 
the  inner  one  being  of  considerable 
height.  It  has  one  entrance  between 
two  towers. 

In  the  hills  about  two-thirds  of  a 
mile  to  the  S.W.  of  it  are  some  rock- 
tombs,  with  hieroglyphics,  mentioning 
"  the  land  of  the  Hawks,"  of  which 
one  person  is  said  to  be  the  "  High- 
priest."  The  name  of  Thothmes  III. 
also  occurs  there.  One  of  the  stones 
that  covered  the  pit  in  this  priest's 
tomb  still  remains  in  sitv,  and  on  the 


454 


ROUTE  20.  LUXOR  TO 


ASSOOAN  AND  PHIL^J.        Sect.  IV. 


outer  wall  are  traces  of  dancing  figures 
painted  on  the  stucco.  The  small 
tombs  here  were  perhaps  intended  for 
the  sacred  hawks.  In  some  mounds 
to  the  E.  of  the  fortress  are  two  small 
brick  arches,  2  ft.  7  in.  broad,  which 
appear  to  be  very  old ;  and  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  to  E.  of  these  are  the  mounds 
of  the  town  (with  the  remains  of  poly- 
gonal columns  of  Osirtasen)  already 
mentioned. 

Opposite  El  Kenan  commences  the 
region  of  sandstone,  whose  compact 
and  even  grain  induced  the  ancient 
Egyptians  to  employ  it  in  the  erection 
of  most  of  the  large  buildings  in  Upper 
Egypt. 

(E.)  A  short  distance  from  El  Ma- 
hamid  is  an  isolated  rock,  which  was 
quarried  at  an  early  period,  and  on 
whose  southern  side  the  workmen 
have  sculptured  a  few  rude  triglyphs. 

(E.)  Between  this  and  El  Kab 
stood  a  small  peripteral  temple,  which 
has  suffered  the  fate  of  all  the  inter- 
esting ruins  of  Eileithyias. 

(E.)  El  Kab  (17J  m.)  is  the  modern 
name  of  Eileithyias,  or  Ei\ei6vLas 
Trokis,  "the  City  of  Lucina."  The 
town  was  surrounded  by  a  large  crude- 
brick  wall;  and  on  the  S.  side  was 
another  enclosure,  furnished  with 
doorways  of  masonry,  which  contained 
the  temples,  and  a  reservoir  cased 
with  hewn  stone.  On  the  E.  is  an 
open  space  of  considerable  extent,  also 
within  the  walls,  which  have  several 
spacious  staircases,  or  inclined  planes, 
leading  to  the  parapet,  as  usual  in  the 
fortified  towns  of  ancient  Egypt. 

The  temples  were  on  a  small  scale, 
but  in  their  sculptures  were  the  names 
of  Amunoph  II.,  of  Kameses  the  Great, 
and  Phtahmen,  as  well  as  of  Hakoris 
of  the  XXIXth  dynasty ;  though,  from 
the  manner  in  which  the  inscriptions 
had  been  cut  upon  the  stone,  this  last 
name  appeared  to  be  older  than  that  of 
Kameses.  Eileithyias  was  a  very  old 
city ;  the  tombs  are  of  the  beginning 
of  the  XVIIIth  dynasty ;  and  a  tablet 
was  found  there  by  Mr.  Stodart  of  the 
4th  year  of  Amenem-ha  III.  (or  Mceris) 
of  the  Xllth  dynasty.    The  names  of 


Tata  and  Papi,  of  the  Vlth  dynasty, 
are  also  found  on  a  rock  in  the  valley. 

Ee  shared  with  Lucina  the  worship 
of  the  city;  but  most  of  the  dedi- 
cations, in  the  sacred  buildings  that 
remain,  only  present  the  name  of  the 
goddess.  The  principal  ruins  now 
consist  of  a  small  isolated  chapel  or 
naos,  a  short  distance  up  the  valley  to 
the  eastward,  dedicated  by  Eameses  II. 
to  Re;  a  Ptolemaic  temple,  partly 
built  and  partly  excavated  in  the 
sandstone  rock ;  and  about  a  mile 
further  to  the  eastward  another  iso- 
lated ruin,  bearing  the  name  and 
sculptures  of  Amunoph  III.  The  di- 
mensions of  the  chapel  of  Ee  are  only 
20  ft.  by  16,  and  it  consists  of  but  one 
chamber.  Ee  is  of  course  the  principal 
divinity ;  and  the  Goddess  of  Justice 
holds  the  most  conspicuous  place  among 
the  contemplar  deities. 

The  excavated  temple  was  conse- 
crated to  Lucina  by  Physcon  or  Euer- 
gates  II.,  the  courts  in  front  having 
been  built  at  a  later  period  by  Ptolemy 
Alexander  I. ;  who,  with  his  mother 
Cleopatra,  added  some  of  the  sculp- 
tures on  the  exterior  of  the  subter- 
ranean chamber.  The  front  court  is 
composed  of  columns  united  by  inter- 
columnar  screens,  and  opens  by  a 
pylon  on.  a  staircase  of  considerable 
length,  having  on  each  side  a  solid 
balustrade  of  masonry;  and  on  the 
face  of  the  rock,  to  the  E.  of  the  inner 
court,  is  a  tablet  of  the"  time  of  the 
second  Eameses,  who  presents  an  offer- 
ing to  Ee  and  Lucina. 

On  the  isolated  rock  beyond  these 
two  temples  are  the  names  of  Tata 
and  Papi  (A  pap  or  A  pappus)  already 
mentioned. 

The  temple  of  Amunoph  III.  stands 
about  a  mile  from  that  of  Physcon  to 
the  eastward,  in  the  same  valley ;  be- 
tween two  and  three  miles  from  the 
river.  And,  from  the  circumstance  of 
these  ruins  being  but  little  known  to 
travellers  who  visit  El  Kab,  it  may 
not  be  amiss  to  observe  that  this  build- 
ing bears  about  70°  east  of  north  from 
the  ruined  town  of  Eileithyias,  and 
that  the  two  above  mentioned,  lying 
close  to  the  1.  of  the  road,  may  be 
!  visited  on  the  way. 


Egypt. 


ROUTE  20.  EL  KAB. 


455 


This  temple  was  also  dedicated  to 
the  goddess  of  Eileithyias.  It  consists 
of  a  single  chamber  supported  by  four 
columns,  measuring  11  paces  by  9, 
with  a  payed  platform  on  three  sides, 
and  an  open  area  in  front,  8  paces 
by  17,  formed  by  columns  and  inter- 
columnar  screens ;  to  which  the  pylon, 
connected  with  the  body  of  the  temple 
by  a  double  row  of  columns,  forms  the 
entrance. 

The  subjects  of  the  interior  are 
mostly  offerings  made  by  king  Aniu- 
noph  to  the  contemplar  deities ;  and 
near  the  door  are  represented  this 
Pharaoh  and  his  father  Thothmes  IV. 
On-  one  of  the  jambs  of  the  door  the 
name  of  king  Sethi  I.  has  usurped  the 
place  of  his  ancestor's  prenomen  ;  and 
beyond,  on  the  outside  wall,  is  a  tablet 
of  the  41st  year  of  Kameses  II.,  in 
which  the  fourth  son  of  that  Pharaoh, 
a  priest  of  Phtah,  is  attending  his 
father  in  the  capacity  of  fan-bearer. 

The  drawing  and  painting  in  this 
little  temple  are  very  good,  and  in 
some  places  the  colour  is  well  preserved. 

On  returning  from  this  ruin,  and 
following  the  bed  of  the  valley,  nearly 
opposite  the  naos  of  Eameses,  the  geo- 
logist may  examine  the  numerous 
ponds,  on  whose  brink  is  found  natron, 
or  subcarbonate  of  soda.  Or  he  may 
continue  a  little  beyond  the  temple  of 
Amunoph  III.,  and  then  turn  to  the  1. 
down  a  broad  valley,  also  filled  with 
numerous  natron  ponds,  and  which 
will  bring  him  to  the  river  near  the 
isolated  rock  above  mentioned,  about 
2  m.  below  the  crude-brick  fortress 
near  which  he  landed. 

The  most  interesting  objects  at 
Eileithyias  are  the.  grottoes  in  the 
mountain  to  the  N.  of  the  ancient 
town. 

The  third  sculptured  tomb  to  the 
eastward  is  the  most  curious  as  a  chro- 
nological monument,  since  it  relates 
to  a  captain  of  the  fleet  who  served 
under  Amosis,  the  first  king  of  the 
XVlIIth  dynasty,  and  his  successors 
— Amunoph  L,  the  three  Thothmes, 
and  Amun-noo-het. 

Above  it  is  a  large  grotto,  still  in 
good  preservation,  containing  coloured 
drawings  relating  to  agricultural  and 


other  occupations  of  the  early  Egyp- 
tians. The  outlines  of  the  figures  and 
the  subjects  here  detailed,  though  of 
inferior  style,  are  interesting. 

In  the  first  line  of  the  agricultural 
scene,  on  the  western  wall,  the  pea- 
sants are  employed  in  ploughing  and 
sowing ;  and  from  the  car  which  is 
seen  in  the  field,  we  are  to  infer  that 
the  owner  of  the  land  (who  is  also  the 
individual  of  the  tomb)  has  come  to 
overlook  them  at  their  work.  In  the 
second  line  they  reap  wheat  and  doora; 
the  distinction  being  pointed  out  by 
their  respective  heights.  In  the  third 
is  the  carrying,  and  tritura,  or  tread- 
ing-out  the  ear,  which  was  generally 
performed  throughout  Egypt  by  means 
of  oxen ;  and  the  winnowing,  measur- 
ing, and  housing  the  grain.  The 
doora  or  sorghum  was  not  submitted 
to  the  same  process  as  the  wheat,  nor 
was  it  reaped,  by  the  sickle ;  but  after 
having  been  plucked  up  by  the  roots, 
was  bound  in  sheaves,  and'  carried  to 
the  threshing-floor,  where,  by  means  of 
a  wooden  beam,  whose  upper  extremity 
was  furnished  with  three  or  four 
prongs,  the  grain  was  stripped  from 
the  stalks,  which  were  forcibly  drawn 
through  them. 

The  text  accompanying  these  scenes 
gives  the  song  sung  by  the  labourers 
as  they  drive  the  oxen.  The  hiero- 
glyphics have  been  differently  deci- 
phered and  differently  translated,  but 
the  following  paraphrastic  rendering 
by  Mr.  Gliddon  aptly  gives  the  sense  : 

"  Hie  along,  oxen !  tread  the  corn  faster; 
The  straw  tor  yourselves,  the  corn  for  your, 
master." 

Below  are  the  cattle,  asses,  pigs, 
and  goats  belonging  to  the  deceased, 
which  are  brought  to  be  numbered 
and  registered  by  his  scribes.  In 
another  part  they  weigh  the  gold,  his 
property ;  and  fowling  and  fishing 
scenes,  the  occupation  of  salting  fish 
and  geese,  the  wine-press,  boats,  a 
party  of  guests,  the  procession  of  the 
bier,  and  some  sacred  subjects  occupy 
the  remainder  of  the  wall. 

From  these,  and  other  paintings,  we 
find  that  the  Egyptian  boats  we^e 
richly  coloured  and  of  considerable 


456 


EOUTE  20.  LUXOR  TO  ASSOOlN  AND  PHIL^J.       Sect.  IV. 


size.  They  were  furnished  with  at 
least  twelve  or  fourteen  oars,  and,  be- 
sides a  spacious  cabin,  there  was  suffi- 
cient room  to  take  on  board  a  chariot 
and  pair  of  horses,  which  we  see  here 
represented.  Such  were  the  painted 
boats  that  surprised  the  Arabs  when 
they  invaded  the  country. 

On  the  opposite  side,  the  individual 
of  the  tomb,  seated  with  his  wife  on  a  ■ 
handsome  fauteuil,  to  which  a  favour- 
ite monkey  is  tied,  entertains  a  party 
of  his  friends;  the  men  and  women 
seated  apart.  Music  is  introduced,  as 
was  customary  at  all  Egyptian  enter- 
tainments, but  the  only  instruments 
here  are  the  double  pipe,  clappers, 
and  harp. 

The  greater  part  of  the  remaining 
tombs  are  very  imperfectly  preserved ; 
but  some  of  them  still  present  a  few 
useful  hints  for  the  study  of  Egyptian 
chronology. 

Those  behind  the  hill  are  not  worthy 
of  a  visit. 

To  the  S.  of  the  ruins,  near  the  river, 
are  the  remains  of  a  stone  quay. 

Some  time  before  reaching  Edfoo 
the  propylon  of  its  magnificent  temple 
can  be  seen  towering  up  on  the'W. 
bank. 

(TT.)  Edfoo  (13i  m.),  in  Coptic, 
Phboou,  or  Atbo,  is  the  ancient  Apol- 
linopolis  Magna.  The  village  is  about 
half  a  mile  from  the  river-bank. 

In  the  middle  of  it  stands  the 
temple,  entirely  surrounded  by  mud- 
huts  and  heaps  of  rubbish.  It  is  only 
since  1864  that  anything  but  the  pro- 
pylon  has  been  visible.  Up  to  that 
time  its  terraces  and  roofs  were  covered 
with  the  mud-huts  of  the  villagers, 
and  the  inside  filled  with  debris  of  all 
kinds  up  to  the  roof.  To  clear  it  out 
was  one  of  the  first  works  undertaken 
by  M.  Mariette,  after  his  appointment 
by  the  present  Khedive  as  conservator 
of  the  monuments  of  old  Egypt,  and 
director  of  the  excavations  and  re- 
searches in  connection  with  them. 
As  a  perfect  specimen  of  an  Egyptian 
temple,  complete  in  all  its  parts,  that 
of  Edfoo  stands  unrivalled ;  for,  though 
Denderah  is  as  complete,  so  far  as  the 
actual  temple  is  concerned,  the  mag- 


nificent propylon  towers  at  Edfoo,  and 
the  wall  of  enclosure,  are  quite  unique. 
The  temple  was  founded  by  Ptolemy 
Philopator,  who  built  the  sanctuary  and 
the  chambers  round  it,  and,  indeed, 
all  the  back  part  of  the  temple.  The 
name  of  Ptolemy  Philometer  is  found 
in  the  centre  halls,  and  their  decora- 
tion is  probably  due  to  him.  The 
y  portico  was  constructed  by  Ptolemy 
Philometer  and  Euergetes  II. ;  the 
latter  of  whom  also  built  part  of  the 
wall  of  enclosure,  the  other  part  being 
the  work  of  Ptolemy  Alexander  I. 
The  pylon,  or  propylon,  was  either 
built  or  decorated  by  Ptolemy  Dio- 
nysus. 

The  plan  of  the  temple  of  Edfoo 
resembles  in  its  general  features  that 
of  Denderah,  and  the  same  religious 
ideas  and  feelings  which  have  been 
alluded  to  in  the  description  of  that 
temple  are  evident  here.  The  inscrip- 
tions on  the  walls  show  that,  as  at 
Denderah,  the  small  chambers  were 
used  for  the  storing  of  religious  uten- 
sils, offerings,  &c.  Processions,  headed 
by  the  king,  assembled  in  the  first 
hall;  the  little  chapel  on  the  N. 
side  was  specially  appropriated  to 
the  ceremonies  in  connection  with 
the  New  Year.  The  sanctum  sanc- 
torum, however,  is  not,  as  at  Den- 
derah, a  niche  in  the  wall  of  the 
innermost  chamber.  Here  it  is  repre- 
sented by  a  magnificent  monolith  of 
grey  granite,  which  now  lies  in  the 
corner  of  the  sanctuary.  From  the 
inscription  on  it  we  learn  that  it  was 
made  by  Nectanebo  I.,  of  the  XXXth 
dynasty,  to  serve  as  a  naos  to  the 
old  temple  subsequently  destroyed, 
and  replaced  by  the  actual  one.  In 
this  species  of  cage  was  kept  the 
hawk,  the  emblem  of  the  god  Hor- 
Hat,  who  was  the  principal  divinity 
of  the  temple. 

The  sculptures  with  which  every 
part  of  this  temple  is  covered  are, 
many  of  them,  extremely  interesting. 
Some  of  them  contain  valuable  in- 
formation respecting  the  ancient  geo- 
graphy of  Egypt.  Others  give  the 
names  of  the  several  chambers  of  the 
temple,  and  their  dimensions  in  cubits 
and  parts  of  cubits,  so  that  the  ancient 


Egypt. 


EOTJTE  20.  TEMPLE  OF  EDFOO. 


457 


Egyptian  measurements  can  be  com- 
pared with  the  modern  ones. 

The  whole  length  of  the  temple,  in- 
cluding the  propylon  and  the  wall  of 
circuit,  is  about  450  ft.  The  breadth 
of  the  propylon  is  about  250  ft.  and 
its  height  115  ft.  The  hollows  in 
its  outside  facade  were  for  holding 
the  huge  fiagstaffs  with  which  it  was 
decorated. 

The  view  from  the  summit  of  the 
temple  of  Edfoo  is  very  fine. 

Close  to  the  large  temple  is  a  small 
one  erected  by  Ptolemy  Physcon  and 
Lathyrus,  but  it  is  much  damaged 
and  defaced. 

During  the  winter  months  numerous 
geese,  teal,  and  other  wildfowl  fre- 
quent a  sort  of  marsh  or  lake  to  the 
westward  of  Edfoo ;  and  the  sandbanks 
in  the  river  are  covered  with  aquatic 
birds.  Unless  the  traveller  has  a 
boat,  the  only  way  of  getting  at  the 
geese  is  to  go  out  before  daybreak, 
and  crouch  under  the  lee  of  the  large 
embankment  running  inland.  As  soon 
as  day  dawns,  the  geese  will  begin 
flying  inland  to  feed,  from  the  sand- 
banks where  they  have  slept,  and  a 
good  many  shots  may  be  had  at  them 
as  they  come  flying  low  over  the  em- 
bankment. 

(E.)  Halfway  from  Edfoo  to  Gelbel 
Silsileh  is  a  ruined  town  on  the  E. 
bank,  called  Booayb,  once  fortified 
with  a  wall  flanked  by  round  towers, 
not  of  very  ancient  date,  and  appa- 
rently throughout  of  Arab  construc- 
tion. It  may  have  been  the  site  of 
Pithom  or  Toum,  the  ancient  Thmuis ; 
though  this  should  be  halfway  between 
Edfoo  and  Ombos.  Thmuis  is  evi- 
dently the  Tooum  of  Ptolemy,  who 
places  it  inland,  14'  N.  of  Ombos,  and 
25'  S.  of  Eileithyias.  Some  suppose 
Thmuis  to  be  the  same  as  Silsilis. 
Halfway  between  this  fortified  place 
and  Tonab  is  a  grotto  in  the  rock. 

(W.)  On  the  W.  bank,  opposite  Sil- 
weh,  in  a  ravine  called  Shut  el  Kagel, 
Mr.  Harris  discovered  a  tablet  con- 
taining the  names  of  some  kings  of 
the  Xlth  dynasty.  He  also  found 
the  names  of  Amunoph  I.  and  the  1st 
and  2nd  Thothmes;  with  others  of 
much  older  date,  but  much  defaced; 

[Egypt] 


and  at  El  Hosh  an  inscription  begin 
ning  with  the  year  17  of  Amenemha  II- 
There  are  said  to  be  other  stelse  in  the 
neighbourhood,  with  the  names  of 
some  old  kings. 

(W.)  About  3  m.  below  Silsilis  the 
hills  come  down  to  the  bank  and  form 
a  sort  of  bluff.  Sharp  gusts  of  wind 
often  render  the  navigation  under 
these  hills  rather  dangerous.  They 
are  called  Gebel  Aboo  Ghabah. 

At  Heshan  to  the  N.  of  Silsilis  are 
a  stone  quay  and  some  quarries ;  and 
almost  at  the  N.  end  of  the  hills  of 
Silsilis  Mr.  Harris  found  several  Greek 
inscriptions  of  the  time  of  the  Empire. 

(E.  and  W.)  Hdgar  Silsileh ;  Silsilis 
(26  miles).— At  Hdgar  (or  Gehel)  Sil- 
sileh— the  "  stone  "  (or  "  mountain  ") 
"  of  the  chain  " — are  extensive  quarries 
of  sandstone,  from  which  the  blocks 
used  in  the  greater  part  of  the  Egyp- 
tian temples  were  taken.  The  Arabs 
account  for  the  modern  name  by  pre- 
tending that  a  tradition  records  the 
stoppage  of  the  navigation  of  the  river 
at  this  spot  by  a  chain,  which  the 
jealousy  of  a  king  of  the  country  or- 
dered to  be  fastened  across  it.  The 
narrowness  of  the  river,  and  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  rock  resembling  a  pillar, 
to  which  the  chain  was  thought  to 
have  been  attached,  and  the  ancient 
name  Silsilis,  so  similar  to  the  Arabic 
Silsileh,  doubtless  gave  rise  to  the  tra- 
dition; and  the  Greek  Silsilis  was 
itself  a  corruption  of  the  old  Egyptian 
name,  preserved  in  the  Coptic  Golgl. 

The  breadth  of  the  Nile  here  is  only 
1095  ft.  at  the  narrowest  part. 

(E.)  On  the  eastern  side  of  the 
Nile,  and  near  the  commencement  of 
the  quarries,  stood  the  ancient  town 
of  Silsilis,  of  which  nothing  now  re- 
mains but  the  substructions  of  a  stone 
building,  probably  a  temple.  On  this 
bank  the  quarries  are  very  extensive, 
but  less  interesting  to  the  antiquary 
than  those  on  the  W. ;  where,  in  addi- 
tion to  the  quarries  themselves,  are 
several  curious  grottoes  and  tablets  of 
hieroglyphics,  executed  in  the  early 
time  of  the  Pharaohs  of  the  XVIIIth 
and  XlXth  dynasties. 


458 


ASSOOAN  AND  PHILJE.      Sect.  IV. 


It  is  not  by  the  size  and  extent  of 
the  monuments  of  Upper  Egypt  alone 
that  we  are  enabled  to  judge  of  the 
stupendous  works  executed  by  the 
ancient  Egyptians :  these  quarries 
would  suffice  to  prove  the  character 
they  bore,  were  the  gigantic  ruins  of 
Thebes  and  other  cities  no  longer  in 
existence ;  and  safely  may  we  apply 
the  expression  used  by  Pliny,  in  speak- 
ing of  the  porphyry  quarries,  to  those 
of  Silsilis :  "  quantislibet  molibus  cse- 
dendis  sufficiunt  lapidicinse." 

(W.)  The  first  grotto  to  the  N.  con- 
sists of  a  long  corridor,  supported  by 
four  pillars,  cut  in  the  face  of  the 
rock,  on  which,  as  well  as  on  the 
interior  wall,  are  sculptured  several 
tablets  of  hieroglyphics,  bearing  the 
names  of  different  kings.  It  was  com- 
menced by  Horus,  the  successor  of  the 
third  Amunoph,  and  the  last  Pharaoh 
of  the  XVIIlth  dynasty,  who  has  here 
commemorated  his  defeat  of  the  Kush 
(Cush),  or  Ethiopians.  He  is  repre- 
sented in  a  car,  pursuing  with  bended 
bow  the  flying  enemy,  who,  being 
completely  routed,  sue  for  peace.  He 
is  then  borne  in  a  splendid  shrine  by 
the  Egyptian  chiefs,  preceded  by  his 
troops,  and  by  captives  of  the  conquered 
nation ;  a  trumpeter  having  given  the 
signal  for  the  procession  to  march. 
Other  soldiers  are  employed  in  bring- 
ing the  prisoners  they  have  captured ; 
and  in  another  part  the  monarch  is 
seen  receiving  the  emblem  of  life  from 
the  god  Amun-re. 

One  of  the  most  perfect  specimens 
of  Egyptian  sculpture  during  its  best 
period  is  seen  in  the  tableau  repre- 
senting Horus  as  an  infant  suckled  by 
a  goddess.  Unfortunately  the  paint- 
ings in  this  grotto  are  much  injured 
by  the  smoke  of  torches,  and  by  the 
fires  often  lighted  by  the  sailors. 

There  are  other  tablets  of  the  time 
of  Kameses  II.,  of  his  son  Menephtah, 
and  other  kings  of  the  XlXth  dynasty. 
In  an  historical  point  of  view  they  are 
exceedingly  interesting;  particularly 
from  the  mention  of  assemblies  held 
in  the  30th,  34th,  37th,  and  44th  years 
of  Eameses  the  Great ;  from  the  pre- 
sence of  the  name  of  Isinofri,  the  queen 


of  Menephtah,  being  the  same  as  that 
of  his  mother  the  second  wife  of 
Eameses;  and  from  their  relating  to 
other  sons  of  that  conqueror. 

These  tablets,  like  similar  ones  at 
Assooan,  show  that  the  stones  used 
in  different  Egyptian  buildings  were 
taken  from  the  quarries  in  their  vi- 
cinity; but  it  must  be  observed  that 
various  other  parts  of  the  same  sand- 
stone strata  afforded  their  share  of 
materials ;  as  may  be  seen  from  the 
numerous  quarries  about  El  Hellal, 
and  on  the  way  to  Silsilis,  though  but 
trifling  when  compared  with  the  ex- 
tensive ones  of  this  mountain. 

The  earliest  Egyptian  edifices  were 
principally  erected  of  limestone,  which 
continued  in  use  occasionally,  even  in 
Upper  Egypt,  till  the  commencement 
of  the  X\IIIth  dynasty,  though  the 
Pharaohs  of  the  Xllth  had  already 
introduced  the  sandstone  of  Silsilis  to 
build  the  walls  and  colonnades  of  some 
of  the  larger  temples ;  and  its  fitness 
for  masonry,  its  durability,  and  the 
evenness  of  its  grain  became  so  tho- 
roughly appreciated  by  their  archi- 
tects, during  the  XVIIlth  and  suc- 
ceeding dynasties,  that  it  was  from 
that  time  almost  exclusively  used  in 
building  the  monuments  of  the  The- 
ba'id.  But  as  its  texture  was  less 
suited  for  the  reception  of  colour  than 
the  smoother  limestone,  they  prepared 
its  surface  with  a  coat  of  calcareous 
composition  which,  while  it  prevented 
the  stone  from  imbibing  an  unneces- 
sary quantity  of  colour,  afforded  greater 
facility  for  the  execution  of  the  out- 
lines. The  subjects,  when  sculptured, 
either  in  relief  or  intaglio,  were  again 
coated  with  the  same  substance,  to 
receive  the  final  colouring;  and  the 
details  of  the  figures  and  of  the  other 
objects  could  thereby  be  finished  with  - 
a  precision  and  delicacy  in  vain  to  be 
expected  on  the  rough  and  absorbent  i 
surface  of  the  sandstone.  i  \ 

Their  paints  were  mixed  with  water,  \ 
and  in  some  cases  they  can  be  washed  1 
off  by  a  wet  cloth,  as  in  Belzoni's  tomb  5 
,  at  Thebes ;  but  in  other  tombs  they 
!  are  often  fixed,  and  sometimes  have  a  1  q 
j  varnish  over  the  surface.  There  is,  \ 
1  however,  no  evidence  of  any  colour  I 


Egypt.     route  20. — silsilis  :  grottoes  and  quarries. 


459 


being  mixed  with  oil,  as  some  have 
imagined.  The  reds  and  yellows  were 
ochre,  but  the  greens  and  blues  were 
extracted  from  copper,  and  though  of 
a  most  beautifid  hue,  the  quality  was 
much  coarser  than  either  of  the  former, 
or  their  ivory  black.  The  white  is  a 
very  pure  chalk,  reduced  to  an  impal- 
pable powder ;  and  the  brown,  orange, 
and  other  compound  colours,  were  sim- 
ply formed  by  the  combination  of  some 
of  the  above.  Owing  to  their  being 
mixed  with  water,  they  necessarily  re- 
quired some  protection,  even  in  the  dry 
climate  of  Egypt,  against  the  contact 
of  rain ;  and  so  attentive  were  the 
builders  to  this  point,  that  the  inter- 
stices of  the  blocks  which  form  the 
roofs  of  the  temples,  independent  of 
their  being  well  fitted  together  and 
cemented  with  a  tenacious  and  com- 
pact mortar,  were  covered  by  an  addi- 
tional piece  of  stone,  let  into  a  groove 
of  about  8  in.  in  breadth,  extending 
equally  on  either  side  of  the  line  of 
their  junction. 

However,  the  partial  showers  and 
occasional  storms  in  Upper  Egypt 
might  affect  the  state  of  their  painted 
walls,  it  was  not  sufficient  to  injure 
the  stone  itself,  which  still  remains 
in  its  original  state,  even  after  so  long 
a  period,  except  where  the  damp, 
arising  from  earth  impregnated  with 
nitre,  has  penetrated  through  its  gra- 
nular texture,  as  is  here  and  there 
observable  near  the  ground  at  Me- 
deenet  Haboo,  and  in  other  ruins  of 
the  Thebaid.  But  exposure  to  the 
external  atmosphere,  which  here  ge- 
nerally affects  calcareous  substances, 
was  found  not  to  be  injurious  to  the 
sandstone  of  Silsilis;  and,  like  its 
neighbour  the  granite,  it  was  only 
inferior  to  limestone  in  one  respect, 
that  the  latter  might  remain  buried 
for  ages  without  being  corroded  by 
the  salts  of  the  earth;  a  fact  with 
which  the  Egyptians,  from  having 
used  it  in  the  substructions  of  obe- 
lisks and  other  granitic  monuments, 
were  evidently  well  acquainted. 

Beyond  the  grotto  above  mentioned 
are  others  of  smaller  dimensions,  which 
have  served  for  sepulchres,  and  bear 
the  names  of  the  first  monarchs  of  the 


XVIIIth  dynasty:  among  which  are 
those  of  the  first  and  third  Thothmes, 
and  of  Queen  Amun-noo-het,  who  erect- 
ed the  great  obelisks  of  Karnak.  The 
few  sculptures  found  in  them  relate  to 
offerings  to  the  deceased,  and  some  of 
the  usual  subjects  of  tombs  ;  and  on  a 
rock  in  the  vicinity  is  the  name  of 
Mai-re,  or  Eemai,  the  prenomen  of 
Papi,  of  the  Vlth  dynasty. 

To  the  S.  of  these  again  are  other 
tablets  and  open  chapels,  of  very  ele- 
gant form.  They  aie  ornamented  with 
columns,  having  capitals  resembling 
the  bud  of  the  water-plant,  surmounted 
by  an  elegant  Egyptian  cornice,  and 
in  general  style  and  design  they  very 
much  resemble  one  another.  The  first, 
which  is  much  destroyed,  was  executed 
during  the  reign  of  Sethi  I.,  father  of 
the  second  Barneses  ;  the  next  by  his 
son ;  and  the  third,  which  is  the  most 
northerly,  by  Menephtah,  the  son  and 
successor  of  the  same  Barneses.  The 
subjects  of  the  two  last  are  very  similar, 
and  their  tablets  date  in  the  first  year 
of  either  monarch.  In  the  chapel  of 
Barneses,  the  king  makes  offerings  to 
Amunre,  Maut,  and  Khonso  (Khons), 
the  Theban  triad ;  and  to  Be,  Phtah, 
the  Hapimuo  (the  god  Nilus);  the  other 
contemplar  deities  being  Savak,  Man- 
doo,  Osiris,  Moui,  Justice,  Tafne,  Seb, 
Atmoo  or  Atum,  Khem,  Athor,  Thoth, 
Anouke,  and  a  few  others,  whose  name 
and  character  are  less  certain.  The 
headdress  of  the  last-mentioned  god- 
dess resembles  that  of  one  of  the 
Mexican  deities,  projectingandcui'ving 
over  at  the  top  like  an  inverted  bell. 
It  is  supposed  to  represent  a  mass  of 
hemp ;  which  was  probably  an  emblem 
of  the  Egyptian  Vesta. 

In  the  principal  picture  Barneses 
presents  an  offering  of  incense  to  the 
Theban  triad,  and  two  vases  of  wine  to 
Be,  Phtah,  and  the  god  Nile,  who  is 
here  treated  as  the  other  divinities  of 
Egypt.  Indeed  it  is  remarkable  that 
he  is  only  represented  in  this  manner 
at  Silsilis.  He  usually  bears  lotus- 
plants  and  water-jars,  or  the  various 
I  productions  of  Egypt,  among  the  orna- 
I  mented  devises  at  the  bases  of  the  walls 
»  in  certain  parts  of  the  temples,  or  on 
x  2 


460 


EOUTE  20.  LTJXOR  TO 


ASSOOAN  AND  PHILiE.       Sect.  I\T. 


the  thrones  of  statues;  and  he  fre- 
quently carries  the  emblems  of  the  dif- 
ferent nomes  and  toparchies  of  Egypt. 

Isinofri,  the  queen  of  Eameses  II., 
also  holds  forth  twosistra  before  a  curi- 
ous triad  of  deities ;  and  at  the  base  of 
the  side  walls  the  god  Nilus  is  again 
introduced,  carrying  water-plants  and 
various  offerings,  the  produce  of  the 
irrigated  land  of  Egypt.  Some  small 
tablets  occur  at  the  side  of  these 
chapels ;  one  of  them  of  the  time  of 
Amunoph  I.,  second  monarch  of  the 
XVIIIth  dynasty;  others  of  Mene- 
phtah;  and  a  larger  one  of  Eameses 
III.  offering  to  Ee  and  Nilus. 

There  is  also  a  tablet  of  Sheshonk 
(Skishak),  who  is  introduced  by  the 
goddess  Maut  to  Amun,  Ee,  and  Phtah, 
followed  by  his  second  son,  the  high- 
priest  of  Amun,  who  was  also  a  mili- 
tary chief. 

Savak,  the  deity  of  Ombos,  with  the 
head  of  a  crocodile,  is  the  presiding 
god  of  Silsilis,  and  his  titles  of  Lord  of 
Ombos,  and  Lord  of  Silsilis,  are  fre- 
quently found  alternating  in  the  stelse 
of  these  quarries. 

The  blocks  cut  from  the  quarries 
were  conveyed  on  rafts,  or  boats,  to 
their  place  of  destination,  for  the  erec- 
tion of  the  temples.  But  the  large 
masses  of  granite,  for  obelisks  and 
colossi,  were  not  sent  by  water  from 
Syene ;  these  seem  to  have  been  taken 
by  land ;  and  Herodotus,  in  mention- 
ing one  of  the  largest  blocks  ever  cut 
by  the  Egyptians,  says  it  was  con- 
veyed from  Elephantine  (or  rather 
Syene)  by  land,  during  the  reign  of 
Amasis,  to  the  vicinity  of  Sa'is,  and 
that  it  employed  2000  men  for  three 
years. 

The  particular  honour  paid  to  the 
god  Nilus  at  Silsilis  was  perhaps  con- 
nected with  the  transmission  of  the 
blocks  by  water,  which  were  there  com- 
mitted to  the  charge  of  the  river  god  ; 
but  it  may  have  originated  in  the 
peculiar  character  of  the  river  itself 
in  that  part  before  the  rocks  of  Silsilis 
gave  way,  and  transferred  the  first 
cataract  from  Silsilis  to  Syene.  Then 
indeed  the  great  difference  of  elevation 
above  and  below  Silsilis  made  a  far 
more  marked  distinction  between  the 


Egyptian  part  of  the  river  and  that  to 
the  S.  than  at  the  present  day  between 
the  Nile  below  Assooan  and  in  Nubia ; 
and  though  this  fact  was  unknown 
to  Champollion,  he  with  his  usual 
sagacity  gave  a  very  similar  reason, 
that  the  river  at  Silsilis  "  seems  to 
make  a  second  entrance  into  Egypt 
after  having  burst  through  the  moun- 
tains that  here  oppose  its  passage,  as 
it  forced  its  way  through  the  granite 
rocks  at  the  cataract."  In  reality  the 
analogy  was  stronger,  as  here  was  ori- 
ginally its  great  cataract,  and  its  first 
entrance  into  Egypt ;  and  there  is  rea- 
son to  believe  that  the  most  southerly 
nome  of  Egypt  was  originally  that  of 
Apollinopolis.  {See  Mr.  Harris's  Stan- 
dards.) If  any  early  records  of  the 
rise  of  the  Nile  could  be  found  at 
Silsilis,  they  might  point  out  the  exact 
period  when  the  rocks  gave  way ;  and 
it  would  be  interesting  to  find  any 
evidences  of  the  former  level  of  the 
river  immediately  above  Silsilis. 

Between  Silsilis  and  Kom  Ombo  are 
a  succession  of  sandbanks  on  which 
crocodiles  may  frequently  be  seen. 
The  valley  of  the  Nile  now  assumes 
quite  a  different  aspect;  indeed  the 
change  may  be  said  to  begin  after 
leaving  Edfoo.  The  two  mountain 
chains  which  border  the  river  draw 
closer  together,  and  the  cultivated  land 
is  reduced  in  many  parts  to  a  mere 
strip:  indeed,  here  and  there  the 
desert  comes  down  to  the  water's 
edge. 

At  Fares,  to  the  S.  of  Silsilis,  are 
said  to  be  the  vestiges  of  a  small  temple, 
with  the  name  of  Antoninus ;  and  at 
this  place  some  coffins  of  burnt  clay 
have  been  found  similar  to  a  few  met 
with  at  Thebes,  made  in  the  form  of 
the  body,  in  two  parts,  laced  together 
with  thongs  or  string.  Farther  on  to 
the  S.,  a  little  before  the  river  turns 
eastward  towards  Ombos,  on  the  W. 
bank  and  nearly  opposite  Mane'eha,  is 
a  mass  of  alluvial  deposit ;  and"  about 
1  m.  below  Ombos  is  a  bed  of  Egyptian 
pebbles,  with  a  few  fossils,  and  a  curi- 
ous sandstone  concretion. 

(E.)  Kom  Ombo  (15  miles)  marks 
the  site  of  the  ancient  Ombos,  in  Coptic 


Egypt 


HOTJTE  20.  ROM  05IBO. 


461 


Mbo.  The  ancient  town  and  the  more 
modern  village  which  succeeded  it, 
have  both  been  buried  beneath  the 
sand.  All  that  remains  are  some  ruins 
of  two  temples  that  stood  partly  on 
raised  ground,  and  partly  on  an  arti- 
ficial platform  high  above  the  river. 
They  are  not  probably  destined  to  re- 
main there  very  long,  as,  slowly  but 
surely,  the  river  is  undermining  the 
bank,  and  will  carry  them  away.  One, 
founded  in  the  reign  of  Ptolemy  Phi- 
lometer,  continued  by  his  brother 
Physcon  (who  is  introduced  as  usual 
with  his  queens,  the  two  Cleopatras), 
and  finished  by  Auletes,  or  Neus  Dio- 
nysus, has  the  peculiarity  of  possessing 
two  entrances,  and  two  parallel  sanc- 
tuaries. It  is,  in  fact  a  double  temple, 
dedicated  to  the  two  hostile  principles 
of  Light,  adored  under  the  form  of 
Horus,  and  Darkness,  under  that  of 
the  crocodile-headed  god,  Savak.  The 
appearance  of  the  two  winged  globes 
over  the  ^entrance  rather  adds  to  the 
general  effect. 

On  the  under  surface  of  some  of  the 
architraves  of  the  portico  the  figures 
have  been  left  unfinished,  and  present 
a  satisfactory  specimen  of  the  Egyp- 
tian mode  of  drawing  them  in  squares, 
when  the  art:sts  began  their  pictures. 
A  similar  arrangement  is  met  with  in 
some  of  the  tombs  at  Thebes,  of  the 
time  of  the  XYIIIth  and  XlXth  dy- 
nasties ;  from  which  it  appears  that 
the  proportions  of  the  human  figure 
differed  at  various  periods.  In  these 
last  the  lower  leg,  from  the  plant  of 
the  foot  to  the  centre  of  the  knee, 
occupied  six  squares  in  height,  and 
and  the  whole  figure  to  the  top  of  the 
head  19  squares.  At  Ombos  and  in 
other  Ptolemaic  buildings  the  pro- 
portions are  somewhat  different,  and 
the  figm-e  (as  in  the  earliest,  or  Pyra- 
mid, period)  is  less  elongated  than  in 
the  XVIDIth  and  XlXth  dynasties. 
The  difference  in  the  character  of  the 
human  figure  during  the  early  Pyra- 
mid age  is  rather  in  its  breadth  com- 
pared to  its  height ;  and  it  is  re- 
markable that  statues  were  then  less 
conventional,  and  bore  a  closer  resem- 
blance to  nature,  than  in  later  times. 

The  other  ruin,  which  stands  on  an 


artificial  platform  towering  above  the 
river,  appears  to  have  been  dedicated 
to  the  crocodile-headed  god,  Savak, 
by  Ptolemy  Physcon ;  but  the  sculp- 
tures rather  require  it  to  have  been, 
as  M.  Champollion  supposes,  an  edifice 
"  typifying  the  birthplace  of  the  young 
god  of  the  local  triad."  The  grand 
gateway  at  the  eastern  extremity,  for 
it  stood'  at  right  angles  with  the  other 
temple,  bears  the  name  of  Auletes,  by 
whom  it  was  completed.  It  is,  how- 
ever, now  in  so  ruinous  a  state,  that 
little  can  be  traced  of  its  original 
plan;  but  the  pavement  is  seen  in 
many  places,  laid  upon  stone  substruc- 
tions, which  extend  considerably  below 
it ;  and  some  of  the  walls  of  the  cham- 
bers composing  the  interior  of  the  naos 
are  partially  preserved.  From  the  frag- 
ments of  columns,  whose  capitals  re- 
sembled those  of  the  portico  of  Den- 
derah,  we  are  also  enabled  to  ascertain 
the  site  of  a  grand  hall  which  formed 
part  of  the  building. 

The  sacred  precincts  of  the  temples 
were  surrounded  by  a  strong  crude- 
brick  enclosure,  much  of  which  still 
remains  ;  but  from  its  crumbling  ma- 
terials, and  the  quantity  of  sand  that 
has  accumulated  about  it,  the  build- 
ings now  appear  to  stand  in  a  hollow ; 
though,  on  examination,  the  level  of 
the  area  is  found  not  to  extend  below 
the  base  of  the  wall. 

On  the  eastern  face  of  this  enclosure 
is  a  stone  gateway,  dedicated  to  Savak, 
the  Lord  of  Ombos,  which  bears  the 
name  of  the  3rd  Thothmes,  and  of 
Amun-noo-het.  This  satisfactorily 
proves  that,  though  the  ruins  only  date 
after  the  accession  of  the  Ptolemies,  or 
from  about  the  year  B.C.  173  to  60,  there 
had  previously  existed  a  temple  at 
Ombos,  of  the  early  epoch  of  the 
Pharaohs  of  the  XYIIIth  dynasty. 

The  upper  part  of  this  gateway  has 
been  added  by  a  late  Ptolemy,  or  by 
one  of  the  Csesars.  From  the  site  of 
it,  belonging  as  it  did  to  the  original 
temple,  we  derive  one  of  several  proofs 
that  the  lowering  of  the  Nile  above 
Silsilis  had  taken  place  before  the 
reign  of  Thothmes ;  Ombos  being  built 
on  the  old  alluvial  deposit,  which  was 
then  annually  covered  by  the  imm- 


462 


EOUTE  20.  LUXOR  TO  ASSOOAN  AND  PHIL^J.        Sect.  IY. 


dation ;  while  the  river,  since  that 
time,  has  never  reached  the  summit 
of  its  banks. 

The  mounds  of  the  town  and  re- 
mains of  houses  extend  considerably 
to  the  E.  of  this  enclosure ;  and,  to 
judge  from  their  appearance,  Ombos 
must  have  suffered  by  fire,  like  many 
other  cities  of  Upper  Egypt. 

Opposite  Kom  Umbo  is  a  large  island 
called  MansooreeaJi.  Sandgrouse  and 
quail  are  often  to  be  found  in  large 
numbers  there. 

Soon  after  passing  Edfoo  the  valley 
of  the  Nile  is  confined  within  very 
narrow  limits,  and,  though  slightly 
enlarged  in  the  vicinity  of  Ombos,  the 
mountains  again  approach  the  Nile  a 
little  farther  to  the  S.  The  general 
features  of.  the  country  begin  to  re- 
semble Nubia,  and  this  peculiarity  of 
character  is  increased  by  the  appear- 
ance of  the  water-wheels  which  occur 
at  short  intervals,  instead  of  the  pole 
and  bucket.  And,  being  generally 
protected  from  the  sun  by  mats,  they 
remind  the  traveller  that  he  has  al- 
ready reached  a  warmer  climate. 

On  several  of  the  heights  are  small 
towers,  particularly  on  the  W.  bank ; 
and  here  and  there  are  quarries  of 
sandstone  once  worked  by  the  ancient 
Egyptians. 

The  junction  of  the  sandstone  and 
granite  is  observed  about  two -thirds  of 
the  way  from  Ombos  to  Assooan,  in 
the  vicinity  of  El  Khattara;  from 
which  point  the  former  continues  at 
intervals  to  present  itself  over  the 
syenite,  and  other  primitive  beds,  as 
at  Assooan  and  in  Nubia. 

The  W.  bank  of  the  river  has  but  a 
a  very  narrow  strip  of  cultivation,  but 
the  E.  bank  presents,  in  one  or  two 
spots,  a  wider  expanse  of  land  covered 
with  palm-groves.  The  whole  district 
is  called  Akaba. 

The  approach  to  Assooan  is  very 
picturesque.  Keeping  to  the  channel 
E.  of  the  island  of  Elephantine,  the 
boat  runs  up  between  islets  of  polished 
black  rock,  and  passing  the  town, 
moors  to  a  sloping  bank  of  sand  just 
above  it.  At  very  low  Nile  the  effect 
is  marred  by  the  large  sand-banks  at 


|  the  mouth  of  the  E.  channel ;  and  so 
rapidly  are  these  increasing,  that  they 
threaten  to  block  the  way  altogether 
before  long.  Even  now,  large  boats 
are  obliged,  when  the  river  is  low,  to 
go  by  the  channel  W.  of  Elephantine, 
;  and  come  round  by  the  top  of  the 
island. 

"  For  two  or  three  miles  below  the 
town  the  banks  are  unusually  fertile  ; 
but  Assooan  itself  is  set  in  a  frame  of 
more  than  ordinary  barrenness  and 
desolation.  Immediately  before  it  lies 
the  island  of  Elephantine,  a  mosaic  of 
vivid  green,  golden  sand,  and  black 
syenite ;  but  on  the  1.  bank  opposite 
rises  a  high  hill  or  mountain  of  sand, 
and  on  the  rt.  the  town  is  shut  in  by 
confused  heaps  or  small  hills  of  syenite 
and  granite,  tossed  about  in  all  direc- 
tions, as  if  marking  some  fearful  con- 
vulsion of  primeval  nature.  The  toe 
of  the  island  comes  below  the  town.  .  . 
When  almost  level  with  its  foot,  the 
boat  is  steered  to  the  left,  and  enters 
the  deep  but  comparatively  narrow 
channel  on  which  Assooan  stands. 
But  even  this  is  so  cabined,  cribbed, 
and  confined  by  rocks,  that  the  view 
does  not  extend  2<  0  yards  upwards 
from  the  mooring-ground  of  daha- 
beahs,  and  as  his  boat  is  made  fast,  it 
requires  neither  guide  book  nor  drago- 
man to  announce  that  the  cataract  of 
the  Nile  is  reached." — F.  Eden. 

(E.)  Assooan  or  Aswan  (26 \  miles). 
The  frontier  town  of  Egypt  proper, 
containing  a  population  of  about  4000 
inhabitants.  It  is  situated  in  lat. 
24°  5'  25",  on  the  rt.  bank  of  the  Nile, 
at  the  N.  end  of  the  1st  Cataract,  and 
is  distant  about  580  miles  from  Cairo, 
and  780  from  the  Mediterranean.  It 
occupies  the  site  of  the  ancient  Syene, 
in  Coptic  Sonan,  which  signifies  "  the 
opening."  The  Arabs,  as  usual,  have 
added  an  initial  alef,  and  made  the 
'  name  Assooan.  The  town  is  well  built, 
and  some  of  the  houses  have  a  pic- 
turesque aspect  not  often  seen  in  Upper 
Egypt.  There  is  a  good  deal  of  move- 
ment in  the  bazaars,  owing  to  the  con- 
stant passage  of  merchandise  to  and 
from  the  Soodan  and  Central  Africa. 
The  produce  of  these  countries,  such 


Egypt. 


ROUTE  20.  ASSOOAN. 


463 


as  ivory,  gum  arabic,  ostrich  fea- 
thers, skins,  &c,  which  has  been 
brought  across  the  desert  and  down 
the  Nile,  is  unshipped  above  the  1st 
Cataract,  and  brought  on  camels  to 
Assooan,  where  it  is  reshipped  for 
transport  to  Cairo,  &c.  This  gives  the 
river  bank  at  Assooan  a  very  lively 
and  busy  aspect,  covered  as  it  often  is 
with  these  articles  of  merchandise, 
guarded  by  various  specimens  of  the 
African  race,  whom  the  traveller  now 
sees  for  the  first  time.  Indeed,  the 
population  of  Assooan  is  more  mixed, 
perhaps,  than  that  of  any  other  town 
in  Egypt.  Nubians  or  Barabras, 
Ababdeh  and  Bisharee  Bedaween, 
Negroes  of  all  sorts,  together  with 
Fellaheen,  Greeks,  Turks,  and  a  few 
Copts,  all  may  be  seen  on  the  bank  at 
Assooan.  It  is  a  great  place  for  the 
sale,  not  of  antiquities,  but  of  ostrich 
feathers,  ebony  ■  clubs,  shields,  silver 
rings,  lances,  arrows,  said  by  the  vend- 
ors to  be  poisoned,  wicker  baskets, 
Nubian  ladies'  costumes,  and  their 
articles  of  toilette,  &c. 

Assooan  contains  but  few  mementos 
of  its  former  history.  Of  the  time 
when  it  supplied  Egypt  with  the  ma- 
terial for  so  many  magnificent  monu- 
ments, and  its  granite  quarries  must 
have  swarmed  with  an  army  of  work- 
men, no  trace  is  left,  except  the  names 
of  one  or  two  kings  of  the  Xllth  dy- 
nasty on  the  rocks  in  the  neighbour- 
hood. In  the  time  of  the  Ptolemies, 
Syene  became  famous  from  being  con- 
sidered by  the  astronomers  of  Alex- 
andria as  lying  immediately  under 
the  tropic  ;  a  belief  which  arose  from 
the  circumstance  that  during  the  sum- 
mer solstice  the  rays  of  the  sun  fell 
vertically  to  the  bottom  of  a  well  in 
the  town.  It  was  on  the  knowledge 
that  the  sun  cast  no  shadow  at  Assooan, 
combined  with  the  measurement  of  the 
sun's  shadow  at  Alexandria  on  the 
longest  day,  and  the  distance  between 
the  two  places,  that  Eratosthenes  based 
his  calculations  for  the  measurement 
of  the  earth.  Later  discoveries  soon 
proved  the  tropic  of  Cancer  to  be  S.  of 
Syene ;  and  it  is  curious  that  Strabo, 
Seneca,  Lucan,  Pliny  and  others, 
should  have  thought  Syene  to  be  in 


the  tropics,  though  it  is  very  possible 
they  may  have  seen  the  sun  shining 
at  the  bottom  of  a  well.  Search  has 
been  made  for  this  well,  but  with- 
out success.  A  small  Ptolemaic  tem- 
ple has  lately  been  discovered ;  it  is 
situated  at  the  bottom  of  a  pit  to  the 
S.  of  the  town.  Under  the  Komans, 
Syene  was  an  important  frontier  town. 
Juvenal  was  banished  there  by  Domi- 
tian,  and  revenged  himself  for  being 
obliged  to  exchange  the  society  of 
Eome  for  the  command  of  a  cohort  at 
the  extremity  of  Egypt,  by  satirising 
with  equal  impartiality  the  Roman 
soldiers  and  the  Egyptians. 

In  the  first  ages  of  Christianity, 
Syene  was  the  seat  of  a  bishopric. 
Arab  writers  describe  Assooan  as  a 
fiom'ishing  town,  and  the  story,  if  it 
be  true,  that,  in  consequence  of  a  pest 
which  destroyed  more  than  20,000  of 
the  inhabitants,  a  part  of  the  old  town 
was  abandoned  for  the  neighbouring 
hills,  on  which  the  Saracens  had  set- 
tled, shows  it  to  have  been  a  place  of 
great  size.  But  in  the  latter  half  of 
the  12th  centy.,  it  suffered  so  severely 
from  the  depredations  of  the  Nubians 
on  the  S.,  and  the  Bedaween  on  the 
N.,  that  it  was  almost  com;  letely  re- 
duced to  ruins;  and  though  it  rose 
again  a  little  when  Sultan  Selim  placed 
a  Turkish  garrison  in  it,  it  never  be- 
came of  more  importance  than  it  is  at 
present.  Many  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Assooan  are  descended  from  these 
Turkish  soldiers. 

The  wall  projecting  into  the  river, 
opposite  the  S.  end  of  the  modern 
town,  is  not,  as  has  been  supposed,  of 
Roman,  but  of  Arab  construction,  and 
has  apparently  formed  part  of  a  bath. 
In  one  of  the  arches,  on  the  N.  side,  is 
a  Greek  inscription  relating  to  the 
rise  of  the  Nile,  brought  from  some 
other  building.  There  is  also  a  stone 
built  into  the  wall  to  the  S.  of  this, 
which  belonged  to  a  nilometer,  being 
part  of  a  scale  with  11  lines,  or  10 
divisions,  which  measure  1  ft.  3  in. 
They  are  double  digits ;  and  as  the 
cubit  consisted  of  28  digits,  this  frag- 
ment wants  four  divisions,  or  eight 
digits,  of  a  whole  cubit.  At  the  upper 


464 


ROUTE  20.  LUXOR  TO  ASSOOAN  AND  PHIL^I.       Sect.  IV. 


end  (but  the  lower,  as  it  stands  upside 
down  in  the  wall)  is  X,  the  number 
of  the  cubit.  This  differs  from  the 
cubit  of  the  nilometer  at  Elephantine, 
which  measures  1  ft.  8 '625  in.,  while 
this  is  1  ft.  9  in. ;  but  the  divisions 
are  very  irregular. 

The  Saracenic  wall,  whose  founda- 
tion dates  at  the  epoch  of  the  Arab 
invasion  by  Amer,  the  lieutenant  of 
the  caliph  Omar,  still  remains  on  the 
S.  side  of  the  old  town,  beyond  which 
are  the  numerous  tombs,  mostly  ceno- 
taphs, of  the  different  sheykhs  and 
saints  of  Egypt.  On  the  tombstones 
which  stand  towards  the  southern  ex- 
tremity of  this  cemetery  are  Cufic  in- 
scriptions. 

The  epitaphs  are  of  the  earlier  in- 
habitants of  Assooan,  and  bear  different 
dates,  from  about  the  commencement 
of  the  3rd  to  that  of  the  15th  century 
of  the  Hegira.  They  begin — "  In  the 
name  of  God,  the  clement  and  merci- 
ful," and  mention  the  name  and  pa- 
rentage of  the  deceased,  who  is  said 
to  have  died  in  the  true  faith ;  saying, 
"  I  bear  witness  that  there  is  no  cleity 
but  God  alone;  he  has  no  partner; 
and  that  Mohammed  is  the  servant 
and  apostle  of  God."  Some  end  with 
the  date,  but  in  others,  particularly 
those  of  the  earliest  epochs,  it  occurs 
about  the  centre  of  the  inscription. 
This  is  supposed  to  be  the  place  of 
martyrs  mentioned  by  Aboolfeda. 

Here,  as  at  Fostat  (Old  Cairo),  is  a 
mosk  of  Amer.  It  only  presents  round 
arches,  in  imitation  of  the  ordinary 
Byzantine-Greek,  or  the  Koman,  style 
of  building,  in  vogue  at  the  period  of 
the  Arab  invasion  ;  but  it  is  not  alto- 
gether improbable  that  an  attentive 
examination  of  the  ancient  Saracenic 
remains  around  this  cemetery  might 
lead  to  the  discovery  of  some  early 
specimens  of  the  pointed  arch. 

The  mosk  called  Gamat  (Jamat) 
Belad  has  pointed  arches,  but  it  ap- 
pears not  to  be  older  than  1077  a.d.  ; 
those  buildings  with  the  date  400  a.h. 
or  1010  a.d.  have  round  arches,  but  j 
one  of  420  a.h.  or  1080  a.d.  has  both 
pointed  and  round.  The  corbelling  of  ; 
the  domes  is  very  simple.  | 

A  short  distance  from  the  cemetery 


of  Assooan  is  a  small  bank  of  that 
alluvial  deposit  so  frequently  seen  on 
the  road  to  Philaa.  In  some  places 
small  blocks  of  granite  are  lying  upon 
its  upper  surface. 

The  site  of  the  town  of  Assooan,- con- 
nected as  it  is  with  one  end  of  the 
cluster  of  rocks  through  which  the 
road  leads  to  Philse,  and  in  which  the 
principal  granite-quarries  are  situated 
(bounded  on  the  W.  and  S.  by  the 
cataracts  and  the  channel  of  Philae, 
on  the  E.  by  an  open  plain  separating 
it  from  the  range  of  mountains  on  that 
side),  may  have  given  rise  to  the  fol- 
lowing passage  of  Pliny,  which  at  first 
sight  appears  so  singular :  "  Syene, 
ita  vocatur  peninsula ; "  since  we  find 
that  ancient  authors  frequently  used 
peninsula  and  insula  in  the  same  sense 
as  our  word  isolated ;  and  they  even 
applied  the  term  insula  to  a  detached 
house.  But  the  original  site  of  Syene 
may  really  have  been  on  an  island, 
when  the  Nile  during  the  inundation 
ran  also  to  the  E.  of  it. 

The  most  interesting  objects  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Assooan  are  the 
granite  quarries ;  and  in  one,  that  lies 
towards  the  S  E.  of  the  Arab  ceme- 
tery, is  an  obelisk,  which,  having 
never  been  entirely  detached  from  the 
rock,  remains  in  situ  in  the  quarry. 
The  fissure,  which  gives  it  the  appear- 
ance of  being  broken,  was  made  in  it 
at  a  later  period.  It  would  have  been 
more  than  95  ft.  in  height,  and  11  ft. 
1|  in.  in  breadth  in  the  largest  part  ; 
but  this  last  was  to  have  been  reduced 
when  finished.  An  inclined  road  leads 
to  the  summit  of  the  hill  to  the  S.E., 
and  on  the  descent  at  the  other  side 
was  a  fallen  pillar  (now  taken  away), 
with  a  Latin  inscription,  stating  that 
"  new  quarries  had  been  discovered  in 
the  vicinity  of  Philse ;  that  many  large 
pilasters  and  columns  had  been  hewn 
from  them  during  the  reigns  of  Severus 
and  Antoninus  (Caracalla),  and  his 
mother  Julia  Domna  ;  "  and  that "  this 
hill  was  under  the  tutelary  protection 
of  Jupiter  -  Hammon  -  Cenubis  (or 
Kneph),  and  Juno"  (or  Sate'),  the 
deities  of  Elephantine.  In  its  original 
site,  on  the  very  hill  it  mentions,  it 


Egypt.      route  20 — assooan — island  of  elephantine. 


465 


was  an  interesting  inscription ;  removed 
to  an  European  museum,  how  much  of 
that  interest  is  lost !  but  often  does 
the  love  of  acquisition  disregard  the 
satisfaction  that  others  might  feel  in 
visiting  a  local  monument. 

Between  this  and  the  river  is  a 
large  sarcophagus,  which,  having  been 
broken,  was  left  in  the  quarry. 

Besides  these,  several  of  the  rocks 
about  Assooan  bear  the  evident  ap- 
pearance of  having  been  quarried; 
and  the  marks  of  wedges,  and  the 
numerous  tablets  about  this  town, 
Elephantine,  Pkike,  and  Biggeh,  an- 
nounce the  removal  of  the  blocks,  and 
the  reign  of  the  Pharaoh  by  whose  orders 
they  were  hewn.  Many  of  them  are 
of  a  date  previous  to  and  after  the 
accession  of  the  XVII  Ith  dynasty, 
while  others  bear  the  names  of  later 
monarchs  of  the  XXVIth,  immediately 
before  the  invasion  of  Carnbyses  ;  but 
•some  merely  record  the  victories  of 
kings  over  the  enemies  of  Egypt,  or 
ihe  ex-votos  of  pious  visitors. 

It  is  curious  to  observe  in  these 
quarries  the  method  adopted  for  cut- 
ting off  the  blocks.  In  some  instances 
they  appear  to  have  used  wooden 
wedges,  as  in  India,  which,  being 
firmly  driven  into  holes  cut  to  receive 
them,  along  the  whole  line  of  the 
stone,  and  saturated  with  water,  broke 
it  off  by  their  equal  pressure.  Indeed, 
a  trench  seems  to  have  been  cut  for 
this  purpose,  and  the  fact  of  the  wedge- 
holes  being  frequently  seen,  where  the 
stone  is  still  unbroken,  strongly  con- 
firms this  conjecture. 

The  rocks  about  Syene  are  not,  as 
might  be  expected,  exclusively  syenite, 
but,  on  the  contrary,  consist  mostly 
of  granite,  with  some  syenite  and  a 
little  porphyry.  The  difference  be- 
tween the  two  former  is  this,  that 
syenite  is  composed  of  felspar,  quartz, 
and  hornblende,  instead  of  mica,  or 
solely  of  felspar  and  quartz ;  and 
granite  of  felspar,  quartz,  and  mica. 
According  to  some,  the  ingredients 
of  syenite  are  quartz,  felspar,  mica, 
and  hornblende ;  but  the  syenite  of  j 
antiquity,  used  for  statues,  was  really 
granite.  Indeed,  many  of  the  rocks  of 
Syene  contain  all  the  four  component 


parts ;  and,  from  their  differing  con- 
siderably in  their  proportions,  afford  a 
variety  of  specimens  for  the  collection 
of  a  mineralogist. 

The  environs  of  the  town  are  sandy 
and  barren,  producing  little  else  than 
palms ;  grain,  and  almost  every  kind 
of  provision,  being  brought,  as  in 
Aboolfeda's  time,  from  other  parts  of 
the  country.  But  the  dates  still  re- 
tain the  reputation  they  enjoyed  in 
the  days  of  Strabo;  and  the  palm  of 
Ibreem  is  cultivated  and  thrives  in  the 
climate  of  the  1st  Cataract.  Dates 
are  among  the  principal  exports  of 
Assooan,  and  senna,  charcoal,  henneh, 
wicker  baskets,  and  formerly  slaves 
from  the  interior,  from  Abyssinia,  and 
Upper  Ethiopia,  were  sent  from  thence 
to  different  parts  of  Lower  Egypt. 

The  Island  of  Elephantine  is  imme- 
diately opposite  Assooan.  It  is  called 
in  Arabic  Gezeeret  Assooan,  and  in 
Nubian  Sooan-Artiga  which  both  mean 
"  the  Island  of  Assooan."  It  has  also 
the  name  of  Gezeeret-ez-Zaher,  or 
"  the  Island  of  Flowers,"  from  the 
vegetation  with  which  its  northern 
end  is  covered.  By  ancient  authors  it 
is  always  called  Elephantine,  or  Ele- 
phantes.  The  ruins  of  the  old  town 
form  a  large  mound,  at  the  foot  of 
which  is  a  modern  village ;  and  there 
is  another  small  village  to  the  N.  The 
inhabitants  are  all  Nubians,  and  the 
traveller  has  here  his  first  opportunity 
of  observing  their  peculiarities  in  dress 
and  appearance. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  present 
century  there  were  the  remains  of  two 
temples  in  Elephantine,  one  a  very  in- 
teresting one,  built  by  Amunoph  III. 
They  were  destroyed  in  1822  by  the 
then  governor  of  Assooan,  in  order  to 
obtain  stone  for  building  a  palace.  The 
greater  part  of  the  Nilometer  which 
stood  at  the  upper  end  of  the  island 
shared  the  same  fate.  The  only  re- 
mains now  left  are  a  granite  gateway 
bearing  the  name  of  Alexander  III., 
near  which  is  a  badly  cut  statue  with 
the  cartouche  of  Menephtah,  the  son 
of  Barneses  II. ;  and  a  quay  of  Boman 
date,  in  the  construction  of  which  have 
been  used  many  blocks  taken  from 
more  ancient  monuments. 

x  3 


466 


ROUTE  20. — LUXOR  TO  ASSOOAN  AND  PHIL.3E.       Sect.  IV. 


Elephantine  had  a  garrison  in  the 
time  of  the  Konians,  as  well  as  in  the 
earlier  times  of  the  Persians  and 
Pharaonic  monarchs ;  and  it  was  from 
this  island  that  the  Ionians  and  Ca- 
rians,  who  had  accompanied  Psam- 
meticus,  were  sent  forward  into 
Ethiopia,  to  endeavour  to  bring  back 
the  Egyptian  troops  who  had  deserted. 

The  south  part  of  the  island  is 
covered  with  the  ruins  of  old  houses, 
and  fragments  of  pottery,  on  many  of 
which  are  Greek  inscriptions  in  the 
running  hand ;  and  the  peasants  who 
live  there  frequently  find  small  bronzes 
of  rams,  coins,  and  other  objects  of 
antiquity,  in  removing  the  nitre  of  the 
mounds  which  they  use  for  agricul- 
tural purposes. 

On  the  W.  bank  of  the  river  opposite 
Elephantine  are  a  few  remains  which 
mark  the  site  of  Contra -Syene ;  and 
about  I  mile  inland  up  the  valley,  are 
the  remains  of  an  old  building  often 
frequented  by  jackals  and  other  beasts 
of  prey. 

The  Cataracts— called  by  the  Arabs 
esh  Shelldh — are  really  little  more  than 
a  succession  of  rapids,  whirlpools,  and 
eddies,  caused  by  the  rocks  and  islets 
which  obstruct  the  course  of  the  river 
between  Philse  and  Assooan.  All  the 
cataracts  along  the  course  of  the  Nile 
are  more  or  less  of  the  same  character. 
Those  at  Assooan  are  commonly  known 
by  the  title  of  the  "  First  Cataract," 
from  their  being  the  first  reached  on 
the  way  up  the  Nile.  During  the 
high  Nile,  all  but  the  highest  rocks 
are  covered  with  water,  and  then  it  is 
possible  for  boats  to  sail  up  against 
what  is  little  more  than  a  very  power- 
ful stream ;  but  as  the  river  lowers,  it 
becomes  divided  into  numerous  narrow 
channels,  and  the  rapids  and  falls  are 
produced  which  have  obtained  for  it 
the  formidable  appellation  of  a  cata- 
ract, and  make  the  employment  of 
towing-ropes  and  many  hands  neces- 
sary for  getting  a  boat  up. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  account  for 
the  exaggerated  report  given  from 
hearsay  by  Cicero,  Seneca,  and  others, 
of  the  astounding  noise  made  by  this 
cataract,  which  was  so  great  that  people 


were  stunned  and  deprived  of  their 
sense  of  hearing,  were  it  not  that,  so 
recently  as  the  last  century,  a  traveller, 
Paul  Lucas,  speaks  of  the  cataract  pre- 
cipitating itself  from  the  rocks  with 
so  much  noise  as  to  deafen  the  in- 
habitants for  several  leagues  round. 
"  Travellers'  tales "  are  common  to 
all  periods  of  history.  Perhaps  the 
best  known  one  in  connection  with 
this  cataract  is  that  of  Herodotus,  in 
which  he  recounts  the  story  of  the 
sources  of  the  Nile  told  him  by  the 
treasurer  of  Minerva  at  Sais : — how, 
between  Syene  and  Elephantine,  there 
were  two  conical  hills,  called  Crophi 
and  Mophi,  between  which  lay  un- 
fathomable fountains,  whence  flowed 
the  Nile,  southwards  to  Ethiopia,  and 
northwards  to  the  Mediterranean. 

The  scenery  of  the  cataracts  i?  weird 
and  desolate,  but  not  without  a  certain 
beauty  and  grandeur,  and  it  is  worth 
while  for  those  who  do  not  intend  to 
make  the  ascent  to  row  about  the 
northern  end  of  it  in  the  sandal. 
There  are  no  rapids  before  reaching 
the  Island  of  Sehdyl,  which  is  inte- 
resting from  the  number  of  hiero- 
glyphic tablets  sculptured  on  the 
rocks,  many  of  which  are  of  a  very 
early  period,  before  and  after  the  ac- 
cession of  the  XVLIIth  dynasty.  They 
record  the  passage  of  kings  and  others 
on  their  expeditions  to  the  Soodan, 
and  are  of  great  historical  value.  The 
island  was  under  the  special  protection 
of  Sate,  Kneph,  and  Anouke. 

The  traveller  whose  intention  is 
merely  to  visit  Philae,  without  passing 
the  cataract,  will  save  himself  some 
time  and  much  trouble  by  going  as 
far  as  this  island  in  his  boat,  by  which 
the  ride  to  Philse  is  considerably 
shortened  ;  nor  will  he  be  prevented 
from  seeing  all  that  the  excursion 
from  Assooan  presents  worthy  of 
notice, — which  is  confined  to  traces  of 
the  old  road,  the  crude-brick  wall 
that  skirted  and  protected  it,  and  the 
singular  forms  of  the  granite  rocks, 
with  inscriptions  similar  to  those  at 
Sehayl,  which  have  struck  every  tra- 
veller since  and  previous  to  the  time 
of  Strabo. 


Egypt. 


EOUTE  20.  THE  CATABACTS. 


467 


The  Ascent  and  Descent  of  the 
Cataract. — These  are  incidents  in  the 
Nile  voyage  more  exciting  than  plea- 
sant. The  preliminaries  that  have  to 
be  gone  through  at  Assooan  previous 
to  making  the  ascent  are  often  tire- 
some and  disagreeable.  The  traveller 
has  already  been  told  in  the  Introduc- 
tory Information  at  the  beginning  of 
Sect.  ELL  that,  if  he  intends  to  go  as 
far  as  the  2nd  Cataract,  he  must  take 
care  that  the  owner  of  the  boat  he, 
or  his  dragoman,  hires,  guarantees 
the  possibility  of  its  going  up  the  1st 
Cataract,  and*  undertakes  to  pay  a  fine 
should  it  fail  to  do  so.  Sometimes  it 
may  happen  that  the  Mle  is  so  low 
that  a  boat,  which  would  go  up  in  an 
ordinary  year,  might  run  some  risk  of 
coming  to  grief  in  the  more  than  usu- 
ally sb  allow  rapids  ;  but  often  it  is  a 
trick  of  the  owner  who,  not  wishing  to 
expose  his  boat  to  the  perils  of  the 
cataract,  has  privately  instructed  his 
reis  to  bribe  tbe  sheykhs  of  the  cataract 
to  say  that  the  boat  is  too  large  to  be 
taken  up.  The  traveller  thus  finds 
himself  stopped  on  his  journey,  or 
obliged  to  take  a  dirty  country  boat 
from  above  the  cataract. 

Those  who  have  made  a  contract 
with  their  dragoman,  which  is  to  in- 
clude the  cost  of  going  up  the  cata- 
ract, should  leave  the  matter  entirely 
to  him,  and  refuse  to  have  anything  to 
do  with  the  discussion  as  to  the  price  to 
be  paid,  or  the  backsheesh.  Those  who 
have  to  make  their  own  bargain  must 
submit  with  patience  to  the  inevitable 
wrangling  and  delay  with  which  all 
such  affairs  are  conducted  in  Egypt. 
The  contract  must  be  made  with  one 
of  the  head  sheykhs  or  reises  of  the 
cataracts,  of  whom  there  are  three  or 
four.  In  1871  the  price  asked  was  SI. 
for  every  100  ardebs'  burden.  As  most 
dahabeeahs  are  from  200  to  300  ardebs, 
the  total  amount  will  be  from  61.  to  91. ; 
but  at  least  half  as  much  will  be  asked 
for  backsheesh;  and  from  10Z.  to  15Z. 
may  be  reckoned  as  the  total  cost  of 
going  up  the  cataracts. 

The  annoyances  of  the  traveller  are 
not,  however,  over  when  the  contract 
is  made.  Vexatious  delays  in  start- 
ing, and  detentions  in  the  cataract 


itself,  the  ascent  of  which  often  takes 
three  days,  when  it  might  easily  be 
done  in  one,  try  the  patience  sadly ; 
but  the  only  advice  that  can  be  given 
is  to  take  it  quietly,  and  make  the 
best  of  it,  and  try  to  derive  as  much 
amusement  as  possible  from  the  vari- 
ous scenes  and  incidents  on  the  road. 
The  governor  of  Assooan  may  be  re- 
sorted to  with  more  or  less  effect  as 
a  final  court  of  appeal,  in  case  of 
any  very  serious  difficulty  with  the 
Shellalee,  as  the  people  are  called  who 
live  in  the  few  scattered  villages  in 
and  around  the  cataracts,  and  manage 
the  passage  of  boats  up  and  down  it. 

It  is  necessary  for  the  ascent  of  the 
cataract  that  the  wind  should  be  fair, 
but  not  too  strong.  As  far  as  the 
island  of  Sehayl  it  is  tolerably  easy 
sailing  against  a  strong  stream.  There 
the  first  of  the  falls  or  "  gates,"  as 
they  are  called  (bdb,  pi.  bibdn),  is 
reached,  and  tow-ropes,  punt-poles, 
and  scores  of  human  beings  are  called 
into  requisition.  It  is  a  scene  which 
must  be  seen  to  be  appreciated,  and  of 
which  no  description  can  give  the  least 
idea.  Perhaps  the  best  commentary 
on  it  is  that  no  one  who  has  gone 
through  it  once  would  willingly  do  so 
again,  though  he  might  often  find 
amusement  in  watching  the  process 
from  a  neighbouring  rock.  And  in- 
deed this  is  a  very  good  way  of  seeing 
it  even  the  first  time,  and  for  ladies 
decidedly  the  most  agreeable  for  many 
reasons. 

Great  amusement  in  going  up  the 
cataracts  is  derived  by  some  travellers 
from  the  amphibious  proceedings  of 
the  small  boys  who,  seated  on  a  round 
log  of  wood,  launch  out  into  the 
stream,  and  paddling  with  either  hand, 
traverse  the  river,  or  shoot  down  the 
rapids,  in  an  incredibly  short  space  of 
time.  "  These  logs  are  the  public 
ferry-boats  of  the  locality,  and  when  a 
pedestrian  reaches  the  river-bank,  and 
wishes  to  cross  over,  he  soon  divests 
himself  of  his  garments,  rolls  them 
into  a  bundle,  which  he  ties  above  his 
head,  and  thus  launches  out  on  a  log,, 
'  ripse  ulterioris  amore,'  and  strange; 
indeed  is  the  top-heavy  figure  he  pre- 
sents."— A.  C.  Smith. 


468 


ROUTE  20.— LUXOR  TO  ASSOOAN-  AND  PHIL^I. 


Sect.  IV. 


The  process  of  fish-catching  may  j 
also  be  watched.  They  have  an  in- . 
gen  ions  mode  of  catching  fish  in j 
traps  :  and  some  of  them  are  of  great  i 
size.  Each  of  the  fishing-places  pays  a 
tax  of  255  piastres. 

There  are  five  or  six  falls,  up  which 
the  boat  is  dragged  with  more  or  less 
ease,  and  then,  getting  rid  of  her 
cataract  crew,  she  sails  on  to  the  village  j 
of  Mahatta,  just  below  Philge. 

It  is  at  this  village  that  the  boat  I 
stops  again  on  her  way  down,  to  take  j 
up  the  crew  necessary  for  making  the  j 
descent  of  the  cataract.  This  is  a  far  i 
shorter  process  than  the  ascent.  ' 
hour  being  the  time  from  Mahatta  to 
Assooan.  The  way  is  a  different  one  to 
that  followed  in  coming  up.  Passing 
on  the  right  the  last  gate  then  ascend- 
ed, the  boat  glides  swiftly  on,  rowed  by 
the  cataract  people,  two  to  each  oar. 
Soon  the  river  narrows,  and  is  lost  sight 
of  between  two  high  walls  of  rock.  In 
an  instant  the  boat  has  shot  in  between 
them,  the  oars  almost  touching  them 
on  either  side,  and,  with  a  series- of 
plunges  and  bounds,  that  make  you 
feel  as  if  it  were  a  skiff  and  not  a 
dahabeeah  that  was  under  you,  the 
unwieldy  ship  goes  rushing  on,  as 
though  it  meant  to  drive  its  bows  hard 
on  to  the  rocks  that  seem  to  bar  the 
lower  end  of  the  fall.  Just,  however, 
as  the  crash  seems  inevitable,  an 
opening  appears  on  the  right ;  and  by 
the  help  of  the  current,  and  the  right 
turn  of  the  rudder  at  the  right 
moment,  the  boat  goes  sharp  round, 
and  out  into  smooth  water.  The  height 
of  this  fall  varies  with  the  quantity  of 
water  in  the  river,  but  it  is  usually 
from  6  to  7  feet.  The  length  of  its 
passage  between  the  rocks  is  about 
200  feet,  and  the  breadth  across  about 
70  feet.  Beyond  it  the  river  flows 
swiftly  on  close  to  the  desert  on  the 
left  bank,  and  there  is  only  one  slight 
rapid  more  before  reaching  Assooan. 

With  regard  to  the  danger  attending 
the  ascent  and  descent  of  the  cataracts, 
it  cannot  be  said  that  there  is  none ; 
but  at  the  same  time,  considering  the  j 
number  of  boats  that  go  up  and  down,  j 
and  the  comparatively  few  accidents  ' 
that  happen,  the  chances  are  much  ' 


against  mishap.  And  even  if  the 
dahabeeah  is  wrecked,  there  is  little 
fear  of  being  drowned,  as  it  is  always 
possible  to  get  on  to  the  rocks.  There  is 
no  doubt  that  it  is  nervous  work  going 
down  the  big  gate,  and  the  turn  al 
the  bottom  is  a  place  where  a  boal 
may  easily  get  a  hole  kuocked  into  it. 
if  nothing  worse.  Coming  up,  it  is  a 
question  of  enough  men  and  the  rope 
not  breaking ;  and  even  if  anything 
does  happen,  it  is  wonderful  how  the 
helmsman  manages  so  that  the  boat  is 
brought  up  short  in  her  downward 
course  by  a  cross  stream  or  a  back- 
water. Those  who  want  to  see  their 
boat  go  down  the  big  fall  without 
being  on  board  her,  should  be  rowed 
in  the  sandal  to  a  point  just  above  it. 
They  can  then,  from  the  top  of  the 
rock  to  the  left  of  the  passage,  see  the 
whole  thing  capitally.  If  there  are 
things  of  value  on  board,  such  as  in- 
struments, collections  of  skins,  &c,  the 
most  prudent  course  is  to  send  them 
between  Mahatta  and  Assooan  over- 
land. 

Those  who  are  detained  in  the 
cataract  may  find  some  coots  and  teal 
to  shoot ;  and  patient  search  will  occa- 
sionally be  rewarded  with  the  sight  of  a 
crocodile,  a  war  ran  or  water-lizard,  and 
a  species  of  leathery  turtle  (Trionyx 
Niloticus). 

(E.)  Mahatta.  A  small  village,  of 
which  mention  has  already  been  made, 
situated  just  above  the  cataracts.  Like 
Assooan,it  is  the  place  for  the  embarking 
and  disembarking  of  the  cargoes  that 
are  transhipped  from  the  different 
boats  above  and  below  the  cataract. 
There  are  always  a  number  of  Nubian 
boats  there  employed  in  the  trade 
between  the  1st  and  2nd  Cataracts, 
They  are  a  very  inferior  class  of  boat 
to  the  smart  modern  Egyptian  daha- 
beeah ;  but  there  are  a  few  big  ones, 
not  very  clean,  and  with  hardly  any 
furniture,  which  can  be  hired  for  the 
voyage  to  the  2nd  Cataract  and  back, 
with  an  allowance  of  four  days'  stop- 
pages, for  12Z.,  and  a  small  backsheesh 
to  the  reis  and  crew.  The  pilot  who 
always  accompanies  the  dahabeeah  in 
its  voyage  between  the  1st  and  2nd 
Cataracts  generally  comes  from  this 


Egypt. 


ROUTE   20. — ISLAND  OF  PHIL.E. 


469 


pillage,  and  is  taken  on  board  in 
passing.  His  fee,  which  is  included 
in  a  dragoman's  contract,  is,  with  back- 
sheesh, from  21.  10s.  to  31. 

Island  of  Pliilx  (5  m.). — Those  who 
pisit  Philse  from  Assooan  can  either 
take  a  boat  from  Mahatta,  or  from  a 
point  some  way  further  up  the  bank, 
just  opposite  the  island.  The  approach 
10  the  island  by  water  is  very  striking. 
The  river  winds  in  and  out  among 
gigantic  black  rocks  of  most  fantastic 
ibrm  and  shape,  and  then  suddenly, 
after  a  sharp  turn  or  two,  Philse  comes 
suddenly  in  sight.  "Beautiful"  is 
the  epithet  commonly  applied  to  this 
spot,  justly  considered  to  present  the 
finest  bit  of  scenery  on  the  Nile  ;  but 
the  beauty,  or  rather  grandeur,  is 
more  in  the  framework  of  the  picture 
than  in  the  picture  itself.  The  view 
from  the  top  of  the  propylon  tower  at 
Philse,  of  all  beyond  the  island,  is  far 
finer  than  the  view  of  Philse  itself 
from  any  point. 

In  Egyptian  the  island  was  called 
Pilak,  or  Ailak,  and  Ma-n-lek,  "  the 
Place  of  the  Frontier."  Its  Greek  ap- 
pelation  Philte  is  a  strange  misnomer. 
The  Arabs  call  it  Anas  el  Wogdod,  or 
more  generally  Gezeeret  et  Beerbeh. 
The  ruins  in  it  are  all  of  comparatively 
modern  date,  Nectanebo  II.  of  the 
XXXth  dynasty  (361  B.C.)  being  the 
earliest  name  found. 

The  principal  building  is  the  temple 
of  Isis,  commenced  by  Ptolemy  Phi- 
ladelphia and  Arsinoii,  and  completed 
by  succeeding  monarchs;  among  whom 
are  Euer getes  I.,  Philometor ,  his  brother 
Euergetes  II.,  with  the  two  Cleopatras, 
and  Ptolemy  the  elder  son  of  Auletes, 
whose  name  is  found  in  the  area  and 
on  the  pylon.  Many  of  the  sculptures 
on  the  exterior  are  of  the  later  epoch 
of  the  Eoman  emperors,  Augustus, 
Tiberius,  Claudius,  Domitian,  Nerva, 
and  Trajan. 

Nowhere  has  the  mania  of  the 
Egyptians  for  irregularity  been  carried 
to  such  an  extent  as  here.  "  No 
Gothic  architect  in  his  wildest  mo- 
ments ever  played  so  freely  with  his 
lines  and  dimensions,  and  none,  it 
must  be  added,  ever  produced  anything 


so  beautifully  picturesque  as  this.  It 
contains  all  the  play  of  light  and 
shade,  all  the  variety  of  Gothic  art, 
with  the  massiveness  and  grandeur  of 
the  Egyptian  style ;  and  as  it  is  still 
tolerably  entire,  and  retains  much  of 
its  colour,  there  is  no  building  out  of 
Thebes  that  gives  so  favourable  an 
impression  of  Egyptian  art  as  this.  It 
is  true  it  is  far  less  sublime  than  many, 
but  hardly  one  can  be  quoted  as  more 
beautiful." — Fergusson. 

The  colonnade  to  the  S.  formed  the 
approach  to  the  temple.  It  was  pro- 
bably preceded  by  obelisks,  and  the 
principal  landing-place  of  the  island 
led  up  to  it.  A  massive  propylon  suc- 
ceeds, about  60  feet  in  height  and  more 
than  120  in  breadth.  On  its  exterior 
face,  near  the  bottom,  are  a  series  of 
figures,  representing  the  god  Nilus, 
carrying  various  emblems  on  which 
are  the  names  of  different  towns  and 
districts  in  Egypt.  A  staircase,  entered 
by  a  low  doorway  on  the  left  inside 
face,  leads  to  the  top  of  the  propylon. 
The  view  from  this  point  is  very  beau- 
tiful. 

Passing  through  the  gate  of  the  pro- 
pylon, you  enter  a  peristyle  court,  the 
uniformity  of  which  is  broken  on  the 
left  by  a  small  chapel.  On  the  outer 
wall  of  this  chapel,  in  the  court,  is  a 
copy  of  the  inscription  contained  on 
the  famous  Rosetta  Stone ;  but  here 
only  the  hieroglyphic  and  demotic  text 
are  given,  without  the  Greek.  Another 
propylon,  of  smaller  dimensions  than 
the  first,  succeeds.  Its  eastern  tower 
stands  on  a  granite  rock,  whose  face 
has  been  cut  into  the  form  of  a  tablet, 
and  bears  an  inscription  in  which  are 
mentioned  the  grants  of  land  made  to 
the  temple  by  Ptolemy  Philometor  and 
Ptolemy  Euergetes  II. 

The  gate  of  this  propylon  leads  into 
a  portico,  followed  by  several  cham- 
bers, and  a  sanctuary  in  which  is  a 
monolithic  shrine.  The  colours  in  this 
part  of  the  building  are  wonderfully 
preserved.  From  one  of  the  lateral 
chambers  near  the  adytum  a  staircase 
leads  up  to  a  terrace.  On  the  left,  at 
the  top  of  the  staircase,  is  a  small 
room  covered  with  interesting  sculp- 
tures relating  to  the  death  and  resur- 


470  KOUTE  20.  LUXOR  TO 


assooan  and  phil^.     Sect.  IV. 


rection  of  Osiris.  In  the  eastern  wall, 
near  the  adytum,  are  some  dark  pas- 
sages similar  to  those  at  Denderah. 

Among  the  many  other  objects  of 
interest  at  Philse,  the  following  prin- 
cipal ones  may  be  noticed.  The  small 
chapel  of  Esculapius,  near  the  com- 
mencement of  the  eastern  corridor,  in 
front  of  the  great  temple,  satisfactorily 
decides  by  its  Greek  dedication  the 
hieroglyphic  name  of  Ptolemy  Epi- 
phanes;  and  that  of  Athor,  which 
stands  on  the  east  side,  nearly  in  a 
line  with  the  front  propylon,  acquaints 
us  with  the  fact  that  this  small 
building  was  consecrated  to  the  Egyp- 
tian Aphrodite,  by  Physcon  or  the 
second  Euergetes. 

At  the  southern  extremity  of  the 
corridor  is  another  small  chapel,  de- 
dicated to  Athor  by  Nectanebo  II. 
And,  from  the  principal  pylon  of  the 
great  temple  bearing  the  name  of  this 
Pharaoh,  it  is  evident  that  an  ancient 
edifice  formerly  stood  on  the  site  of 
the  present  one,  which,  having  been 
destroyed  by  the  Persians  at  the  time 
of  the  invasion  of  Ochus,  was  rebuilt 
after  the  accession  of  the  Ptolemies. 

The  hypsethral  building  on  the  E. 
of  the  island,  commonly  called  "  Pha- 
raoh's bed,"  is  of  the  time  of  the  Ptole- 
mies and  Caesars ;  and  from  the  elon- 
gated style  of  its  proportions  it  appears 
that  the  architect  had  intended  to 
add  to  its  effect  when  seen  from  the 
river.  Below  it  is  a  quay,  which  ex- 
tended nearly  round  the  island,  whose 
principal  landing-place  was  at  the 
staircase  leading  to  the  arched  gate  on 
the  E.  bank.  A  short  distance  behind 
the  gate  stands  a  ruined  wall,  orna- 
mented with  triglyphs  and  the  usual 
mouldings  of  the  Doric  order,  evidently 
of  Roman  construction. 

Other  detached  ruins  and  traces  of 
buildings  are  met  with  amidst  the 
mounds  that  encumber  them ;  and  on 
the  W.  side  of  the  temple  is  a  chapel, 
in  which  are  some  interesting  sculp- 
tures relating  to  the  Nile,  and  other 
subjects ;  with  a  series  of  ovals  in 
the  cornice,  containing  the  name  of 
Lucius,  Verus,  Antoninus,  Sebastos, 
Autocrator,  Caesar.  There  are  also 
some  Greek  and  Ethiopian  inscrip- 


tions. The  ruin  of  the  temple  of  Isis 
is  attributed  to  Justinian. 

Numerous  Greek  exvotos  are  in- 
scribed on  the  walls  of  the  pylon  and 
other  parts  of  the  great  temple,  mostly 
of  the  time  of  the  Csesars,  with  a  few 
of  a  Ptolemaic  epoch.  From  some  of 
these,  as  well  as  from  one  in  the 
chamber  of  Osiris  on  the  terrace,  we 
learn  the  interesting  fact  that  the 
worship  of  Isis  and  Osiris  was  still 
carried  on  in  Philse  in  the  year  a.t>. 
453,  more  than  70  years  after  the 
famous  Edict  of  Theodosius  abolishing 
the  Egyptian  religion. 

The  crude-brick  ruins  are  mostly  of 
Christian  time  ;  and  among  them  may 
be  seen  some  small  pointed  arches ; 
similar  to  those  at  Medeenet  Haboo 
in  Thebes,  and  in  other  early  Christian 
villages,  which  probably  date  about 
the  time  of  the  Arab  invasion  in  the 
7th  century  a.d. 

Island  of  Biggeh. — In  the  island  of 
Biggeh  is  a  small  Ptolemaic  temple 
dedicated  to  Athor.  But,  from  the 
presence  of  a  red  granite  statue  behind 
it,  with  the  oval  of  Amunoph  II.,  there 
is  reason  to  believe  that  an  older 
edifice  had  previously  existed  here. 
Among  the  mounds  is  a  stela  of  red 
granite,  bearing  the  name  of  Amasis, 
surnamed  Neitsi,  "the  son  of  Neit"  or 
Minerva. 

The  arch,  inserted  at  a  late  period 
in  the  centre  of  the  building,  is  of 
Christian  date  ;  and  it  is  evident  that 
the  early  Christians  occupied  both  this 
island  and  Philee,  and  converted  the 
temples  into  churches,  concealing  with 
a  coat  of  clay  or  mortar  the  objects  of 
worship  of  their  pagan  predecessors. 

An  inscription  at  Biggeh,  mentioning 
"the  gods  in  Abaton  and  in  Philse," 
shows  that  the  name  Abaton  belonged 
to  Biggeh  ;  though  it  has,  at  least  in 
one  sense,  been  applied  to  Philse  by 
Plutarch,  who  says  "  it  is  inaccessible 
and  unapproachable  .  .  .  except  when 
the  priests  go  to  crown  the  tomb  of 
Osiris." 

There  is  a  capital  view  of  the  temple 
of  Philse  from  the  high  rocks  at  the 
southern  end  of  Biggeh.  At  the  far 
northern  end  of  the  island,  which  at 
high  water  is  separated  from  the  other 


Egypt 


EOUTE  20.  ISLAisT)  OF  BIGGEH. 


471 


part,  and  has  the  name  of  Konosso,  is 
a  high  ridge  of  rocks,  from  which  there 
is  a  magnificent  view  over  the  upper 
end  of  the  cataract  and  the  village  of 
Mahatta.  The  rocks  at  Biggeh  are 
well  worth  clambering  over,  for  the 
sake  of  the  pretty  views  which  can  be 
obtained. 

On  the  rocks  here,  as  on  the  road 
from  Assooan  to  Philse,  are  numerous 
inscriptions,  mostly  of  the  Pharaohs 
of  the  Xllth,  XYIIIth,  and  XlXth 
dynasties. 

On  the  eastern  shore,  opposite 
Philse,  are  some  mounds,  and  the 
remains  of  a  stela  and  monolith  of 
granite ;  the  former  bearing  the  name 
of  the  2nd  Psammetichus,  and  conse- 
crated to  Kneph  and  Sate. 

A  little  distance  to  the  S.  of  this  are 
masses  of  old  alluvium  deposited  there 
by  the  Nile  before  its  level  was  lowered 
by  the  fall  of  the  rocks  at  Silsilis. 
From  its  irregularity,  and  the  sudden 
depressions  in  it,  the  accident  probably 
happened  while  the  river  was  high; 
and  it  has  also  the  appearance  of 
having  been  hollowed  out  by  a  sudden 
rush  of  water  from  the  surface.  Its 
general  level  is  about  28  ft.  above  the 
greatest  inundation  of  these  days,  and 
that  of  the  highest  masses  is  about  10 
ft.  more.  Standing  here,  you  at  once 
perceive  that  when  the  river  was  at 
that  height  it  ran  straight  forward 
over  the  plain  between  the  eastern 
mountains  and  Assooan.  Other  re- 
mains of  this  alluvium  are  found  on 


the  road  from  Assooan  to  Philse.  The 
river  at  that  time  may  also  have 
flowed  by  the  other  channel  through 
the  Cataracts ;  and  the  two  streams 
joined  each  other  some  way  lower 
down,  near  Esh  Shaymeh,  where  the 
eastern  mountains  approach  the  Nile, 
opposite  the  Sheykh's  tomb  on  the 
western  bill,  called  Kobbet  El  Hdwa. 
The  old  alluvial  deposit  may  be  traced 
throughout  Ethiopia,  high  above  the 
reach  of  the  present  inundation. 

There  is  a  rock  opposite  the  N.  end 
of  Philse,  remarkable  for  its  elevated 
appearance  and  general  form ;  but 
there  is  no  reason  to  suppose  that  any 
religious  idea  was  attached  to  it.  as 
some  have  imagined,  and  much  less 
that  it  was  Abaton. 

On  the  E.  bank,  a  little  to  the  S.E. 
of  Philse,  is  a  ruined  fortress  on  the 
crest  and.  slope  of  the  rocks,  with 
square  and  round  towers ;  and  on  the 
S.  side  is  a  doorway  having  a  round 
arch  of  brick  between  two  round 
towers,  and  leading  into  a  court.  It 
is  probably  of  Christian  time.  The 
entrance  is  on  the  side  towards 
Ethiopia. 

Here,  too,  are  the  ruins  of  two  large 
mosks :  the  southernmost  one  is  built 
in  great  part  of  stones  from  some 
temple,  many  of  them  being  covered 
witii  hieroglyphics ;  the  superstructure 
is  chiefly  bricks  baked  and  crude.  On 
the  hill  above  is  a  santon's  tomb,  from 
which  there  is  a  fine  view  of  Philse 
and  Biggeh. 


Pbilae,  approaching  it  from  the  Cataracts. 


(    472  ) 


SECTION  V. 
NUBIA. 


a.  Preliminary  Observations. 


-b.  Ancient  History  and  Geography.- 
Inhabitants. 


Modern 


BOUTTC 

21.  Philse  to  Wady  Half  ah.  Ka- 

labshee  —  Korosko  —  J)  err — 
Aboo  Simbel   

22.  "Wady  Halfah,  by  Dongola, 


475 


EOUTK  PAGE 

Meroe,  and  Berber,  to 
Khartoom,  and  thence,  by 
Berber,  to  Sowakini  on  the 
Eed  Sea    490 


a.  Preliminary  Observations. 

"Were  it  not  for  the  trouble  of  passing  the  Cataract,  there  could  be  no 
hesitation  in  advising  every  one  who  gets  as  far  as  Assooan,  to  continue 
the  voyage  at  any  rate  to  Aboo  Simbel,  if  not  to  Wady  Halfah.  And,  the 
Cataract  notwithstanding,  it  is  well  worth  the  while  of  those  who  have  the 
time  to  spare,  to  push  on  into  Nubia.  The  scenery  is  far  more  beautiful 
than  in  Egypt,  the  climate  if  anything  more  perfect  (except  perhaps  between 
Aboo  Simbel  and  "Wady  Halfah,  where  a  strong  cold  north  wind  is  often  very 
disagreeable),  and  the  giant  statues  of  Aboo  Simbel  certainly  rank  next  in 
antiquarian  interest  to  the  Pyramids  and  the  ruins  of  Thebes,  besides  being 
in  themselves  something  quite  unique.  On  the  other  hand,  it  may  be  said 
that  of  antiquities  there  is  little  worth  seeing  in  Nubia  by  the  ordinary 
traveller  but  Aboo  Simbel,  and  there  is  a  general  absence  of  animal  life  which 
some  might  find  wearisome.  The  inhabitants  are  few,  and,  with  the  exception 
of  crocodiles  and  an  occasional  duck,  the  sandbanks  and  borders  of  the  river 
are  untenanted.  The  desert  hare  may  occasionally  be  met  with,  and  patience 
and  the  assistance  of  a  native  hunter  may  succeed  in  procuring  the  chance 
of  a  shot  at  a  gazelle.  All  information  with  regard  to  the  passing  of  the 
Cataract,  hire  of  native  boats  at  Mahatta,  pilot,  &c,  has  been  given  at  the  end 
of  the  preceding  Section,  p.  467  et  seq.  It  will  take  from  a  fortnight  to  three 
weeks  to  go  from  Philse  to  "Wady  Halfah  and  back. 


b  Ancient  History  and  Geography. 

The  countries  bordering  the  Nile  south  of  Egypt  were  known  to  the  old 
Egyptians  by  the  name  of  Koo*h  (Cush).  The  name  Kens  is  also  found 
applied  to  that  part  nearest  the  Egyptian  frontier.  The  Nubians  which  now 
inhabit  it  are  still  called  the  Kendos  or  Kensee  tribe. 

The  first  Pharaoh  of  whom  there  is  any  record  as  having  conquered  the 
Kooshites,  is  Osirtasen  III ,  of  the  XHth  dynasty,  who  built  a  temple  at 
Semneh  above  the  2nd  Cataract,  and  fixed  the  Egyptian  frontier  there. 
Thothmes  I.,  of  the  XVIIlth  dynasty,  has  left  a  record  of  his  triumphs 
over  the  Kooshites  on  a  rock  opposite  Tombos.  Thothmes  III.  built  temples 
at  Arnada,  at  Semneh,  and  at  Soleb.    Amunoph  III.  also  built  at  Soleb,  and 


Nuhia. 


ANCIENT  HISTORY,  &C— MODERN  INHABITANTS. 


473 


at  Gebel  Barkal  near  Aboo  Hamed.  Barneses  II.  of  the  XlXth  dynasty 
added  to  this  temple  at  Gebel  Barkal,  and  besides  the  smaller  rock-cut 
temples  of  Derr  and  Bayt  Welly,  the  grand  monument  at  Aboo  Simbel  dates 
from  his  reign. 

At  the  epoch  of  the  XXIIIrd  dynasty  we  find  Egypt  and  Koosh  have 
greatly  changed  places,  Egypt,  or  at  any  rate  the  southern  portion  of  it, 
having  become  a  province  of  Ethiopia,  a  general  name  by  which  the  coun- 
tries on  the  Xile  south  of  Egypt  became  afterwards  generally  known.  This 
change  reached  its  heigbt  under  the  XXYth  dynasty,  which  was  composed 
entirely  of  Ethiopian  sovereigns,  the  last  of  them  being  Tirhakah.  This 
Ethiopian  domination  over  Egypt  is  satisfactorily  proved  by  the  historical 
stela  lately  discovered  by  M.  Mariette  at  Xapata  or  Gebel  Barkal.  The 
pyramids  at  Meroe'  may  be  probably  referred  to  the  Tirhakah  period.  In 
the  time  of  Psammettchus,  Elephantine  was  the  border  of  Egypt.  Under  the 
Ptolemies  the  frontier  was  fixed  at  Hierasycaminon,  about  SO  miles  S.  of  Syene, 
and  the  district  was  called  Dodecashamus  from  that  distance  equalling  12  Egyp- 
tian schames.    Many  temples,  Kalabsheh,  Dakkek,  &c,  belong  to  this  period: 

Under  the  government  of  Petronius,  the  2nd  Eoman  prefect  of  Egypt,  an 
expedition  was  undertaken  against  the  Ethiopians  in  consequence  of  an 
attack  made  by  them  on  the  Eoman  garrison  of  Syene,  the  then  frontier 
town.  Petronius  penetrated  to  and  destroyed  Xapata,  the  capital  of  Candace, 
the  queen  of  the  Ethiopians.  Xapata,  according  to  Pliny,  was  870  Eoman 
miles  above  the  Cataracts,  and  is  supposed  to  be  El  Barkal  of  the  present  day, 
where  pyramids  and  extensive  ruins  denote  the  former  existence  of  an  import- 
ant city.    Gebel  Barkal  was  called  in  hieroglyphics  "  the  Sacred  Mountain." 

In  Strabo's  time,  who  visited  Egypt  during  the  government  of  iElius  Gallus, 
Petronius's  successor,  Syene  was  again  the  frontier,  the  Eomans  having,  as  he 
observes,  "  confined  the  province  of  Egypt  within  its  former  limits."  Philse 
then  belonged  "  in  common  to  the  Egyptians  and  Ethiopians."  This  did  not, 
however,  prevent  the  Caesars  from  considering  Lower  Ethiopia  as  belonging  to 
them,  or  from  adding  to  the  temples  already  erected  there. 

Strabo  says  the  Ethiopians  above  Syene  consisted  of  the  Troglodytse, 
Blemmyes.  Xubse,  and  Megabari.  The  Megabari  and  Blemmyes  inhabited 
the  eastern  desert,  X.  of  Meroe  to  the  frontiers  of  Egypt,  and  were  under  the 
dominion  of  the  Ethiopians.  The  Icthyophagi  lived  on  the  shore  of  the  Eed 
Sea ;  the  Troglodyte  from  Berenice  southwards,  between  it  and  the  Xile ; 
and  the  Xubse,  an  African  nation,  were  on  the  left  bank,  and  independent 
of  Ethiopia. 

From  Procopius  we  learn  that  in  the  year  a.d.  296,  in  the  reign  of  Dio- 
cletian, these  Xubse,  or  Nobatse,  as  he  calls  them,  were  given  the  country 
above  Syene  on  condition  of  their  protecting  Egypt  against  the  incursions 
of  the  Blemmyes.  This  state  of  things  appears  to  have  continued,  for  we 
find  at  Kalabsheh  a  Greek  inscription,  dating  from  the  end  of  the  6th  century, 
in  which  ;i  Silco,  king  of  the  Xubadse  and  of  all  the  Ethiopians,"  records  his 
triumph  over  the  Blemmyes.  Half  a  century  afterwards  the  country  was 
conquered  by  the  Arabs,  by  whose  writers  it  has  always  been  called  Noba. 

c.  Modekn  Inhabitants. 

Philse  and  the  Cataracts  are,  as  of  old,  the  boundary  of  Egypt  and  Xubia 
Here  commences  the  country  of  the  Barabra,  which  extends  thence  to  the 
2nd  Cataract  at  Wady  Halfah,  and  is  divided  into  two  districts ;  that  to 
the  X.  inhabited  by  the  Kenous  or  Kensee  tribe,  the  southern  portion  by  the 
JSooba.  They  have  each  their  own  language ;  but  it  is  a  singular  fact  that 
the  Kensee,  which  ceases  to  be  spoken  about  Derr  and  throughout  the  whole 
of  the  Xooba  district,  is  found  again  above  the  2nd  Cataract.    It  is  now 


474 


MODERN  INHABITANTS. 


Sect.  Y. 


customary  for  us  to  call  them  Nubians,  as  the  Arabs  comprehend  them  under 
the  general  name  of  Barabra,  and  as  the  Greeks  denominated  the  whole 
country  Ethiopia. 

The  character  of  the  country  above  Philse  differs  very  much  from  Egypt, 
particularly  from  that  part  below  Esneh.  The  hills  are  mostly  sandstone  and 
granite,  and,  from  their  coming  very  near  the  river,  frequently  leave  only  a 
narrow  strip  of  soil  at  the  immediate  bank,  on  which  the  people  depend 
for  the  scanty  supply  of  corn  or  other  produce  grown  in  the  country.  It  is 
not  therefore  surprising  that  the  Nubians  are  poor  ;  though,  from  their  limited 
wants  and  thrifty  habits,  they  do  no  not  suffer  from  the  miseries  of  poverty. 
The  palm-tree,  which  there  produces  dates  of  very  superior  quality,  is  to 
them  a  great  resource,  both  in  the  plentiful  supply  it  affords  for  their  own 
use,  and  in  the  profitable  exportation  of  its  fruit  to  Egypt,  where  it  is  highly 
prized,  especially  that  of  the  Ibre'emee  kind,  the  fruit  of  which  is  much  larger 
and  of  better  flavour  than  that  of  other  palms,  and  the  tree  differs  in  the 
appearance  of  its  leaves,  which  are  of  a  finer  and  softer  texture.  The  Sont, 
or  Mimosa  Nilotica,  also  furnishes  articles  for  export,  of  great  importance  to 
the  Nubian,  in  its  gum,  pods  for  tanning,  and  charcoal ;  and  henneh,  senna, 
baskets,  mats,  and  a  few  other  things  produced  or  made  in  Nubia,  return  a 
good  profit  in  sending  them  to  Egypt.  Nubia  justly  boasts  of  one  blessing, 
which  is  that  fleas  and  bugs  will  not  live  there  :  and  the  Berberis  in  Cairo 
are  loud  in  their  complaints  against  these  plagues  of  Egypt.  It  is  not,  how- 
ever, to  be  supposed  that  a  boat  hired  at  the  Cataracts  would  necessarily  be 
free  from  these  plagues,  or  that  they  cannot  be  kept  alive  in  a  boat  during 
the  cold  weather ;  but  the  fact  is  not  the  less  certain  that  Nubia  is  free  from 
them,  and  no  boat,  however  dirty,  or  however  careless  its  inmates,  would 
retain  them  long  during  the  summer  weather. 

When  the  Nile  is  low,  the  land  is  irrigated  by  water-wheels,  which  are  the 
pride  of  the  Nubian  peasant.  Even  the  endless  and  melancholy  creaking  of 
these  clumsy  machines  is  a  delight  to  him,  which  no  grease  is  permitted  to 
diminish,  all  that  he  can  get  being  devoted  to  the  shaggy  hair  of  his  untur- 
baned  head.  For  the  Nubians,  in  general,  allow  the  hair  of  the  head  to  grow 
long ;  and  seldom  shave,  or  wear  a  cap,  except  in  the  Nooba  district,  as  at 
Derr,  and  a  few  other  places ;  and  though  less  attentive  to  his  toilette  than 
the  long-haired  Ababa"  eh,  a  well-greased  Nubian  does  not  fail  to  rejoice  in 
his  shining  shoulders.  Nor  are  the  means  for  keeping  up  the  constant 
unction  often  wanting,  as  the  castor-oil  plant  is  much  cultivated  in  Nubia ; 
and  though  the  oil,  as  extracted  by  the  natives,  can  hardly  be  called  "  fine- 
drawn," it  answers  the  Nubians'  purpose  well  enough,  the  women  especially 
soaking  their  wonderfully  plaited  tresses  in  it  constantly.  Prior's  epigram- 
matic lines  on  the  ladies  of  another  African  race  might  well  be  applied  to 
the  Nubian  dames  and  damsels — 

"  Beforeyou  see,  you  smell  your  toast, 
And  sweetest  she,  who  stinks  the  most." 

A  certain  portion  of  land  is  irrigated  by  each  water-wheel,  and  the  wealth 
of  an  individual  is  estimated  by  the  number  of  these  machines,  as  in  other 
countries  by  farms  or  acres  of  land;  and,  as  is  reasonable  to  suppose,  in  a 
hot  climate  like  Nubia,  they  prefer  the  employment  of  oxen  for  the  arduous 
duty  of  raising  water,  to  drawing  it,  like  the  Egyptian  fellah,  by  the  pole  and 
bucket  of  the  sliadoof.  The  consequence  of  this  is,  that  the  tax  on  water- 
wheels  falls  very  heavily  on  the  Nubian,  who  also  feels  that  on  date-trees 
much  more  than  the  Egyptian  peasant.  Hence  arises  the  increased  migration 
of  Barabras  to  Cairo ;  whither,  in  spite  of  a  government  prohibition,  they  fly 
from  the  severely  taxed  labour  of  tilling  the  ground  to  the  more  profitable 
occupation  of  servants,  particularly  in  the  Frank  quarter,  where  higher  wages 


Nubia. 


ROUTE  21. — PHIL2E  TO  WADY  HALF  AH. 


475 


are  paid,  and  where  the  Nubian  is  preferred  to  the  Egyptian  for  his  greater 
honesty. 

For  many  years  the  Nubians  have  been  very  generally  employed  in  places 
of  trust  about  the  houses  of  the  rich,  like  the  Gallegos  in  Lisbon  ;  they  were 
always  engaged  as  porters,  and  the  name  of  "  Berberee  "  answered  to  "  Le 
Suisse"  in  a  Parisian  mansion.  But  of  late  they  have  greatly  increased  in 
numbers,  and  are  taken  as  house-servants,  and  even  as  grooms,  an  office  to 
which  the  Egyptian  syee  of  old  would  have  thought  it  impossible  for  a 
Berberee  to  aspire.  That  they  are  more  honest  than  the  Egyptians  is  certain  ; 
that  they  speak  the  truth  more  frequently  is  equally  so  ;  but  they  are  some- 
times less  clean  and  less  acute  ;  though  their  mental  slowness  does  not  seem 
to  interfere  with  their  physical  quickness,  and  their  power  of  running  is  not 
surpassed  by  the  most  active  fellah.  Devotedly  attached  to  their  country  and 
their  countrymen,  like  the  Swiss  and  other  inhabitants.^  poor  districts  who 
seek  their  fortunes  abroad,  they  always  herd  together  in  foreign  towns  ;  and 
one  Nubian  servant  never  fails  to  bring  a  daily  levee  of  Ethiopians  to  a 
Cairene  house,  pouring  forth  an  unceasing  stream  of  unintelligible  words,  in 
a  jargon  which  has  obtained  for  them  the  name  of  Bardbra,  applied  by  the 
Arabs  much  in  the  same  sense  as  "  Barbaroi "  by  the  Greeks.  Brave  and 
independent  in  character,  they  differ  also  in  these  respects  from  the  Egyp- 
tians ;  and  in  some  parts  of  Nubia,  particularly  in  the  Kensee  or  Kenoos  district, 
their  constant  feuds  keep  up  a  warlike  spirit,  in  which  their  habit  of  going 
about  armed  enables  them  frequently  to  indulge.  Those  who  know  how  to 
read  and  write  are  in  a  far  greater  proportion  than  in  Egypt  among  the 
same  class ;  for,  with  the  exception  of  their  chiefs,  they  have  no  wealthy 
or  upper  orders.  But  their  studies  do  not  seem  to  induce  sobriety,  and,  like 
the  blacks,  they  are  fond  of  intoxicating  liquors.  They  extract  a  brandy 
and  a  sort  of  wine  from  the  date-fruit,  as  well  as  soobieh,  and  booza,  a 
fermented  drink  made  from  barley,  bread,  and  many  other  things,  which  are 
found  to  furnish  this  imperfect  kind  of  beer ;  and  rum  or  brandy  is  a  very 
acceptable  present  to  the  Nubian,  even  more  so  than  the  three  they  so  often 
ask  for — soap,  oil,  and  gunpowder. 


EOUTE  21. 

TB1LM  TO  WADY  HALFAH. 


Miles. 

Philse  to  Dabod   10± 

Gertassee    15 

Tafah   7 

Kalabsheh   6f 

Danddor    13 

Gerf  Hossayn    9 

Dakkeh    10J 

Koortee    3| 

Maharraka   3| 

Sabodah    20 

Korosko    12J 

Amada   7£ 

Derr    4 

Ibreem   13 

Aboo  Simbel    34 

Wady  Halfah    40 


210 


(E.)  About  13  miles  above  Philse, 
near  the  E.  bank,  is  an  eddy,  called 
by  the  natives  Shaym-t-el-Wah,  "  the 
Eddy  of  the  Wah,"  and  believed  by 
them  to  communicate  underground 
with  the  Oasis  of  the  Wah. 

(W.)  Dabod  (10 J  m.)  is  supposed 
to  be  the  Parembole  of  Antoninus. 
The  ruins  there  consist  of  a  temple, 
founded  apparently  by  Ashar-Amun, 
or  Atar-Amun,  a  monarch  of  Ethiopia, 
who  was  probably  the  immediate  suc- 
cessor of  Ergamun,  the  contemporary 
of  Ptolemy  Philadelphus. 

Over  the  central  pylon,  in  front  of 
it,  are  the  remains  of  a  Greek  inscrip- 
tion, bearing  the  name  of  Ptolemy 
Philometor  with  that  of  his  queen 
Cleopatra.  The  temple  was  dedicated 
to  Isis,  who,  as  well  as  Osiris  and  her 
son  Horus,  were  principally  worshipped 
here;  Amun  being  one  of  the  chief 


476 


EOTJTE  21.  PHILZE 


TO  WADY  HALFAH. 


Sect.  Y. 


contemplar  deities.  Augustus  and  Ti- 
berius added  most  of  the  sculptures, 
but  they  were  left  unfinished,  as  was 
usually  the  case  in  the  temples  of 
Nubia.  The  main  building  commences 
with  a  portico  or  area,  having  four 
columns  in  front,  connected  by  inter- 
columnar  screens ;  a  central  and  two 
lateral  chambers  with  a  staircase  lead- 
ing to  the  upper  rooms ;  to  which 
succeed  another  central  apartment  im- 
mediately before  the  adytum,  and  two 
side-chambers.  On  one  side  of  the 
portico  a  wing  has  been  added  at  a 
later  period.  The  three  pylons  before 
the  temple  follow  each  other  in  suc- 
cession, but  not  at  equal  distances  ; 
and  the  whole  is  enclosed  by  a  wall 
of  circuit,  of  which  the  front  pylon 
forms  the  entrance. 

The  adytum  is  unsculptured,  but 
two  monoliths  within  it  bear  the  name 
of  Physcon  and  Cleopatra  ;  and  in  the 
front  chamber  of  the  naos  is  that  of 
the  Ethiopian  king  "  Ashar-(Atar)- 
Amun,  the  ever-living,"  who  in  some 
of  his  nomens  is  called  "  the  beloved 
of  Isis."  Among  the  few  subjects 
sculptured  in  the  portico  are  Thoth 
and  Hor-Hat  engaged  in  pouring  al- 
ternate emblems  of  life  and  purity 
over  Tiberius ;  alluding  to  the  cere- 
mony of  anointing  him  king.  Some 
distance  before  the  temple  is  a  stone 
quay,  which  had  a  staircase  leading 
from  the  river. 

Two  daysW.  of  Dabod,  and  about  the 
same  distance  from  Assooan  and  from 
Kalabsheh,  is  a  small  uninhabited 
Oasis,  called  Wall  Koorkoo.  It  abounds 
in  dates,  and  has  some  wells,  but  no 
ruins. 

Between  Dabod  and  Gertassee  the 
only  remains  are  a  wall  projecting 
into  the  river,  marking  perhaps  the 
site  of  Tzitzi ;  a  single  column ;  and 
on  the  opposite  bank,  at  Gamille,  the 
ruined  wall  of  a  temple.  On  the 
island  Morgdse  are  some  crude-brick 
ruins. 

One  of  the  most  beautiful  bits  of 
river-scenery  on  the  Nile  begins  about 
this  point.  A  wide  reach  opens  out 
for  many  miles,  bordered  on  either 
side  with  a  sloping  bank  of  bright  | 
green,  whose  uniformity  is  sometimes  | 


broken  by  masses  of  huge  granite 
boulders.  Here  and  there  is  a  vil- 
lage with  its  grove  of  palms:  and 
clear  against  the  sky  stands  out  the 
small  ruined  temple  of  Gertassee,  per- 
haps the  most  picturesque  bit  of  ruin 
in  Egypt,  and  certainly  the  only  one, 
with  the  exception  of  Kom  Ombo, 
which  owes  anything  to  its  position. 
The  temples  are  all  too  much  on  a 
dead  level  to  add  to  the  beauty  of  the 
landscape. 

(W.)  Gertassee  (15  m.).  The  temple 
is  a  short  distance  N.  of  the  village. 
Only  a  few  columns  are  standing. 
What  interest  it  has  is  derived  from  its 
picturesque  position.  A  short  distance 
8.  of  the  temple  is  a  sandstone  quarry, 
in  which  are  one  enchorial,  and  up- 
wards of  50  Greek  ex-votos.  They  are 
mostly  of  the  time  of  Antoninus  Pius, 
M.  Aurelius,  and  Severus,  in  honour 
of  Isis,  to  whom  the  neighbouring 
temple  was  probably  dedicated.  Some 
refer  to  the  works  in  the  quarry,  and 
one  of  them  mentions  the  number  of 
stones  cut  by  the  writer  for  the  great 
temple  of  the  same  goddess  at  Philse. 
In  the  centre  is  a  square  niche,  which 
may  once  have  contained  a  statue  of 
the  goddess;  and  on  either  side  are 
busts  in  high  relief,  placed  within  re- 
cesses, and  evidently,  from  their  style, 
of  Eoman  workmanship.  The  road  by 
which  the  stones  were  taken  from  the 
quarry  is  still  discernible. 

At  the  village  are  the  remains  of  a 
large  enclosure  of  stone,  on  whose  N. 
side  is  a  pylon,  having  a  few  hiero- 
glyphics, and  the  figure  of  a  goddess, 
probably  Isis,  with  a  head-dress  sur- 
mounted by  the  horns  and  globe. 

(TF.)  Tdfah,  or  Wddy  Tdfah  (7  m.), 
a  prettily  situated  village  among 
groves  of  palms.  Here  are  some  more 
stone  enclosures,  but  on  a  smaller 
scale  than  that  of  Gertassee,  being 
about  22  paces  by  18.  The  position  of 
the  stones  is  singular,  each  row  pre- 
senting a  crescent  or  concave  surface 
to  the  one  above  it,  the  stones  at  the 
centre  bemg  lower  than  at  the  angles. 
In  a  length  of  50  ft.  the  depression 
below  the  horizontal  line  is  1  ft.  3  in. 


Nubia. 


ROUTE  21.  KALABSHEH. 


477 


In  one  are  several  rooms  communicat- 
ing with  each  other  by  doorways  ;  but 
the  enclosures  themselves  are  quite 
unconnected,  and  some  at  a  consider- 
able distance  from  the  rest.  They  are 
of  Eoman  date,  as  the  mouldings  of 
the  doorway  show :  but  it  is  difficult 
to  ascertain  the  use  for  which  they 
were  intended.  The  stones  are  rusti- 
cated (or  rough)  in  the  centre,  and 
smooth  at  the  edges,  as  in  many  Eoman 
buildings. 

There  are  the  remains  of  two  temples 
at  Tafah.  One,  quite  ruined,  is  close 
to  the  river,  with  a  flight  of  steps  lead- 
ing down  between  two  walls  to  a  quay. 
The  other  is  inside  the  village,  and 
is  in  fact  used  by  the  natives  as  a 
dwelling  house.  It  was  converted 
into  a  church  by  the  early  Christians. 

.  On  one  of  the  walls  is  an  almanack, 
supposed  to  be  of  the  4th  or  5th  cen- 
tury. Christianity,  introduced  in  the 
age  of  Justinian,  was  the  religion  of 
Ethiopia  till  a  late  period  (though 

lEdrisi  considered  it  extinct  in  1154 
except  in  the  desert),  since  in  Wans- 
leb's  time,  1673,  the  churches  were 

[still  entire,  and  only  closed  for  want 
of  pastors.  Two  of  the  columns  of  the 
portico  are  still  standing,  and  on  the 
adjoining  wall  are  some  Greek  inscrip- 
tions and  the  figures  of  saints.  Be- 
hind the  portico  is  a  chamber,  which 
may  have  been  the  adytum. 

The  inhabitants  of  Tafah  and  the 
neighbourhood  have  the  character  of 
being  independent  and  quarrelsome. 
Some  of  the  wadies  which  here  come 
down  from  the  desert  to  the  river  are 
said  to  be  frequented  occasionally  by 
gazelle. 

Soon  after  passing  Tafah  the  gra- 
nite begins  to  reappear,  and  the  sce- 
nery reminds  us  of  Philse  and  the 
Cataracts.  Boulders  of  basalt  appear 
here  and  there  in  the  stream,  which 
flows  with  great  rapidity,  and  is  di- 
vided into  several  channels  by  islands, 
not  utterly  barren,  however,  but  covered 
in  many  places  with  signs  of  cultiva- 
tion. This  part  of  the  river  extends 
for  two  or  three  miles,  and  is  called 
M  Bab,  "  the  Gate,"  it  being  in  fact  I 
a  series  of  rapids  on  a  small  scale. 

(  W.)  Kaldbsheh  (6f  miles),  a  village  | 


lying  just  above  the  rapids.  It  is  the 
Talmis  of  the  Itinerary,  and  possesses 
ruins  of  the  largest  temple  in  Nubia. 
It  appears  to  have  been  built  in  the 
reign  of  Augustus  ;  and  though  othe* 
Csesars,  particularly  Caligula,  Trajan, 
and  Severus,  made  considerable  addi- 
tions to  the  sculptures,  it  was  left  un- 
finished. The  stones  employed  in  its 
construction  had  belonged  to  an  older 
edifice,  to  which  it  succeeded ;  and  it 
is  highly  probable  that  the  original 
temple  was  of  the  early  epoch  of  the 
third  Thothmes,  whose  name  is  still 
traced  on  a  granite  statue  lying  near 
the  quay  before  the  entrance. 

This  extensive  building  consists  of 
a  naos,  portico,  and  area.  The  naos 
is  divided  into  three  successive  cham- 
bers,—  the  adytum,  a  hall  supported 
by  two  columns,  and  a  third  room 
opening  on  the  portico,  which  has 
twelve  columns,  three  in  depth  and 
four  in  breadth,  the  front  row  united 
by  screens  on  either  side  of  the  en- 
trance. The  area  is  terminated  by 
the  pyramidal  towers  of  the  propylon, 
beyond  which  is  a  pavement,  and  a 
staircase  leading  to  the  platform  of 
the  quay  that  sustains  the  bank  of 
the  river.  The  temple  is  surrounded 
by  two  walls  of  circuit,  both  of  which 
are  joined  to  the  propylon.  The  space 
between  them  is  occupied  by  several 
chambers,  and  at  the  upper  extremity 
is  a  small  building  with  columns, 
forming  the  area  to  a  chapel  hewn 
in  the  rock.  At  the  N.E.  corner  is 
also  a  small  chapel,  which  belonged  to 
the  original  temple,  and  is  anterior 
to  the  buildings  about  it ;  and  to  the 
N.  is  another  enclosure  of  consider- 
able extent,  connected  with  the  outer 
wall,  and  two  detached  doorways.  In 
some  parts  of  the  temple  the  colours 
are  still  exceedingly  bright,  which  is 
probably  due  to  the  Christians,  who, 
by  covering  over  the  sculptures,  paint- 
ings, and  hieroylyphics  with  plaster, 
were  the  unintentional  means  of  pre- 
serving much  that  is  interesting.  But 
the  sculptures  throughout  the  temple 
are  of  very  inferior  style ;  nor  could 
the  richness  of  gilding  that  once  co- 
vered those  at  the  entrances  of  the 
first  chambers  of  the  naos  have  com- 


478 


EOTJTE  21.  PHIL.2E 


TO  WADY  HALFAH. 


Sect.  V. 


pensated  for  the  deficiency  of  their 
execution.  Its  extent,  however,  claims 
for  it  a  conspicuous  place  among  the 
largest  monuments  dedicated  to  the 
deities  of  Egypt. 

Mandouli,  or,  according  to  the  an- 
cient Egyptians,  Malouli,  or  Merouli, 
was  the  deity  of  Talmis,  and  it  is  in 
his  honour  that  the  greater  part  of 
the  numerous  ex-votos  in  the  area  are 
inscribed  by  their  pious  writers. 

The  most  interesting  of  these  in- 
scriptions is  that  of  "  Silco,  king  of  the 
Nubadse  and  of  all  the  Ethiopians," 
which  records  his  several  defeats  of 
the  Blemmyes ;  and,  to  judge  from  his 
own  account,  he  neither  spared  the 
vanquished,  nor  was  scrupulous  in 
celebrating  his  exploits. 

Perhaps  the  most  remarkable  thing 
about  the  temple  of  Kalabsheh  is  the 
extraordinary  mass  of  ruins  it  pre- 
sents. It  appears  to  have  been  thrown 
down  almost  before  it  was  completed, 
and  by  what  agency  it  is  impossible 
to  conjecture. 

A  short  distance  from  the  temple, 
towards  the  N.W.,  are  the  sandstone 
quarries,  from  which  the  stone  used 
in  budding  its  walls  was  taken  ;  and 
on  the  hill  behind  it  are  found  the 
scattered  bones  of  mummies.  In  the 
village  are  the  remains  of  walls. 

The  ancient  town  stood  on  the  N. 
and  S.  of  the  temple,  and  extended 
along  the  hill  towards  the  Bayt  el 
Welly,  which  is  strewed  with  bricks 
and  broken  pottery. 

(W.)  Bayt  elWelly.—lt  isnot  without 
considerable  satisfaction  that  the  Egyp- 
tian antiquary  turns  from  the  coarse 
sculprures  of  the  Eoman  era  to  the 
chaste  and  elegant  designs  of  a  Pha- 
raonic  age  which  are  met  with  in  the 
sculptures  of  Barneses  II.  at  the  Bayt 
el  Welly,  "  the  House  of  the  Saint,"  a 
small  but  interesting  temple  excavated 
in  the  rock,  and  dedicated  to  Amunre, 
with  Kneph,  and  Anouke.  It  consists 
of  a  small  inner  chamber  or  adytum ; 
a  hall  supported  by  two  polygonal 
columns  of  very  ancient  style,  which 
call  to  mind  the  simplicity  of  the  Greek 
Doric ;  and  an  area  in  front.  At  the 
upper  end  of  the  hall  are  two  niches, 


each  containing  three  sitting  figures 
in  high  relief;  and  on  the  walls  of  the 
area,  outside  the  hall,  are  sculptured 
the  victories  of  Eameses ;  casts  of 
which  are  in  the  British  Museum. 

The  sculptures  relate  to  the  wars 
of  this  Pharaoh  against  the  Cush 
or  Ethiopians,  and  the  Shori,  who, 
having  been  previously  reduced  by 
the  Egyptian  monarch s,  and  made 
tributary  to  them,  rebelled  about  this 
period  and  were  reconquered  by 
Sethi  I.  and  the  second  Eameses. 
On  the  rt.-hand  wall  the  monarch, 
seated  on  a  throne  under  a  canopy  or 
shrine,  receives  the  offerings  brought 
by  the  conquered  Ethiopians,  preceded 
by  the  Prince  of  Cush,  Amunma- 
tape,  who  is  attended  by  his  two 
children,  and  is  introduced  by  the 
eldest  son  of  the  conqueror.  Eings 
and  bags  of  gold,  leopard-skins,  rich 
thrones,  flabella,  elephants'  teeth, 
ostrich-eggs,  and  other  objects,  are 
among  the  presents  placed  before  him ; 
and  a  deputation  of  Ethiopians  ad- 
vances, bringing  a  lion,  oryx,  oxen, 
and  gazelles.  The  lower  line  com- 
mences with  some  Egyptian  chiefs, 
who  are  followed  by  the  prince  of 
Cush  and  other  Ethiopians,  bringing 
plants  of  their  country,  skins,  apes,  a 
camelopard,  and  other  animals.  Be- 
yond this  is  represented  the  battle  and 
defeat  of  the  enemy.  Eameses,  mount- 
ed in  his  car,  is  attended  by  his  two 
sons,  also  in  chariots,  each  with  his 
charioteer,  who  urges  the  horses  to 
their  full  speed.  The  king  discharges 
his  arrows  on  the  disorderly  troops  of 
the  enemy,  who  betake  themselves 
to  the  woods.  At  the  upper  end  of 
the  picture  a  wounded  chief  is  taken 
home  by  his  companions.  One  of  his 
children  throws  dust  on  its  head  in 
token  of  sorrow,  and  another  runs  to 

J  announce  the  sad  news  to  its  mother, 
who  is  employed  in  cooking  at  a  fire 
lighted  on  the  ground. 

On  the  opposite  wall  is  the  war 
against  the  Shori.  At  the  upper  end, 
which  is  in  reality  the  termination  of 
the  picture,  Eameses  is  seated  on  a 
throne,  at  whose  base  is  crouched  a 
lion,  his  companion  in  battle.  His 

I  eldest  son  brings  into  his  presence  a 


Nubia.       koute  21. — batt  el  welly — gekf  hossayn. 


479 


group  of  prisoners  of  that  nation ;  j 
and  in  the  lower  compartment  is  a  ; 
deputation  of  Egyptian  chiefs.    Be-  j 
yond  this,  the  conqueror  engages  in  j 
single  combat  with  one  of  the  enemy's  \ 
generals,  and  slays  him  with  his  sword,  j 
in  the  presence  of  his  son  and  other 
Egyptian  officers ;  and  the  next  com- 
partment represents  him  in  his  car,  in  | 
the  heat  of  the  action,  overtaking  the 
leader  of  the  hostile  army,  whom  he  • 
also  despatches  with  his  sword.  The 
enemy  then  fly  in  all  directions  to  j 
their  fortified  town,  which  the  king 
advances  to  besiege.     Some  sue  for  | 
peace ;   while  his  son,  forcing  the ! 
gates,  strikes  terror  into  the  few  who 
resist.    Then  trampling  on  the  pros- 
trate foe,  Barneses  seizes  and  slays 
their  chiefs ;  and  several  others  are 
brought  in  fetters  before  him  by  his 
son. 

Such  are  the  principal  subjects  in 
the  area  of  this  temple,  which,  next 
to  Aboo  Simbel,  is  the  most  interesting 
monument  in  Nubia. 

Much  henneh  is  grown  here.  The 
pounded  leaves  are  exported  to  Egypt, 
and  are  used  for  dyeing  the  nails  and 
fingers  of  women  red.  It  is  the  Kvirpos 
of  the  Greeks ;  and  the  "  cluster  of 
camphire "  (kuphr)  in  Solomon's 
Song,  i.  13,  is  translated  in  the  LXX. 
"  fiorpvs  Kv-n-pov"  It  is,  perhaps,  al- 
luded to  in  Deut.  xxi.  12,  though  our 
translation  has  " pare  her  nails."  It 
is  the  Lawsonia  spinosa  et  inermis  of 
Linnaeus. 

The  people  of  Kalabsheh  are  a 
noisy,  troublesome  lot,  very  eager  to 
dispose  of  the  usual  Nubian  curi- 
osities. 

After  passing  Kalabsheh,  the  hills 
shut  the  river  closely  in  on  both  sides, 
and  hardly  a  strip  of  cultivation  re- 
lieves the  bare  and  arid  monotony  of 
the  scene.  Here  and  there  are  to  be 
seen  jetties  of  loose  stones,  intended 
to  turn  the  force  of  the  cut  rent, 
and  prevent  it  washing  away  what 
little  soil  there  is.  At  Aboo  Hor  is 
a  sort  of  rapid,  and  at  low  water  there 
is  only  a  narrow  passage  left  between 
the  breakers  and  the  E.  bank.  A  short 
distance  further  on  the  hills  recede, 
and  the  scenery  is  less  drear. 


(W.)  Dendodr  (13  m.).— The  temple 
of  Dendodr  stands  just  within  the 
tropic.  It  consists  of  a  portico  with  two 
columns  in  front,  two  inner  chambers, 
and  the  adytum :  at  the  end  of  which  is 
a  tablet,  with  the  figure  of  a  goddess, 
apparently  Isis.  In  front  of  the  por- 
tico is  a  pylon,  opening  on  an  area 
enclosed  by  a  low  wall,  and  facing  to- 
wards the  river ;  and  behind  the  temple 
is  a  small  grotto  excavated  in  the 
sandstone  rock.  It  has  the  Egyptian 
cornice  over  the  door,  and  before  it  is 
an  entrance-passage  built  of  stone. 

The  sculptures  of  Dendoor  are  of 
the  time  of  Augustus,  in  whose  reign 
it  appears  to  have  been  founded.  The 
chief  deities  were  Osiris,  Isis,  and 
Horus. 

The  ruined  town  of  Sabagdora, 
nearly  opposite  Gerf  Hossayn,  occu- 
pies the  summit  and  slope  of  a  hill, 
near  the  river,  and  is  famous  for  the 
resistance  made  there  by  a  desperate 
Nubian  chief  against  the  troops  of 
Ibrahim  Basha.  Near  it  is  the  vil- 
lage of  Kirsheh. 

(W.)  Gerf  Hossayn  (9  m.).—Gerf 
(or  Jerf)  Hossayn  is  the  ancient  Tut- 
zis ;  in  Coptic,  Thosh;  but  from  being 
under  the  special  protection  of  Bhtah, 
the  deity  of  the  place,  it  was  called  by 
the  Egyptians  Bhtah-ei,  or  "the  Abode 
of  Bhtah."  The  resemblance  of  the 
Coptic  name  Thosh  with  Ethaush, 
signifying,  in  the  same  dialect,  Ethio- 
pia, is  rendered  peculiarly  striking, 
from  the  word  Kush  (Cu&h),  in  the 
old  Egyptian  language  "  Ethiopia," 
being  retained  in  the  modern  name  of 
this  place,  which  in  Nubian  is  called 
Kish. 

The  temple  is  of  the  time  of  Ba- 
rneses ihe  Great,  entirely  excavated 
in  the  rock,  except  the  portico  or  area 
in  front.  At  the  upper  end  of  the 
adytum  are  several  sitting  figures  in 
high  relief.  Other  similar  statues 
occur  in  the  eight  niches  of  the  great 
hall,  and  in  the  two  others  within  the 
area.  This  area  had  a  row  of  four 
Osiride  figures  on  either  side,  and 
four  columns  in  front,  but  little  now 
remains  of  the  wall  that  enclosed  it ; 
and  the  total  depth  of  the  excavated 


480 


route  21. — PHmas 


TO  WADY  HALF  AH. 


Sect.  V. 


part  does  not  exceed  180  ft.  The 
Osiride  figures  in  the  hall  are  very 
badly  executed,  ill  according  with  the 
sculpture  of  the  second  Eameses ;  nor 
are  the  statues  of  the  sanctuary  of  a 
style  worthy  of  that  era.  The  deity 
of  the  town  was  Phtah,  the  creator 
and  "  Lord  of  Truth ;"  to  whom  the 
dedications  of  the  temple  were  in- 
scribed; and  Athor,  Pasht  (the  com- 
panion and  "  beloved  of  Phtah  "),  and 
Anouke,  each  held  a  conspicuous  place 
among  the  contemplar  deities. 

(W.)  At  Kostarnneh  is  a  doorway, 
with  the  agathodEemon  over  it ;  and  I 
the  remains  of  masonry  near  the  bank. 
Here  the  Nile  is  said  to  be  fordable 
in  May. 

Here  are  some  more  of  the  large 
stone  piers  before  referred  to,  evident- 
ly built  with  far  more  care  than  any 
works  of  the  modern  inhabitants. 

(W.)  Dakkeh  (10J  m.).  Dahheh  is 
the  Pselcis  of  the  Itinerary,  of  Pliny, 
and  of  Ptolemy.  Strabo,  who  calls  it 
Pselche,  says  it  was  an  Ethiopian  city 
in  his  time ;  the  Komans  having  given 
up  all  the  places  south  of  Philte  and 
the  Cataracts,  the  natural  frontier  of 
Egypt.  It  was  here  that  Petronius 
defeated  the  generals  of  Candace,  and 
then,  having  taken  the  city,  advanced 
to  Primis  (Premnis)  and  to  Napata, 
the  capital  of  the  Ethiopian  queen. 
Strabo  mentions  an  island  at  this  spot, 
in  which  many  of  the  routed  enemy, 
swimming  across  the  river,  took  refuge, 
until  they  were  made  prisoners  by  the 
Komans,  who  crossed  over  in  boats  and 
rafts. 

Dakkeh  has  a  temple  of  the  time 
of  Ergamun,  an  Ethiopian 
king,  and  of  the  Ptolemies 
and  Csesars ;  but  apparently 
built,  as  well  as  sculptured, 
during  different  reigns.  The 
oldest  part  is  the  central 
chamber  (with  the  doorway 
in  front  of  it),  which  bears 
the  name  of  the  Ethiopian 
monarch,  and  was  the  ori- 
ginal adytum. 

This  Ergamun  or  Erga- 
menes,  according  to  Diodorus,  was  a 
contemporary  of  Ptolemy  Philadelphus, 


15 


Ik 


and  was  remarkable  for  having  been 
the  first  Ethiopian  prince  who  broke 
through  the  rules  imposed  upon  his 
countryman  by  the  artifices  of  the 
priesthood.  After  speaking  of  the 
blind  obedience  paid  by  the  Ethio- 
pians to  their  laws,  the  historian 
says,  "  The  most  extraordinary  thing 
is  what  relates  to  the  death  of  their 
kings.  The  priests,  who  superintend 
the  worship  of  the  gods  and  the  cere- 
monies of  religion  in  Meroe,  enjoy 
such  unlimited  power  that,  whenever 
they  choose,  they  send  a  message  to 
the  king,  ordering  him  to  die,  for  that 
the  gods  had  given  this  command, 
and  no  mortal  could  oppose  their  will 
without  being  guilty  of  a  crime.  They 
also  add  other  reasons,  which  would 
influence  a  man  of  weak  mind,  accus- 
tomed to  give  way  to  old  custom  and 
prejudice,  and  without  sufficient  sense 
to  oppose  such  unreasonable  com- 
mands. In  former  times  the  kings 
had  obeyed  the  priests,  not  by  com- 
pulsion, but  out  of  mere  superstition, 
until  Ergamenes,  who  ascended  the 
throne  of  Ethiopia  in  the  time  of  the 
second  Ptolemy,  a  man  instructed  in 
the  sciences  and  philosophy  o|  Greece, 
was  bold  enough  to  defy  their  orders. 
And  having  made  a  resolution  worthy 
of  a  prince,  he  repaired  with  his 
troops  to  a  fortress  (or  high  place, 
afZarov),  where  a  golden  temple  of  the 
Ethiopians  stood,  and  there,  having 
slain  all  the  priests,  he  abolished  the 
ancient  custom,  and  substituted  other 
institutions  according  to  his  own  will." 

Ergamenes  was  not  a  man  who 
mistook  the  priests  for  religion,  or 
supposed  that  belief  in  the  priests 
signified  belief  in  the  gods.  These 
he  failed  not  to  honour  with  due  re- 
spect. He  is  seen  at  Dakkeh  pre- 
senting offerings  to  the  different  deities 
of  the  temple,  and  over  one  of  the 
side  doors  he  is  styled  "  son  of  Neph, 
born  of  Isis,  nursed  by  Anouke ;" 
and  on  the  other  side,  "  son  of  Osiris, 
born  of  Sate,  nursed  by  Nephthys." 
His  royal  title  and  ovals  read  "  king 
of  men  [(1)  the  hand  of  Amun,  the 
living,  chosen  of  Ee],  son  of  the  sun 
[(2)  Ergamun,  everliving,  the  beloved 
of  Isis]." 


Nubia. 


ROUTE  21.  DAKKEH  MAHARRAKER. 


481 


Ptolemy  Philopator  added  to  the 
sculptures  at  Dakkeh ;  and  his  oval 
occurs  with  that  of  his  wife  and  sister 
Arsinoe' —  his  father,  Ptolemy  Euer- 
getes  —  and  his  mother,  Berenice 
Euergetes  ;  and  on  the  corresponding 
side  are  those  of  Ptolemy  Philadelphus 
and  Arsinoe  Philadelphe.  Physcon 
or  Euergetes  II.  afterwards  built  the 
portico,  as  we  learn  from  a  mutilated 
Greek  inscription  on  the  architrave, 
accompanied  by  the  hieroglyphic  name 
*of  that  monarch ;  and  by  him  the 
present  adytum  was  probably  added. 
The  oval  of  Augustus  likewise  occurs 
in  the  portico,  but  a  great  part  of  this 
building  was  left  unfinished,  as  is 
generally  found  to  be  the  case  with 
the  Roman  and  Ptolemaic  monuments 
in  Nubia. 

In  the  temple  of  Dakkeh  is  one  of 
the  many  instances  of  an  Egyptian 
portico,  in  antis,  which  was  a  mode  of 
building  frequently  used  in  Egypt  as 
well  as  in  Greece. 

Within  the  sanctuary  lies  a  large 
broken  block  of  red  granite,  polished, 
which  may  have  been  a  part  of  the 
original  shrine.  And  in  one  of  the 
side  chambers  are  some  curious  sculp- 
tures, in  which  figure  a  monkey  and 
lion. 

The  deity  of  Pselcis  was  Hermes 
Trismegistus,  to  whom  a  considerable 
number  of  Greek  exvotos  have  been 
inscribed  on  the  pylon  and  other  parts 
of  the  temple,  by  officers  stationed 
about  Elephantine  and  Philae,  and 
others  who  visited  Pselcis.  principally 
in  the  time  of  the  Caesars.  He  is 
styled  the  very  great  Hermes  Paut- 
nouphis.  But  the  name  was  probably 
Taut-nouphis,  which  may  be  traced,  j 
in  the  hieroglyphics  over  this  deity, 
Taut-5-pnubs,  or  Taut-n-pnubsho,  the 
"  Thoth  of  Pnubs  "  or  "  Pnubsho,"  the 
Egyptian  name  of  Pselcis.  He  is  called 
in  Arabic  Hormos  el  Moselles,  from  his 
"  triple  "  office  of  "  king,  prophet,  and 
physician." 

(E.)  Opposite  Dalcheh,  on  the  E. 
bank,  is  a  large  crude -brick  fortress, 
which  has  some  of  the  chief  features 
of  the  Egyptian  system  of  fortifica- 
tion.   A  lofty  wall,  about  15  ft.  thick, 

[Egypt.] 


and  more  than  30  ft.  high,  encloses 
a  rectangular  space,  surrounded  by  a 
ditch,  with  a  scarp  on  one  side,  and 
a  counterscarp  on  the  other.  The  wall 
has  square  towers  at  intervals,  but, 
instead  of  being  as  high  as  the  wall, 
they  only  reach  to  a  certain  height, 
like  buttresses  ;  those  too  of  the  angles 
are  placed  not  on  the  corner  of  the 
wall,  but  one  on  each  side  of  it.  This 
last  was  usual  even  in  forts  with  large 
towers.  There  are  also  the  low  wall 
in  the  ditch,  parallel  to  the  main  wall ; 
and  the  long  wall  running  across  the 
ditch  at  right  angles  with  the  main 
wall  to  enable  the  besieged  to  rake  its 
fiice.  This  last  is  on  the  E.  side.  The 
principal  entrance  was  on  the  N.,  and 
from  this  a  movable  bridge  was  laid 
over  the  ditch,  resting  halfway  on  the 
low  wall,  which  is  of  stone.  At  the 
S.W.  corner  is  the  water-gate,  pro- 
tected and  approached  by  a  oovert  way 
of  stone,  and  flanked  by  a  projecting 
wall.  Less  than  Jm.  to  the  S.  are 
the  ruins  of  a  small  sandstone  temple, 
with  clustered  columns;  and  on  the 
way,  near  the  village,  you  pass  a  stone 
stela  of  Amenemha  III.,  ment  oning 
his  11th  year.  On  other  blocks  are 
the  names  of  Thothmes  III.  and  a 
Rameses,  and  on  a  lion-headed  statue 
is  that  of  Horus.  These  doubtless  mark 
tne  site  of  Metacompso,  which,  if  Pto- 
lemy is  correct  in  placing  it  opposite 
Pselcis,  must  be  the  same  as  Contra- 
Pselcis. 

(Tf.)  At  Eoortee  (3  J  m.),  the  ancient 
Corte,  there  are  a  few  ruins. 

(W.)  Mctharrdker  (3-f)  marks  the 
site  of  Hierasycaminon,  the  limit  of 
the  Dodecaschsenus.  The  remains  are 
uninteresting.  On  a  wall  is  a  rude 
representation  of  Isis  seated  under  the 
sacred  fig-tree,  and  some  other  figures 
of  a  Roman  epoch.  Near  it  is  an 
hypsethral  building,  apparently  of  the 
time  of  the  Caesars,  unfinished  as 
usual ;  and,  as  we  learn  from  a  Greek 
exvoto  on  one  of  the  columns,  dedi- 
cated to  Isis  and  Serapis.  Like  most 
of  the  edifices  in  Nubia,  it  has  been 
used  as  a  place  of  worship  by  the 
early  Christians,  and  is  the  last  that 
we  find  of  the  time  of  the  Ptolemies 

Y 


482 


ROUTE  21.  FEILM  TO  WADY  HALFAH. 


Sect.  V. 


or  Csesars,  with  the  exception  of 
Ibreem  or  Primis. 

Soon  after  leaving  Maharraker,  the 
cultivated  soil  on  the  banks  again 
narrows,  and  the  desert  comes  almost 
to  the  brink  of  the  river. 

(IF".)  Wddy  Sabodah  (20  m.)  or  the 
"  Valley  of  the  Lions,"  so  called  by 
the  Arabs  from  the  androsphinxes  of 
the  dromos  that  led  np  to  the  temple. 
This  temple  is  of  the  early  epoch  of 
Eameses  the  Great.  It  is  all  built  of 
sandstone,  with  the  exception  of  the 
adytum,  which  is  excavated  in  the 
rock.  The  dromos  was  adorned  with 
eight  sphinxes  on  either  side,  now 
more  or  less  broken  and  buried,  and 
terminated  by  two  statues  with 
sculptured  stelae  at  their  back,  still 
standing ;  to  this  succeed  the  two 
pyramidal  towers  of  the  propylon; 
the  area,  with  eight  Osiride  figures 
attached  to  the  pillars,  supporting  the 
architraves  and  roofs  of  the  lateral 
corridors  :  and  the  interior  chambers, 
which  are  generally  closed  by  the 
drifted  sand. 

These  chambers  afford  some  curious 
evidence  of  having  been  used  as  a 
Christian  church.  Over  the  god 
whose  image  was  carved  in  the  adytum 
has  been  plastered  a  picture  of  St. 
Peter :  the  other  paintings,  however, 
have  not  been  altered,  and  the  result 
is  that  Eameses  II.  is  now  seen  making 
offerings  to  a  Christian  saint.  All 
these  rock-hewn  chambers  have  been 
thickly  plastered,  in  order  to  fill  up 
the  many  holes  and  cracks  that 
occurred  owing  to  the  coarseness  of 
the  grain  of  the  stone,  and  the  hiero- 
glyphics have  been  impressed  in  this 
plaster  when  wet. 

At  Sabodah  begins  the  district  in 
which  Arabic  is  spoken. 

In  respect  of  climate,  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Sabooah  is  perhaps  the  plea- 
santest  in  Nubia.  The  air  is  deli- 
ciously  soft  and  pure. 

Soon  after  passing  Sabooah,  the  hills 
close  in  on  the  E.  bank,  and  at  Malkeh 
the  river  begins  to  take  a  considerable 
bend.  In  the  northern  angle  of  this 
bend,  where  the  eastern  hills  again 
fall  back  considerably,  lies 


(E.)  Korosko  (12^  m.).  From  this 
point  the  direct  road  lies  across  the 
desert  to  Aboo  Hamed  and  the  Upper 
Nile,  Shendy,  Sennaar,  Khartoom,  &c. 
The  village  itself,  a  small  one,  lies 
back  on  the  edge  of  the  desert ;  but  the 
bank  is  generally  lined  with  the  tents 
and  merchandise  of  traders  waiting  for 
camels  to  Aboo  Hamed  or  boats  to 
the  1st  Cataract.  Any  traveller  who 
wishes  to  push  on  by  the  shortest 
way  to  the  Upper  Nile,  should  quit 
his  boat  here,  and  join  some  caravan. ' 
It  takes  from  six  to  nine  days  to 
reach  Aboo  Hamed,  a  drear,  -weari- 
some journey  across  an  uninteresting 
desert. 

It  is  worth  while  to  walk  a  little  way 
inland,  and  climb  one  of  the  highest 
peaks.  The  view  obtained  will  give  a 
vivid  impression  of  the  savage  sterility 
of  this  desert :  barren  hills  rising  one 
behind  the  other  as  far  as  the  eye  can 
reach,  only  separated  by  as  barren  val- 
leys. The  rock  is  sandstone,  thickly 
covered  here  and  there  with  volcanic 
remains. 

Numerous  rocky  shoals  obstruct  the 
E.  bank  of  the  river  after  leaving 
Korosko ;  and  there  are  large  sand- 
banks in  the  centre,  on  which  croco- 
diles may  often  be  seen.  The  desert 
hare  may  sometimes  be  found  during 
a  stroll  into  the  eastern  desert ;  and  a 
sharp  eye  will  often  detect  a  chame- 
leon on  the  branch  of  a  tree.  Some  of 
these  curious  animals  are  sure  to  be 
offered  for  sale:  they  occasionally 
thrive  well  in  confinement. 

The  bend  of  the  river  still  continues, 
and  to  such  an  extent  that  its  course 
between  Korosko  and  Derr  is  S.S.E. 
This  often  detains  boats  for  a  consider- 
able time  on  the  way  up,  as  it  is  im- 
possible to  get  on  if  a  N.  wind  is 
blowing.  . 

( W.)  A'mada  (7£  m.).  Here,  high 
up  on  the  sandy  bank,  is  a  small  but 
very  elegant  temple  of  considerable 
antiquity.  The  names  found  on  it  are 
those  of  Osirtasen  III.,  probably  the 
founder,  Thothmes  III.,  Amunoph  II., 
and  Thothmes  IV.  It  consists  of  a 
portico,  a  transverse  corridor,  and 
three  inner  chambers,  the  central  one 


Nubia. 


ROUTE  21.  A'MADA— DERR. 


483 


of  which  is  the  adytum.  The  sculp- 
tures on  the  walls  are  as  remarkable 
for  the  beauty  of  their  style,  as  for  the 
wonderful  way  in  which,  in  many 
places,  the  colouring  has  been  pre- 
served. This  is  no  doubt  owing  to 
the  unintentional  aid  of  the  early 
Christians,  who  here,  as  m  many 
other  places,  covered  the  sculptures 
with  mud  and  mortar  to  conceal  them 
from  sight,  and  thus  protected  them 
from  the  ravages  of  time.  Unfor- 
tunately the  temple  is  so  blocked  up 
with  sand,  that  it  is  sometimes  diffi- 
cult to  get  in,  and  candles  are  required 
in  order  to  see  the  sculptures. 

The  view  from  the  roof  of  the 
temple  down  the  reach  of  the  river 
towards  Korosko  is  very  beautiful  : 
the  belt  of  palms  on  the  right  bank, 
backed  by  a  picturesque  ridge  of  black 
hills,  with  the  blue  river  separating 
them  from  the  golden  sands  of  the 
left  bank,  form  one  of  the  prettiest 
bits  of  landscape  on  the  Nile.  It  is  a 
spot  from  which  to  see  to  perfection 
one  of  the  splendid  sunsets  that  in 
this  part  of  Nubia  excel  in  softness  of 
tone  and  gorgeousness  of  colouring 
even  those  of  Egypt,  beautiful  as  they 
nearly  always  are. 

(2£.)  Derr,  or  Dayr  (4  m.).  A  large 
town,  the  capital  of  Nubia,  but  less 
neat  and  prepossessing-looking  than 
many  small  villages.  Its  population, 
'  too,  excel  in  the  art  of  pesting  the 
traveller  for  backsheesh.  At  the  back 
of  the  town,  on  the  edge  of  the  desert, 
is  a  rock-cut  temple,  of  no  great  size, 
the  total  depth  being  only  110  ft.  It 
is  of  the  time  of  Eameses  II.,  but  the 
sculptures  are  not  worthy  of  that 
epoch.  They  are  now,  too,  very  much 
:  mutilated. 

In  the  area  was  a  battle -scene  ;  but 
little  now  remains,  except  the  imper- 
fect traces  of  chariots  and  horses,  and 
some  confused  figures.    On  the  wall 
of  the  temple  the  king  is  represented, 
'  in  the  presence  of  Amun-re,  slaying 
'  the  prisoners  he  has  taken,  and  ac- 
,.   companied  by  a  lion ;  '  and  on  the 
j   opposite  side  the  lion  seizes  one  of 
d  I  the  falling  captives  as  he  is  held  by 
the  victorious  monarch. 


Ke  was  the  chief  deity  of  the  sanc- 
tuary, from  whom  the  ancient  town 
received  the  name  of  Ei-Ke,  "  the 
Abode  of  the  Sun  ;  "  and  we  find  that 
this  "  temple  of  Eameses "  was  also 
considered  under  the  special  protection 
of  Amun-re  and  of  Thoth.  Phtah  like- 
wise held  a  distinguished  place  among 
the  contemplar  gods. 

It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  all  the 
temples  between  the  two  cataracts, 
except  Deil',  Ibreem,  and  Ferayg,  are 
situated  on  the  W.  side  of  the  Nile ; 
and,  instead  of  lying'  on  the  arable 
land,  are  all  built  on  the  sandy  plain, 
or  hewn  in  the  rock.  This  was,  doubt- 
less, owing  to  their  keeping  the  small 
portion  of  land  they  possessed  for  cul- 
tivation, while  the  towns  and  temples 
occupied  what  could  be  of  no  utility 
to  the  inhabitants. 

The  name  of  Derr  is  derived  from 
the  "  convent "  of  the  old  Christian 
inhabitants.  It  afterwards  belonged 
to  the  Kashefs  of  Sultan  Selim,  whose 
descendants  ruled  the  country  till  its 
reduction  by  Mohammed  Ali,  and 
whose  family  still  remains  there ;  and 
the  chief  people  of  Derr  pride  them- 
selves on  their  Turkish  origin,  and 
the  fair  complexion  which  distinguishes 
them  from  the  other  Nubians. 

The  sandbanks  in  front  of  Derr  are 
much  frequented  by  crocodiles. 

After  leaving  Derr,  the  aspect  of 
the  river-banks  is  much  less  bare.  The 
strip  of  soil  is  broader  here  than  any- 
where in  Nubia,  and  nowhere  is  it 
cultivated  with  more  care.  The  salri- 
yahs  are  innumerable.  There  is  one 
at  nearly  every  ]  00  yards,  and  where 
the  banks  are  high,  there  are  often 
two  or  three  one  above  the  other.  The 
noise  made  by  these  machines,  which 
go  night  and  day,  is  something 
astounding.  They  are  never  greased, 
and  turn  round  with  one  constant 
shrill  shriek  or  dull  groan,  according 
as  the  wood  is  new  or  old. 

(E.)  On  the  road  from  Derr  to 
Ibreem,  inland,  is  a  grotto  cut  in  the 
rock,  called  El  Doohnesra,  opposite 
Gattey,  with  sculptures  of  old  time ; 
and  on  the  W.  bank,  above  Gezeeret 
Gattey,  is  a  small  tomb,  inland  in  the 
desert,  cut  in  a  rock  of  pyramidal 
y  2 


484 


EOUTE  21.  PHIL^J 


TO  WADY  HALFAH. 


Sect.  V. 


form,  which  hears  the  name  of  Ba- 
rneses V.  and  his  queen  Nofre-t-aret. 
The  Person  of  the  tomb  was  one 
"  Poeri,  a  royal  son  of  Cush  "  (Ethiopia), 
who  is  represented  doing  homage  to 
the  Egyptian  Pharaoh. 

Before  reaching  Ibreem  the  river 
becomes  very  broad,  and  enormous 
sandbanks  stretch  over  a  large  ex- 
panse, dividing  the  river  into  many 
narrow  channels. 

(E.)  Ibreem  (13  m.)  is  situated  on  a 
lofty  cliff,  commanding  the  river,  as 
well  as  the  road  by  land,  and  is  the 
supposed  site  of  Primis  Parva.  It 
contains  no  remains  of  antiquity,  ex- 
cept part  of  the  ancient  wall  on  the  S. 
side,  and  a  building,  apparently  also 
of  Eoman  date,  in  the  interior,  towards 
the  N.  side.  The  latter  is  built  of 
stone,  the  lower  part  of  large,  the 
upper  of  small,  blocks.  Over  the  door 
is  the  Egyptian  cornice,  and  a  pro- 
jecting slab  intended  for  the  globe  and 
asps ;  and  in  the  face  of  the  front  wall 
is  a  perpendicular  recess,  similar  to 
those  in  Egyptian  temples  for  fixing 
the  flag-staffs  on  festivals.  In  front 
of  this  is  a  square  pit,  and  at  its 
mouth  lies  the  capital  of  a  Corinthian 
column  of  Eoman  time.  The  blocks 
used  in  building  the  outer  wall  were 
taken  from  more  ancient  monuments. 
Some  of  them  bear  the  name  of  Tir- 
hakah,  the  Ethiopian  king,  who  ruled 
Egypt  as  well  as  his  own  country,  690 
b.c,  and  whose  Ethiopian  capital  was 
Napata,  now  El  Barkal. 

It  is  probable  that  the  Eoman  s, 
finding  the  position  of  Ibreem  so  well 
adapted  for  the  defence  of  their  terri- 
tories, stationed  a  garrison  there  as  an 
advanced  post,  and  that  the  wall  is  a 
part  of  their  fortified  works.  It  was 
in  later  times  fixed  upon  by  Sultan 
Selim  as  one  of  the  places  peculiarly 
adapted  for  a  permanent  station  of  the 
troops  left  by  him  to  keep  the  Nubians 
in  check ;  and  the  descendants  of 
Sultan  Selim's  Turks  remained  there 
till  expelled  from  it  by  the  Memlooks 
(or  Ghooz),  on  their  way  to  Shendy, 
in  1811.  It  is  well  worth  climbing  to 
the  top  of  the  hill  for  the  sake  of  the 
view. 


In  .  the  rock  beneath  Ibreem  are 
some  small  painted  grottoes,  bearing 
the  names  of  Thothmes  I.  and  III.,  of 
Amunoph  II.  and  of  Rameses  II.,  with 
statues  in  high  relief  at  their  upper 
end. 

About  half-way  from  Ibreem  to 
Bostan  are  a  mound  and  a  stel&,  about 
6  ft.  high,  with  hieroglyphics.  Bostan 
is  the  Turkish  name  for  "  garden," 
and  was  probably  given  it  by  the 
soldiers  of  Sultan  Selim. 

A  short  way  beyond  it  at  Tosh, 
Tushlca  or  Tosko  (the  Nubian  word 
signifying  "three"),  are  two  reefs  of 
rocks,  stretching  across  the  Nile,  and 
nearly  closing  the  passage  in  the 
month  of  May,  when  the  river  is  low. 
They  form  a  complete  weir,  and  would 
be  very  dangerous  to  a  boat  coming 
down  the  stream  without  a  piJot. 

After  passing  Tosko  the  river  in 
many  places  flows  literally  through 
the  desert.  There  is  no  cultivation  on 
either  bank.  But  the  aspect  of  the 
E.  bank  is  quite  different  from  that  of 
the  W. :  bleak,  black,  and  weird-look- 
insr,  the  former  lacks  the  golden  sands 
which  brighten  up  the  Libyan  desert, 
and  clothe  its  valleys  and  hill-sides. 

(W.)  Aboo  Simbel  (34  m.).  At  Aboo 
Simbel,  or,  as  it  is  sometimes  called, 
Ipsambool,  are  the  most  interesting 
remains  met  with  in  Nubia,  and,  ex- 
cepting Thebes  and  the  Pyramids, 
throughout  the  whole  valley  of  the 
Nile.  It  has  two  temples  hewn  in 
the  gritstone  rock,  both  of  the  time 
of  Rameses  the  Great ;  which,  besides 
their  grandeur,  contain  highly-finished 
sculptures,  and  throw  great  light  on 
the  history  of  that  conqueror. 

Candles  will  be  necessary  for  seeing 
the  sculptures  in  these  temples :  but 
travellers  should  on  no  account  allow 
torches  to  be  used ;  not  only  do  they 
blacken  the  sculptures,  but  they  render 
the  atmosphere  inside  the  temples  so 
stifling  and  offensive,  that  if  three  or 
four  parties  follow  one  another  it  be- 
comes barely  possible  to  breathe.  Mag- 
nesium wire  is  the  best  thing  to  use  in 
all  cases  where  a  strong  light  is  re- 
quired for  seeing  the  general  effect. 

The  small  temple  was  dedicated  to 


Nubia. 


ROUTE  21.  ABOO  SIMBEL  :  THE  GREAT  TEMPLE. 


485 


Athor,  who  is  represented  in  the  j 
adytum  under  the  form  of  the  sacred  j 
cow,  her  emblem,  which  also  occurs 
in  the  pictures  on  the  wall.  Her  title 
here  is  "  Lady  of  Aboshek  "  (Aboccis), 
the  ancient  name  of  Aboo  Simbel 
which,  being  in  the  country  of  the 
Ethiopians,  is  followed  in  the  hiero- 
glyphics by  the  sign  signifying  "  fo- 
reign land/'  The  facade  is  adorned 
with  several  statues  in  prominent  re- 
lief of  the  king  and  the  deities ;  and 
the  interior  is  divided  into  a  hall  of 
six  square  pillars  bearing  the  head  of 
Athor,  a  transverse  corridor,  with  a 
small  chamber  at  each  extremity,  and 
an  adytum.  Among  the  contemplar 
deities  are  Ee,  Amun-re,  Isis,  and 
Phtah ;  and  Kneph,  Sate,  and  Anouke, 
the  triad  of  the  cataracts.  The  mon- 
arch is  frequently  accompanied  by  his 
queen  Nofre-ari.  The  total  depth  of 
this  excavation  is  about  90  ft.  from 
the  door. 

The  exterior  of  the  Great  Temple  is 
remarkable  for  the  most  beautiful  of 
till  Egyptian  colossi.    They  represent 
jRameses  II.     They  are  seated  on 
thrones  attached  to  the  rock,  and  the 
faces  of  some  of  them,  which  are  fortu- 
nately well  preserved,  evince  a  beauty 
of  expression,  the  more  striking  as  it 
is  unlooked  for  in  statues  of  such  di- 
mensions.   Their  total  height  is  about 
66  ft.  without  the  pedestal.    The  ear 
measures  3  ft.  5  in. :  forefinger  (i.e.  to 
the  fork  of  middle  finger),  3  ft. ;  from 
inner  side  of  elbow-joint  to  end  of 
middle  finger,  15  ft.,  &c.    The  total 
'  height  of  the  facade  of  the  temple 
1  may  be  between  90  and  100  ft.  The 
head  of  one  of  the  statues  is  com- 
pletely broken  off,  but  the  others  are 
:  tolerably  intact.    On  the  leg  of  the 
first  to  the  left  as  you  approach  the 
1  door  of  the  temple,  is  the  curious 
!  Greek  inscription  of  the  Ionian  and 
1  Carian  soldiers  of  Psammetichus,  first 
,]  discovered  by  Mr.  Bankes  and  Mr. 
1  Salt,  as  well  as  some  interesting  hiero- 
'  glyphic  tablets. 

That  inscription  is  of  very  great 
1  interest  upon  several  accounts.  It 
'  appears  to  have  been  written  by  the 
troops  sent  by  the  Egyptian  king  after 
"  the  deserters,  who,  to  the  number  of 


240,000,  are  said  by  Herodotus  to  have 
left  the  service  of  Psammetichus  be- 
cause they  had  been  stationed  in  gar- 
rison at  Syene  for  three  years  without 
being  relieved,  and  to  have  settled  in 
Ethiopia. 

The  inscription  is  in  a  curious  style 
of  Greek,  with  a  rude  indication  of 
the  long  vowels,  the  more  remarkabk 
as  it  dates  more  than  100  years  before 
Simonides.  The  i)  is  0,  and  the  a  is 
0.  Col.  Leake  has  given  the  follow- 
ing version  and  translation : — 

BacrtAeco?  ekOovros  e?  TLhzfyavrivav  ^aixarixo 
(for  ou) 

TavTa  eypaij/av  tol  <tvv  ~%afx.iAa.TLXf>?  to>  ©cokA 

[ows] 

eirKeov  tjA0ov  Se  Kep/ao?  narvirepOeviso  (for  ei? 
o)  7roTaf<.o; 

aviy)  aAoyAoo-os  o  rfX^OTaai-ixro  Ai-yu^-rios 
Aju.a<rt? 

eypa<f>e  Aafieapxov  Ajaoi^t^o[u]  /ecu  IIeA.e$os 
(ileAeOos)  OuSa/uojV] 
"King  Psamatichus  having  come  to  Ele- 
phantine, those  who  were  with  Psamatichus, 
the  son  of  Theocles,  wrote  ttiis.  They  sailed, 
and  came  to  above  Kerkis,  to  where  the  river 

rises  '.  the  Egyptian  Amasis.  The 

writer  was  Damearchon,  the  son  of  Amoebichus, 
and  Pelephus  (Pelekos),  the  son  of  TJdamns." 

From  this  it  appears  that  the  "  king 
Psamatichus"  only  went  as  far  as 
Elephantine,  and  sent  his  troops  after 
the  deserters  by  the  river  into  Upper 
Ethiopia ;  the  writer  of  the  first  part, 
who  had  the  same  name,  being  doubt- 
less a  Greek. 

Besides  this  inscription  are  others, 
written  by  Greeks  who  probably 
visited  the  place  at  a  later  time  ; 
as  "  Theopompus,  the  son  of  Plato  ; " 
u  Ptolemy,  the  son  of  Timostratus  ;  " 
Ktesibius,  Telephus,  and  others.  There 
are  also  some  Phoenician  inscriptions 
on  the  same  colossus. 

The  grand  hall  is  supported  by  eight 
Osirifle  pillars,  and  to  it  succeed  a 
second  hall  of  four  square  pillars,  a 
corridor,  and  the  adytum,  with  two 
side  chambers.  Eight  other  rooms 
open  on  the  grand  hall,  but  they  are 
very  irregularly  excavated,  and  some 
of  them  have  lofty  benches  projecting 
from  the  walls.  In  the  centre  of  the 
adytum  is  an  altar,  and  at  the  upper 
end  are  four  statues  in  relief.  The 
dimensions  of  the  colossi  attached  to 
the  pillars  in  the  great  hall  are — from 


486 


EOUTE  21.  PHIL^ 


TO  WADY  HALFAH. 


Sect.  V, 


the  shoulder  to  the  elbow,  4  ft.  6  in.  ; 
from  the  elbow  to  the  wrist,  4  ft.  3  in. ; 
from  the  nose  to  the  chin,  8  in.;  the 
ear,  13f  in. ;  the  nose,  about  10  in. ; 
the  face,  nearly  2  ft. ;  and  the  total 
height,  without  the  cap  and  pedestal, 
17  ft.  8  in. 

The  principal  objects  of  the  interior 
are  the  historical  subjects  relating  to 
the  conquests  of  Barneses  II.,  repre- 
sented in  the  great  hall.  A  large 
tablet,  containing  the  date  of  his  first 
year,  extends  over  great  part  of  the 
N.  wall  :  and  another  between  the  two 
last  pillars  on  the  opposite  side  of 
this  hall,  of  his  35th  year,  has  been 
added  long  after  the  temple  was  com- 
pleted. The  battle-scenes  are  very 
interesting.  Among  the  various  sub- 
jects are  the  arks  of  the  Egyptians, 
which  they  carried  with  them  in  their 
foreign  expeditions.  The  subjects  on 
the  IS.  wall  are  particularly  spirited. 
A  charioteer,  just  bending  his  bow, 
with  the  reins  tied  round  his  waist, 
is  full  of  life. 

Ee  (the  Sun)  was  the  god  of  the 
temple  and  the  protector  of  the  place. 
In  a  niche  over  the  entrance  is  a 
statue  of  this  deity  in  relief,  to  whom 
the  king  is  offering  a  figure  of  Truth  ; 
and  he  is  one  of  the  four  at  the  end  of 
the  adytum.  The  Theban  triad  also 
holds  a  conspicuous  place  here,  as  well 
as  Nou  or  Kneph,  Khem,  Osiris,  and 
Isis.  The  total  depth  of  this  exca- 
vation, from  the  door,  is  about  200  ft., 
without  the  colossi  and  slope  of  the 
facade.  A  short  distance  to  the  S. 
are  some  hieroglyphic  tablets  on  the 
rock,  bearing  the  date  of  the  38th  year 
of  the  same  Eameses. 

The  great  temple  of  Aboo  Simbel 
was  formerly  quite  closed  by  the  sand 
that  pours  down  from  the  hills  above. 
The  first  person  who  observed  these 
two  interesting  monuments  was  Burck- 
hardt;  and  in  1817,  Belzoni,  Captains 
Irby  and  Mangles,  and  Mr.  Beechey, 
visited  them,  and  resolved  on  clearing 
the  entrance  of  the  larger  temple  from 
the  sand.  After  working  eight  hours 
a  day  for  a  whole  fortnight,  with  the 
average  heat  of  the  thermometer  from 


112°  to  116°  Fahr.  in  the  shade,  they 
succeeded  in  gaining  admittance  ;  and, 
though  the  sand  closed  in  again,  their 
labours  enabled  others  to  penetrate 
into  it  without  much  difficulty.  It  is 
a  toilsome  climb  through  the  sand  to 
the  top  of  the  cliff  above  the  statues, 
but  the  view  is  a  very  fine  one. 

(E.)  Nearly  opposite  Aboo  Simbel 
is  Ferdyg,  a  small  excavated  temple, 
consisting  of  a  hall,  supported  by  four 
columns,  two  side  chambers  or  wings, 
and  an  adytum.  It  has  the  name  and 
sculptures  of  the  successor  of  Amunoph 
III.,  and  was  dedicated  to  Amunre 
and  Kneph.  At  a  later  time  it  became 
a  Christian  church,  for  which  its  cruci- 
form plan  was  probably  thought  par- 
ticularly appropriate.  On  the  ceiling 
are  paintings  of  Our  Saviour  with  a 
glory,  and  raised  hand  in  act  of  bless- 
ing St.  George,  who  is  spearing  the 
dragon.  In  the  sanctuary  are  two 
sedilia. 

(E.)  Close  to  the  S.  of  Gebel  Addeh, 
on  a  conical  hill  called  Gebel  esh 
Shems  ("  Hill  of  the  Sun"),  and  a  little 
way  above  Ferayg,  are  some  tablets, 
and  a  very  old  tomb  in  the  rock.  In 
a  niche  is  the  name  of  a  king,  pro- 
bably one  of  the  Sabacos  of  the  XII  Ith 
dynasty,  who  is  seated  with  Anubis, 
Savak,  and  Anouke,  receiving  the 
adoration  of  a  "royal  son  of  Cush." 
The  king's  prenomen  reads  Merkere  (?). 
There  is  also  a  grotto  with  an  illegible 
name  of  a  king,  and  another  prince  of 
Cush,  or  Ethiopia ;  with  other  hiero- 
glyphics on  the  rock,  having  the  name 
of  an  individual  called  Thothmes. 

(IF.)  Faras.  or  Farras,  on  the  W. 
bank,  is  supposed  to  be  the  Fhthuris 
of  Fliny ;  and,  from  the  many  sculp- 
tured blocks  and  columns  there,  it 
is  evident  that  some  ancient  town 
existed  on  that  spot ;  though,  judging 
from  the  style,  they  appear  to  belong 
to  a  Boman'"  rather  than  an  Egyptian 
epoch. 

A  little  to  the  S.  is  a  small  grotto 
with  hieroglyphics  of  the  time  of 
Barneses  II. ;  and  in  the  hills  to  the 
westward  are  some  tombs  hewn  in 
the  rock  with  several  Coptic  inscrip- 


Nubia, 


ROUTE  21.  WADY  HALFAH  SECOND  CATARACT. 


487 


tions,  from  one  of  which,  bearing  the 
name  of  Diocletian,  it  seems  that  they 
served  as  places  of  refuge  during  some 
of  the  early  persecutions  of  the  Chris- 
tians. They  swarm  with  bats.  To 
the  S.W.  are  ruins  of  baked  brick,  with 
stone  columns,  of  the  low  ages. 

At  Serra  are  the  remains  of  what 
was  once  perhaps  a  quay;  but  there 
are  no  ruins  of  any  ancient  town  in 
the  vicinity,  though  it  also  lays  claim 
to  the  site  of  Phthuris.  There  are 
some  fine  reaches  in  the  river  between 
Aboo  Simbel  and  Wady  Halfah,  but 
the  banks  are  tame  and  uninteresting. 

(IF.)  Wady  Halfah  (40  m.).  A 
large  village,  lying  scattered  among 
a  thick  belt  of  palms.  Numerous 
sandbanks  intervene  between  it  and 
the  deep  river-channel,  so  that  daha- 
beeahs  have  to  moor  some  way  from 
the  bank.  In  the  plain  behind  the 
village  are  some  curious  wells  with 
sakiyahs. 

On  the  E.  bank  opposite  Wady  Hal- 
fah are  the  vestiges  of  three  buildings. 
One  is  a  simple  square  of  stone,  with- 
out sculpture ;  another  has  several 
stone  pillars,  the  walls  being  of  brick ; 
but  the  third  has  been  ornamented 
with  a  number  of  columns,  parts  of 
which  still  remain.  Sufficient,  how- 
ever, still  exists  to  tell  us  that  it  was 
an  ancient  Egyptian  building  ;  and 
that  it  was,  at  least  originally,  com- 
menced by  the  3rd  and  4th  Thothmes, 
and  apparently  dedicated  to  Kneph. 

The  whole  scene  at  Wady  Halfah  is 
very  drear  and  desolate,  unless  en- 
livened, as  it  sometimes  is,  by  an 
encampment  of  traders  on  their  way 
to,  or  returning  from,  the  Soodan. 
Their  merchandize  is  transferred  here 
from  camels  to  boats,  or  vice  versa. 
The  goods  that  are  waiting  for  camels 
to  take  them  into  the  interior  are  un- 
interesting enongh,  consisting  almost 
entirely  of  cotton  stuffs,  and  other  Eu- 
ropean manufactured  articles ;  those 
that  have  just  left  the  camels'  backs 
are  more  novel  and  varied,  and  make 
with  their  escort  a  picturesque  group 
on  the  shore. 

The  only  thing  that  makes  it  worth 


while  to  come  the  additional  40  miles 
from  Aboo  Simbel  to  Wady  Halfah,  is 
the  view  of  the  Second  Cataract  to  be 
obtained  from  the  rock  of  Abooseer. 
It  is  situate  on  the  W.  bank,  about 
5  or  6  miles  above  Wady  Halfah.  It 
is  rather  a  fatiguing  walk  owing  to 
the  loose  sand,  but  donkeys  can  be 
procured  from  the  village.  The  Second 
Cataract  is  perhaps  less  interesting 
than  the  First,  but  more  extensive, 
being  a  succession  of  rapids,  which 
occupy  a  space  of  several  miles,  called 
Batn  el  Hagar,  "  the  Belly  of  Stone." 
On  the  W.  bank,  just  below  this  rocky 
bed,  is  the  high  cliff  of  Abooseer,  from 
which  there  is  a  fine  and  command- 
ing view  of  the  falls  ;  and  this  is  the 
ultima  Thule  of  Egyptian  travellers. 
Indeed,  the  2nd  Cataract  is  im- 
passable except  at  one  season  of  the 
year,  during  the  high  Nile ;  and  the 
same  impediments  occur  at  the  various 
rapids  above  it. 

From  this  cliff  is  a  grand  bird's-eye 
view  of  the  cataract,  with  its  numerous 
black  shining  rocks  dividing  the  river 
into  endless  channels,  and  the  Nile 
spreading  out  to  a  considerable  breadth. 
Southwards  the  view  extends  to  a  con- 
siderable distance,  amongst  the  plains 
of  sand  and  the  ranges  of  hills  which 
stretch  away  into  the  horizon,  while 
here  and  there  the  Nile  may  be  seen, 
like  a  silver  thread,  running  through 
the  dreary  waste.  Two  mountains  on 
the  horizon  mark  the  position  of 
Dongola. 

The  rock  of  Abooseer  is  a  veritable 
Livre  des  Voyageurs,  and  custom  sanc- 
tions here,  as  innocent  and  not  with- 
out a  certain  interest  of  its  own,  a 
practice  which  good  taste  and  common 
sense  alike  condemn  most  strongly, 
when  indulged  in  to '  the  injury  of 
priceless  monuments  of  antiquity  and 
works  of  art. 

While  the  traveller  is  absent  at 
Abooseer,  the  dahabeeah  is  prepared 
for  its  downward  journey.  The  big 
yard  and  sail  (trinkeet)  are  taken  down 
and  fastened  above  the  deck,  and  the 
small  yard  and  sail  (balakoon)  hoisted 
on  the  mainmast,  the  oars  are  all  out 
and  tied  to  the  tholes,  and  many  of 
the  deck  planks  taken  up  to  make 


488 


ROUTE  21.  PHIL^l  TO  WADY  HALFAH. 


Sect.  V. 


room  for  the  rowers'  legs.  The  result 
is  that  the  graceful  dahabeeah  is  turned 
into  a  junk -like  barge. 

Going  down  the  river,  the  sailors 
row,  if  it  is  calm ;  if  the  wind  is  con- 
trary, the  boat  is  turned  broadside  to 
the  stream,  and  floats  at  about  the 
rate  of  a  mile  or  two  an  hour,  ac- 
cording to  the  respectively  opposing 
strengths  of  wind  and  water.  Some- 
times, of  course,  the  wind  is  so  viole  it 
that  no  progress  can  be  made,  and 
there  is  nothing  for  it  but  to  go  into 
the  bank  and  stop.  With  a  favouring 
S.  wind  the  small  sail  is  made  use  of. 

Semneli. — About  35  m.  beyond  Wady 
Halfah  are  the  village  and  cataract  of 
Semneli,  where  on  either  bank  is  a 
small  but  interesting  temple  of  the  3rd 
Thothmes.  Camels  for  the  journey  to 
Semneh  and  back  can  be  hired  at 
Wady  Halfah,  for  about  .6  dollars  each. 
It  will  require  4  or  5  days,  according 
to  the  rate  of  going  and  the  stoppages 
made.  The  E.  bank  is  perhaps  the 
best  to  follow — it  is  the  more  pic- 
turesque, and  the  most  interesting  re- 
mains at  Semneh  are  on  that  side. 
The  road,  which  sometimes  lies  by  the 
river  and  at  others  crosses  the  desert, 
is  very  rough  in  places,  The  district 
is  called  Batn  el  Hagar,  "  the  Belly  of 
Bock."  Now  and  then  there  are  little 
open  spaces  on  the  river-bank  with  a 
hut  or  two,  some  palms,  and  a  little 
cultivation.  Sedjajeeah,  a  good  half- 
way stopping-place,  is  one.  Semneh 
itself  is  another  similar  oasis. 

The  temple  on  the  E.  bank  consists 
of  a  portico,  a  hall  parallel  to  it,  ex- 
tending across  the  whole  breadth  of 
the  naos,  and  one  large  and  three 
small  chambers  in  the  back  part.  It 
stands  in  an  extensive  court  or  enclo- 
sure surrounded  by  a  strong  crude - 
brick  wall,  commanding  the  river, 
which  runs  below  it  to  the  westward. 
In  the  portico  was  the  tablet  recording 
the  conquests  of  Amunoph  III.  (given 
by  the  Duke  of  Northumberland  to 
the  British  Museum) :  and  on  the  front 
of  the  naos,  to  which  are  two  entrances, 
Thothmes  III.  is  making  offerings  to 
Totouon,  the  god  of  Semneh,  and  to 
Kneph,  one  of  the  contemplar  deities. 


!  The  name  of  Thothmes  II.  also  occurs 
in  the  hieroglyphics ;  and  those  of 
Amunoph  II.  and  of  the  3rd  Osirtasen 
are  introduced  in  another  part  of  the 
temple. 

That  on  the  western  bank,  though 
small,  is  of  a  more  elegant  plan,  and 
has  a  peristyle,  or  corridor,  supported 
by  pillars  on  two  of  its  sides  :  but  to 
cross  the  river  it  is  necessary  to  put 
up  with  a  ruder  raft  than  the  paeton, 
by  which  Strabo  was  carried  over  to 
Philge,  this  one  being  merely  formed  of 
logs  of  the  dom  palm,  lashed  together, 
and  pushed  forward  by  men  who  swim 
behind  it. 

The  Semneh  natives  too  are  very 
exorbitant  in  their  demands  for  ferry- 
ing you  over.  Nor  is  it  a  pleasant 
method  of  transit  when  the  N.  wind 
is  blowing  strongly,  as  the  stream 
being  very  rapid,  the  waves  are  rather 
high  for  crossing  in  such  a  fragile 
craft.  How  prevalent  the  N.  wind  is 
in  this  part  of  Nubia  is  proved  by  the 
fact  that  the  huts  of  the  natives, 
which  are  built  of  loose  stones  and 
dhoora  straw,  thatched  with  the  same 
straw,  or  with  halfah  grass,  are  always 
placed,  so  as  to  be  sheltered  •  by  some 
rock  on  the  N.  side. 

The  temple  on  the  W.  bank  only 
consists  of  one  chamber,  about  30  ft. 
by  11,  with  an  entrance  in  front,  and 
another  on  the  W.  side,  opposite  whose 
northern  jamb,  instead  of  a  square 
pillar,  is  a  polygonal  column,  with  a 
line  of  hieroglyphics,  as  usual,  down 
its  central  face.  On  the  pillars  king 
Thothmes  III.  is  represented  in  com- 
pany with  Totouon  and  other  deities 
of  the  temple ;  and,  what  is  very  re- 
markable, his  ancestor  Osirtasen  HI. 
is  here  treated  as  a  god,  and  is  seen 
presenting  the  king  with  the  emblem 
of  life.  On  the  front  wall  is  a  tablet 
in  relief,  with  the  name  of  Amosis,  and 
of  Thothmes  II. ;  and  mention  is  made 
of  the  city  of  Thebes.  But  this  tablet 
has  been  defaced  by  the  hieroglyphics 
of  another  cut  in  intaglio  over  it,  appa- 
rently by  a  Barneses. 

At  the  upper  end  of  the  naos  is  a 
sitting  statue  of  gritstone,  with  the 


Nubia. 


ROUTE  21.  SEMNEH. 


489 


emblem  of  Osiris,  intended  perhaps  to  | 
represent  the  king  Osirtasen. 

Each    temple  stands   within  the  I 
crude-brick  walls  of  a  strong  fortress,  J 
from  which  we  learn  many  secrets  of! 
the  Egyptian  system  of  fortification  at  j 
that  early  period ;  and  an  inscribed 
tablet  at  the  western  fort  tells  ns  that 
this  was  made  the  frontier  of  Egypt  j 
in  the  reign  of  the  third  Osirtasen. 
Here  the  defences  are  very  remark- 
able; and  they  present  not  only  the 
lofty  walls  and  square  towers  of  Egyp- 
tian fortresses,  but  the  scarp,  ditch, 
counterscarp,  and  glacis,  partaking  of 
the  character  of  more  recent  works. 
The  traces  of  a  stone  causeway  show 
that  a  road  led  to  the  summit  of  the 
hill  on  which  it  stands,  and  the  water- 
gate,  in  this  and  in  the  eastern  fort, 
proves  from  its  position  that  these  i 
forts  were  iutended  against  an  enemy  ! 
from  the  south,  and  not  against  the 
shepherd  invaders  of  Egypt. 

Below,  on  the  E.  side,  falls  the  Nile, 
through  a  narrow  passage  between  the 
rocks  that  impede  its  course  ;  and  just 
below  the  platform  on  which  the 
eastern  temple  stands  are  several  early 
hieroglyphic  inscriptions,  recording  the 
rise  of  the  Nile  during  the  reign  of 
Amenemha  III.,  of  the  Xlltk  dynasty 
— the  supposed  founder  of  the  Laby- 
rinth— and  the  Moeris  to  whom  Egypt 
was  indebted  for  the  celebrated  lake 
called  after  him,  and  other  works  con- 
nected with  the  irrigation  of  Egypt. 
From  them,  too,  and  from  various  indi- 
cations of  the  former  level  of  the 
Nile,  to  the  S.  and  N.  of  Semneh,  we 
learn  that  the  inundation  rose  at  that 
period  considerably  higher  throughout 
Ethiopia  than  at  the  present  day ;  and 
the  highest  record  of  the  inundation 
in  the  time  of  Amenemha  is  27  ft.  3  in. 
above  the  greatest  rise  of  the  Nile  at 
the  present  time.  The  appearance  of 
the  river  -  deposits  from  Semneh  to 
Gebel  Baikal  seems  to  show  that  the 
inundation  in  those  ages  extended 
far  over  the  plains  in  Ethiopia  (which 
are  now  above  the  reach  of  the  highest 
rise  of  the  Nile),  and  that  conse- 
quently some  barrier  had  given  way 
below  Semneh,  which  had  let  down 


the  Nile  and  occasioned  this  great 
change  in  its  level  throughout  Ethi- 
opia. Supposing  that  1°.  the  river 
had  formerly  run  through  the  plain 
on  the  E.  of  Assooan  (where  a  later 
torrent  gives  a  section  of  the  old  de- 
posits of  the  river)  ;  2°.  that  the  temple 
of  Ombos  stood  on  a  plain  of  alluvial 
scil;  and  3°.  that  similar  remains  of 
the  Nile  deposit  are  traceable  as  far 
as  Silsilis,  but  no  further,  the  question 
is  decided  respecting  the  position  of 
the  barrier  which  once  held  up  the 
Nile  to  that  great  height  which  en- 
abled it  annually  to  flood  the  plains 
of  Ethiopia ;  and  whose  disruption 
left  those  plains  unwatered  by  the 
inundation. 

The  period  when  this  fall  of  the 
rocks  at  Silsilis  took  place  may  be 
fixed  between  the  beginning  of  the 
XYIHth  dynasty  and  the  reign  of 
the  fourth  king  of  the  XHIth,  who 
mentions  the  rise  of  the  Nile  in  his 
3rd  year  at  the  western  fort  of  Semneh  ; 
or  rather  the  reign  of  the  sixth  king 
of  the  XHIth,  one  of  the  early  Sa- 
bacos.  whose  statue  is  found  at  Argo. 
that  island  being  below  the  level  of 
the  old  inundation. 

Fatal  as  this  catastrophe  was  to  the 
once  rich  and  well-watered  plains  of 
Ethiopia,  which  were  thus  suddenly 
deprived  of  the  benefits  of  the  annual 
inundation,  its  effect  on  Egypt  was 
momentary,  and  was  confined  to  the 
lands  immediately  below  Silsilis,  which 
were  submerged  and  torn  up  by  the 
falling  mass  of  water ;  and  this  may 
explain  the  singular  fact  of  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  changes  that  ever 
took  place  in  so  large  a  river  having 
been  unnoticed  even  in  the  scanty 
annals  of  Manetho. 

The  ruins  of  Semneh  are  supposed 
to  mark  the  site  of  Tasitia,  or  of 
Acina ;  and  we  may  perhaps  trace 
in  the  hieroglyphics  the  name  of  the 
ancient  town,  called  in  Egyptian  To- 
tosha;  unless  this  be  a  general  ap- 
pellation of  the  country,  including 
Semneh,  Aboo  Simbel,  and  their  vi- 
cinity, and  related  to  the  Coptic  name 
Ethaush  or  Ethiopia.  If  Ptolemy  is 
to  be  trusted,  Tasitia  was  on  the  W. 


490       RTE.  22.  WADY  HALF  AH  TO 

side  of  the  river,  and  Pnoups  oppo- 
site it  on  the  E..  as  he  places  both 
in  latitude  22° ;  so  that  Semneh  may 
include  the  sites  of  both  these  ancient 
villages. 


EOUTE  22. 

WADY  HALFAH,  BY  DONGOLA,  MEROE, 
AND  BERBER,  TO  KHARTOOM,  AND 
THENCE,  BY  BERBER,  TO  SOWAK.IM 
ON  THE  RED  SEA. 

Wady  Halfah  is  the  ordinary  turn- 
ing point  of  Nile  travellers.  But  as 
occasionally  some  may  wish  to  push 
on  further,  and  see  a  little  more  of  the 
country,  the  following  information  is 
inserted,  taken  from  notes  kindly  fur- 
nished to  the  Editor  by  a  friend,  who 
followed  the  above  route  in  1870. 

It  will  be  recollected  that  the  direct 
caravan  route  between  the  Lower  Nile 
and  Khartoom  leaves  the  river  at 
Korosko,  and  goes  straight  across  the 
desert  to  Aboo  Hamed  on  the  Upper 
Nile,  about  two-thirds  of  a  degree  N. 
of  Berber.  It  is  therefore  the  best 
for  those  to  follow  whose  object  is  to 
get  to  Khartoom  quickly,  as  it  will 
only  take  about  a  fortnight  to  get  to 
Berber,  instead  of  about  5  weeks  as  by 
Halfah  and  Dongola.  The  interest  of 
the  route  by  Halfah,  however,  lies  in 
its  passing  by  Aboo  Simbel,  the  Isle 
of  Argo,  Meroe,  Gebel  Barkal,  &c. 

Stores  for  the  journey  must  of  course 
be  laid  in  before  leaving  Cairo.  They 
will  in  a  general  way  be  the  same  as 
those  required  for  that  part  of  the 
Nile  voyage  already  described.  The 


KHARTOOM  AND  SOWAKIM.  Sect.  V. 

following  hints,  however,  should  be 
acted  on.  As  meat  of  any  kind  is 
with  difficulty  found  anywhere  be- 
tween Wady  Halfah  and  Ordee  or 
New  Dongola,  a  supply  of  preserved 
meats,  soups,  and  Liebig's  Extract 
must  be  taken.  There  is  no  bread 
to  be  got  other  than  the  native  flat 
cake,  therefore  plenty  of  biscuits  are 
required,  enough  to  last  the  whole 
time ;  and  the  coarser,  rougher,  and 
browner  they  are,  the  longer  will  it  be 
before  they  pall  on  the  taste.  They 
can  be  bought  for  Is.  the  oke.  Cows' 
milk  is  to  be  had  nowhere,  so  take 
plenty  of  preserved  milk.  Butter,  eggs, 
and  onions  can  only  be  obtained,  and 
then  with  difficulty,  at  the  large  towns. 
Goats'  milk  and  flesh,  and  mutton  can 
be  bought  between  Berber  and  Khar- 
toom ;  a  sheep  or  goat  can  be  had  for 
a  dollar.  Before  leaving  Berber  for 
Sowakim  buy  some  sheep;  they  can 
travel  very  well,  and  keep  up  with  the 
baggage  -  camels.  Charcoal  can  be 
bought  at  all  the  large  towns  from  the 
workers  in  metal,  but  it  is  only  wanted 
between  Wady  Halfah  and  Meroe,  as 
no  rain  falls  there,  and  there  is  no 
brushwood.  Elsewhere  wood  is  plen- 
tiful. 

For  information  relative  to  desert 
travelling  the  traveller  is  referred  to 
Kte.  14  (a),  where  full  particulars  as  to 
tents,  camel  -  riding,  &c,  are  given. 
Tents  on  this  journey  are  not  an  abso- 
lute necessity,  but  it  is  pleasanter  to 
have  them.  Warm  clothing  is  essen- 
tial, the  nights  of  December  and  Janu- 
ary being  intensely  cold,  and  the  N. 
wind  very  cutting.  The  best  form  in 
which  to  take  money  is  in  dollars, 
tariff  and  current  piastres,  and  copper 
10-para  pieces.  English  and  French 
gold  can  sometimes  be  changed  at 
Khartoom. 

The  best  time  for  leaving  Cairo  with 
the  intention  of  penetrating  into  the 
Soodan  is  about  the  1st  of  October. 
The  time  spent  will  depend  on  the 
stoppages  made,  and  whether  the  voy- 
age be  at  all  extended  up  the  White 
or  Blue  Nile.  From  Cairo  to  Khar- 
toom, and  thence  to  the  Ked  Sea,  and 
back  to  Cairo,  will  take  from  4  to  5 
months,  though,  of  course,  more  may 


Nubia. 


EOUTE  22. — NEW  DONGOLA. 


491 


easily  be  spent.  Eight  months  would 
allow  a  visit  to  the  White  or  Blue 
Nile :  the  start  should  then  be  made 
in  Sept.,  so  as  to  be  back  at  Cairo  in 
May. 

It  must  be  understood  that  the  time 
given  between  plaee  and  place  is 
merely  approximative.  It  is  impos- 
sible to  obtain  any  idea  of  the  dis- 
tances from  the  camel-drivers,  their 
only  unit  of  distance  is  a  mahdttah,  or 
day's  journey,  and  this  varies  from  4 
to  12  hours,  according  to  the  pasture 
found  for  the  camels.  A  "  short  ma- 
hdttah "  or  a  "  long  mahdttah  "  is  the 
only  difference  known  to  a  native. 
Then  they  know  none  of  the  names  of 
the  small  villages  marked  on  the  map ; 
they  only  know  the  districts,  such  as 
Batn  el  Hagar,  Sukkoot,  &c. 

Days. 

Wady  Halfah  to  Semneh  2 

End  of  Batn  el  Hagar  . .    2  (long) 

Beginning    of  Sukkoot 

district    1  (long) 

Beginning  of  Mahass  dis- 
trict  2£ 

Third  Cataract,  or  Han- 
nak    2  (long) 

Ordee,  or  New  Dongola  1| 

Camels  can  be  procured  from  the 
sheykh  at  Wady  Halfah  for  this  part 
of  the  journey.  Not  more  than  7 
dollars  a  piece  should  be  paid  for  them. 
Attention  should  be  given  to  the 
number  required,  as  the  drivers  always 
want  to  force  the  traveller  to  take 
more  than  necessary.  A  Nubian  camel 
can  carry  10  kantars  (from  8  to  9 
cwt.).  It  must  be  distinctly  under- 
stood that  Semneh  is  to  be  taken  on 
the  way. 

Semneh  has  been  already  described. 
Two  rather  long  days  bring  the  tra- 
veller to  the  end  of  the  Batn  el  Hagar. 
or  "  Belly  of  Stone."  The  next  day's 
journey  is  a  long  one  inland  across  the 
desert  without  water.  This  is  called 
by  the  Arabs  an  alcabah. 

At  the  end  of  it  is  the  district  of  Suk- 
koot, which  it  takes  4  hrs.  to  traverse  ; 
thereby  giving  time  for  a  rest  before 
entering  on  the  long  akdbah  between 
the  districts  of  Sukkoot  and  Mahass. 
A  night  having  to  be  passed  in  the 


desert,  the  water-skins  and  zemzem- 
eeyah  must  be  well  filled.  Occasional 
signs  of  vegetation  are  met  with  during 
the  day  in  the  valleys,  down  which 
rush  the  torrents  caused  by  the  rare 
but  heavy  rains  swept  across  by  the 
west  wind  from  the  Red  Sea.  On  a 
plain  covered  with  food  for  the  camels, 
and  surrounded  by  low  hills,  the  en- 
campment is  made.  A  short  day  of 
6  or  7  hrs.  brings  the  traveller  to  the 
district  of  Mahass,  which  it  takes  10 
or  12  hrs.  to  traverse.  Excellent  dates 
may  be  bought  in  this  district.  One 
more  akabah,  and  the  road  descends 
to  a  tiuy  village  just  above  the  3rd 
Cataract,  or  the  Cataract  of  Hannah. 

From  this  point  the  Nile,  which  has 
been  one  series  of  rapids  all  the  way 
from  Wady  Halfah,  changes  its  cha- 
racter. The  desert  too  is  no  longer 
hilly,  but  a  wide  sandy  plain  covered 
with  a  perpetual  mirage.  In  7  hrs.' 
ride  the  Isle  of  Argo  is  reached,  sepa- 
rated from  the  eastern  bank  by  a  nar- 
row, and  (in  the  winter)  shallow  chan- 
nel, which  can  be  crossed  on  camels. 
Here  are  a  few  old  remains.  See  Hos- 
kyn's  '  Ethiopia,'  for  the  antiquities 
above  Semneh.  In  6  hrs.  more  we  come 
the  ferry  by  which  to  cross  over  to 
Ordee. 

New  Dongola,  or,  as  the  natives  al- 
most invariably  call  it,  Ordee,  is  the 
capital  of  Lower  Nubia,  and^the  resi- 
dence of  a  mudeer.  It  is,  however, 
a  poor  insignificant  place,  inhabited 
chiefly  by  Arabs  and  Turks,  who  carry 
on  the  whole  trade,  and  possess  what 
little  property  there  is ;  only  the  very 
lowest  orders  are  Nubians.  The  lan- 
guage is  universally  Arabic.  The 
town  boasts  of  but  one  minaret,  and 
the  houses,  shops,  bazaars,  &c,  are 
mean  and  poor.  Indeed  it  may  be 
said  of  all  the  towns  on  the  Upper 
Nile,  Khartoom  included,  that  they 
are  but  a  copy  of  a  poor  quarter  of 
Cairo. 

Days. 

Ordee  or  New  Dongola 

to  Debbah  (by  boat  . .  5 
Meroe  and  Gebel  Barkal  4 

Aboo  Kereet   3  (short) 

Berber   3  (long) 

Khartoom    9-12 


492      RTE.  22.  WADY  HALF  AH  TO  KHAETOOH  AND  SOWAEIM.    Sect.  V, 


Those  pressed  for  time  may  go  direct 
from  Ordee  to  Meroe'  across  the  desert 
in  3  days.  The  journey  by  the  river, 
however,  is  more  interesting.  It  is  a 
pleasant  change  to  go  to  Debbah  by 
boat.  The  craft  used  in  this  part  of 
the  river  is  called  a  nugga.  It  is 
manned  by  8  or  4  men,  and  has  a 
half-deck,  which  affords  some  shelter 
from  the  sun.  The  hire  of  a  nugga 
from  Ordee  to  Debbah  should  not  be 
more  than  3  or  4  dollars.  The  dis- 
tance is  about  100  miles,  and  with 
fair  winds  should  not  take  more  than 
5  days.  A  short  stoppage  may  be  made 
at  Handak,  Old  Dongola,  and  Umgoozali. 
This  last  town,  which  is  marked  in 
the  maps  Abu  Goosa,  is  the  point  of 
departure  of  the  large  caravans  of 
Darfoor  and  Kordofan.  A  few  days' 
stay  here  among  the  slave-traders, 
where  they  are  out  of  the  reach  of 
consuls  and  other  troublesome  people, 
might  be  entertaining  and  instructive. 

Debbah  is  a  small  town.  There  is  a 
direct  road  from  it  to  Khartoom  across 
the  desert,  which  takes  10  days.  Ex- 
cellent and  cheap  dates  can  be  bought 
here.  Debbah  lies  just  in  the  great 
bend  of  the  river  that  runs  from  Aboo 
Hamed  to  near  Old  Dongola.  Camels 
to  Meroe  cost  2^  dollars  each.  The 
road  lies  close  to  the  left  bank  of  the 
river,  and  the  distance  is  done  in  3  long, 
or  4  easy  days.  The  villages  on  the 
road,  such  as  Abudom,  Abu-Kol,  Korti, 
&c.  present  nothing  worthy  of  notice, 
Three  hours  before  reaching  Meroe 
the  striking  hill  of  Gebel  Barkal  can 
be  seen,  standing  solitary  and  impos- 
ing, though  of  no  great  height. 

Meroe  lies  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
Nile,  and  is  reached  by  a  ferry.  It  is  a 
small  town  of  no  importance.  Donkeys 
can  be  procured  for  the  excursion  to 
Gebel  Barkal,  1  hr.  Here  are  two 
temples  with  an  avenue  of  sphinxes  of 
the  time  of  Tirkakah  of  the  XXVth 
or  Ethiopian  dynasty;  as  also  a  group 
of  pyramids.  There  are  also  other 
groups  of  pyramids  at  Dankelah,  the 
site  of  the  ancient  Meroe,  and  at 
Nourri,  a  few  miles  further  up.  They 
are  all  of  small  size,  and  badly  built. 


Some  stelae  discovered  by  M.  Mariette 
at  Gebel  Baikal  have  thrown  great 
light  on  the  obscure  period  of  Egyptian 
history  comprised  within  the  period  of 
the  XXIIIrd,  XXIVth,  and  XXVth 
dynasties. 

At  Meroe  fresh  camels  must  be 
procured  for  the  journey  to  Berber. 
They  will  cost  about  5  dollars  each. 
As  nearly  the  whole  of  the  journey 
is  over  the  desert,  the  water-skins 
should  be  well  looked  to.  Five  hrs. 
by  the  river-side  brings  you  to  Nourri, 
where  are  pyramids,  as  mentioned 
above.  The  next  day  is  a  short  one 
of  hrs.  through  the  desert.  An- 
other day  of  11  hrs.  brings  the  tra- 
veller to  Sani,  where  there  is  a  well 
with  dirty  water,  from  which  the  skins 
may  be  filled,  but  it  is  better  to  push 
on  5|  hrs.  further  to  Aboo  Kereet,  where 
the  water  is  purer. 

From  Aboo  Kereet  to  Berber  is  3 
long  days  without  water.  Some  of  the 
scenery  on  this  road  is  very  beautiful. 
Bold  and  lofty  hills  surround  Aboo  Ke- 
reet, and  a  fine  range,  called  Gebel  el 
Azrek  (Blue  Hills),  is  skirted  about 
12  hrs.  before  reaching  Berber. 

Berber  resembles  other  Nubian  towns 
in  being  insignificant  and  unattractive. 
It  is  the  point  of  departure  for  the  Bed 
Sea  caravans  to  Sowakim  rid.  infra). 
From  Berber  to  Khartoom  the  journey 
is  continued  in  a  nugga,  for  which  not 
more  than  9  dollars  should  be  paid  for 
the  trip  of  from  9  to  12  days.  The  dis- 
trict of  Berber  is  the  limit  (in  this  lon- 
gitude) of  the  southward  flight  of  quail, 
which  are  found  here  in  midwinter. 
Crocodiles  and  hippopotami  abound 
between  Berber  and  Khartoom:  and 
there  are  swarms  of  aquatic  birds  on 
the  sandbanks.  Sand-grouse  are  also 
plentiful.  The  mouth  of  the  Atbara 
is  about  20  miles  above  Berber.  No 
town  of  any  importance  lies  between 
Berber  and  Shendy,  a  distance  of  about 
120  miles,  and  the  scenery  is  flat  and 
uninteresting. 

Mitemna  lies  at  the  end  of  a  long 
reach  after  Shendy.  Forty  miles  fur- 
ther on  commences  the  6th  Cataract. 
There  is  no  difficulty  in  passing  it. 


Nubia. 


EOTJTE  22.  ] 


KHARTOOM. 


493 


The  scenery  here  is  striking,  the  river 
forcing  its  way  through  a  range  of  hills 
called  Gebel  Gerri..  Another  flat  and 
monotonous  stretch  of  country  presents 
itself,  broken  at  last  by  the  minarets 
of  Khartoom.  Before  reaching  the 
town  the  Nile  opens  out  southwards 
into  what  appears  like  a  vast  sea — the 
shallow  and  lake-like  White  Nile — 
while  a  sudden  turn  carries  the  boat 
into  the. Blue  Nile,  on  the  left  bank  of 
which  stands  Khartoom. 

Khartoom  lies  at  the  junction  of  the 
Bahr  el  Abiad  or  White  Nile,  and  the 
Bahr  el  Azrek  or  Blue  Nile,  the  latter 
of  which  is  probably  the  true  Nile,  so 
far  as  the  fertilising  deposit  which  has 
produced  Egypt  is  concerned.  It  is 
the  capital  of  the  province  of  Soodan, 
and  the  centre  of  the  trade  in  the 
products  of  that  country,  slaves  in- 
cluded. It  may  have  about  20.000 
inhabitants,  but  it  differs  little  from 
the  other  towns  on  the  Upper  Nile 
except  in  being  of  larger  size. 

From  Khartoom  the  journey  may 
be  continued  up  the  White  Nile ;  or 
up  the  Blue  Nile,  either  to  its  sources 
in  Abyssinia,  or  round  by  Koos  Kegeb 
and  Kasala  to  Massowah.  The  best 
way  of  getting  to  the  Red  Sea,  how- 
ever, is  to  return  to  Berber,  and  go 
thence  to  Sowakim.  This  journey  will 
take  about  12  days  easy  going.  Camels 
can  be  procured  at  Berber  for  6  dollars 
each  for  the  journey,  unless  it  is  in- 
tended to  stay  in  the  desert  for  the 
purpose  of  shooting,  and  then,  of 
course,  more  will  be  required.  Gazelle 
and  ariel  are  often  seen,  and  some- 
times ostriches.  The  desert  is  by  no 
means  barren,  abounding  in  water, 
brushwood,  and  food  for  the  camels. 
It  is  interesting  to  make  this  journey 
in  company  with  the  pilgrims'  caravan 
from  Kordofan,  composed  of  Darfoorian 
and  Fellatah  Moslems,  some  of  whom 
take  3  years  to  cross  from  the  west  of 
Africa.  The  Bishareen  Bedaween  form 
the  escort.  In  journeying  with  a  cara- 
van care  should  be  taken  to  start  from 
and  arrive  at  each  place  before  it,  so 
as  to  fill  the  waterskins  before  the 
supply  is  exhausted. 


The  following  is  the  direct  itine- 


rary :—  Hrs. 

Berber  to  Aboo  Salab  . .  8 

Oback    17 

Etzoo    4 

Ayamet   8 

Rowik    4 

Kokreb   14£ 

Ahab    10 

Harra  Treb   5| 

Ooched   8 

Otan    10 

Hamdoo   3 

Sowakim    4 


The  first  well  is  reached  after  leaving 
Berber  in  4  hrs.,  where  the  Arabs 
prefer  filling  their  skins  to  avoid  the 
trouble  of  carrying  water  from  the 
Nile.  Four  hrs.  after,  the  tents  may 
be  pitched  at  Aboo  Salab,  where  there 
is  no  water,  though  a  plentiful  crop 
of  dhoora  is  grown  here  after  the 
autumn  torrents.  Seventeen  hrs.  fur- 
ther on  is  Oback,  where  pretty  good 
water  is  to  be  had  and  (generally) 
milk  from  the  flocks  driven  down  for 
water  and  pasture  by  the  Arabs.  Just 
before  reaching  Oback  a  range  of  sand- 
hills (5  miles  wide)  is  crossed,  over 
which  the  camels  flounder  and  fall. 
Etzoo  (4  hrs.)  and  Ayamet  (8  hrs.)  have 
pasture  for  the  camels,  but  no  water 
is  reached  till  Rowik  (4  hrs.  [Some- 
times a  different  route  is  taken  which 
branches  off  at  Ayamet,  passes  through 
Ariab,  and  rejoins  the  main  track  near 
Kokreb  ;  there  is  not,  however,  always 
water  in  the  Ariab  well.] 

A  little  before  Eowik,  glens  are 
passed  through,  in  which  are  seen 
beautiful  specimens  of  petrified  wood. 
Trunks  of  trees,  from  5  to  8  ft.  high, 
are  still  standing  planted  in  the 
soil,  while  others  lie  strewn  about 
as  in  the  petrified  forest  near  Cairo. 
Traces  of  copper  occur  here.  Kokreb 
is  14 J  hrs.  from  Eowik.  After  a 
long  desert  ride,  its  solitary  palm, 
its  little  gushing  spring  of  water, 
and  its  thick  brushwood  and  vege 
tation,  make  it  seem  a  perfect  Eden. 
Next  day  a  really  beautiful  range  of 
hills  is  crossed.  Ahab  is  10  hrs.  from 
Kokreb,  and  has  a  deep  well  with 
poor  water.    Three  and  a  half  hrs. 


494     RTE.  22.  WADY  HALF  AH  TO 

further  on  is  Harm  Treb  (good  water), 
and  then  a  mountain-pass  is  crossed, 
and  8  hrs.  from  Harra  Treb  Ooched  is 
reached,  a  charming  spot,  rich  in  water 
(which  lies  some  30  inches  below  the 
soil)  full  of  trees  and  bushes  in  which 
are  a  variety  of  birds.  Hence  to 
Sowakim  is  a  17  hrs.'  ride.  Water  is 
found  on  the  road  at  Otan  (10  hrs.) 
and  Hamdoo  (3  hrs.). 


KHARTOOM  AND  SOWAKIM.    Sect.  V. 

Shortly  after  leaving  Hamdoo  the 
crest  of  a  hill  is  reached,  from  which 
is  seen  the  hazy  horizon  of  the  Red 
Sea,  and  jfhe  white,  island-built  town 
of  Sowdkim,  whence  the  traveller  may 
take  boat  (dhow)  for  Jedda,  or  wait 
patiently  till  an  Egyptian  man-of-war 
{i.e.  merchant  steamer)  calls  on  its  way 
from  Massowah  to  Suez.  For  Coast 
of  Eed  Sea,  see  Rte.  7  (</). 


Colossi  of  the  Plain  at  Thebes,  and  Luxor  beyond,  during  the  inundation. 


(    495  ) 


INDEX. 


AAHOTEP. 


A. 

Aahotep,  Queen,  jewels  of,  150. 

Ababdeh  desert,  448.   Arabs,  450. 

Abaton,  470,  471. 

Abbasseeyah,  158. 

Abbaside  dynasty,  28. 

Abd-el-Atif,  86  et  passim. 

Aboo-Azees,  mounds  at,  348. 

Aboo-Girgeh,  ruins  near,  347. 

Aboo-Hamed  stat.,  219. 

Aboo  Hommoos  stat.,  111. 

Aboo-Honnes,  old  churcb  at,  360. 

Aboo  Hor,  479. 

Aboo-Kebeer  stat.,  253. 

Aboo  Kereet,  492. 

Aboo  Salab,  493. 

Aboo  Shekook  stat.,  253. 

Abookeer,  ic2.   Battle -of,  102. 

Abookseer,  305. 

Aboolfeda,  165  et  passim. 

Aboorodsh,  pyramid,  199. 

Abooseer,  mounds  at,  248.   Pyramids  of,  200. 

Village,  201.   Rock  of,  487. 
Aboo  Simbel,  interesting  remains  at,  484.  Great 

Temple,  485. 
Abooteeg,  371. 
Aboozdbel.  161. 
Abudom,  492. 
Abu-Kol,  492. 

Abydus,  road  to,  from  Great  Oasis.  315.  Town, 

381.   Tablet  of,  3 31,  281.   Road  from,  to  the 

Great  Oasis,  382. 
Abyssinian  primate  sent  in  chains,  263. 
Acanthus,  city  of,  215,  342. 
Acanthus   grove,  near  Abydus,  382.  Near 

Mudmur,  371.    In  the  neighbourhood  of 

Sakkaxab,  215. 
Acoris,'  3  50. 
Agerood,  275. 
Ahab,  493. 

Ai'n  Hawa>ah,  280,  282. 
Ain  Hudherah,  298. 

Ain  Moosa,  226.   See  Fountains  of  Moses. 
Ain  Moosa  to  Jebel  Moosa  (Mt.  Sinai)  and  the 

Convent  of  St.  Catherine,  281. 
Akhsheed  dynasty,  31. 
Alabaster  quarries,  316,  352,  364. 
Alabastron,  353. 
Alexander,  tomb  of,  86. 

Alexandria,  69.  Landing  at,  69.  Harbour,  70. 
Custom  House,  70.  Donkey-boys,  &c,  71. 
Hotels,  lodgings,  cafes,  &c,  72.  Post-office,  72. 
Bankers,  72.  Consulates,  72.  Physicians, 
shops,  &c,  73.   Churches,  73.  Conveyances, 


ARABIC. 

Railways,  73.  Steamers,  74.  Telegraph,  74. 
Servants,  74.  Boats  for  the  Nile  voyage,  74. 
Ancient  and  modern  history  and  topography, 
of,  75-82.  Plan  of,  76.  Principal  ancient 
buildings,  82.  Pharos,  Heptastadium,  82. 
Museum,  library,  83.  Serapeum,  84.  Cassa- 
rium,  Pannium,  86.  Gymnasium,  87.  An- 
cient remains,  87.  Cleopatra's  Needles,  87. 
Pompey's  Pillar,  88.  Population,  ancient 
and  modern,  89.  Climate,  91.  Government, 
91.  Commerce  and  industry,  92.  Ports, 
gates,  walls,  92.  Streets,  &c,  93.  Canals, 
94.  Mosks,  churches,  convents,  95.  Hos- 
pitals, charities,  schools,  96.  Theatres, 
amusements,  &c,  96.  Drives,  excursions,  97. 
Catacombs,  97.  Arsenal,  Ras  et  Teen,  98. 
Ramleh,  Ceesar's  camp,  98.  Plan  for  seeing 
Alexandria,  100. 

Alexandria  to  Rosetta,  by  land,  101. 

 to  Cairo,  by  land  through  the 

Delta,  104. 

 to  Cairo,  by  the  Western  Bank,  104. 

 to  Atfeh  and  Cairo,  105. 

 to  Cairo  hy  Railway,  1 1 1. 

 to  Hierasycaminon,  by  the  "West 

Bank,  330 ;  by  the  East  Bank,  330. 
Ali  Mohammed,  n.   See  Mohammed  Ali. 
Alluvial  deposit,  461,  464,  471,  489. 
Almanac  of  the  4th  century,  477. 
Amada,  482. 

Amer  (Amrou),  27.   Mosk  of,  at  old  Cairo,  164. 

At  Assooan,  464. 
Ammaweeh,  house  of  (Ommiades),  27. 
Ammon,  Oasis  of,  266-268. 
Amoodayn,  266. 
Amun-Neph,  266. 

Amunoph  III.,  427.   Statues  of,  at  Thebes,  407. 

Temple  of,  at  Luxor,  437. 
Amunoph  IV".,  363,  364. 
Anasieh,  Hieracleopolis,  301,  345. 
Ancient  remains  of  Alexandria,  87. 
Animals  well  represented,  436.   Names  written 

over,  358. 
Animals,  domestic,  332. 
 ,  wild,  326. 

Antinoe,  ruins  of,  359.   Ruins  and  tombs  in 

the  vicinity,  360. 
Antiquities,  Museum  of  Egyptian,  144. 
Antirhodus,  island  of,  79. 
Ape  mummies,  437. 
Aphroditopolis,  Atfeeyah,  343. 
Aphroditopolis,  Itfoo,  374. 
Apis  Mausoleum,  or  Serapeum,  207. 
Apollinopolis  Parva,  site  of,  392. 
Arab  bridges  near  the  Pyramids,  200. 
Arab  tribes,  275,  297,  450. 
Arabat  el  Matfoon,  381. 
Arabic  and  English  vocabulary,  45-68. 


496 


/  INDEX. 


^ 


ARABIC. 

Arabic  character  first  used,  31,  133. 
Arch,  early  use  of  the,  198,  214,  355,  382,  419. 
428. 

 ,  imitation  of  the,  355. 

 ,  pent-roof,  187,  189 

 ,  pointed,  29,  32,  34,  44,  133,  134,  137,  164, 

171,  464,  470. 

 /pointed,  with  a  horseshoe  base,  126,  137. 

 ,  round  horseshoe,  rare  in  Egypt,  13  2. 

Argo,  isle  of,  491. 

Arrows  tipped  with  stone  for  the  chase,  356, 
4^6. 

 with  metal  points  for  war,  456. 

Arsinoe,  ancient  canal  of,  230.   Site  of,  300. 

Art,  Egyptian,  198  et  passim. 

Ashmoon,  110,  251. 

Assaseef,  tombs  of  the,  428. 

Assooan,  462.    Palms  and  dates  of,  465. 

Astronomical  ceilings,  385,  405,  426,  453. 

Asyoot,  368. 

Atfeeyah,  Aphroditopolis,  343. 
Atfeh,  104,  106. 
Athanasius,  letter  of,  432. 
Athribis,  ruins  of,  113. 
Athribis,  or  Crocodilopolis,  375. 
Atreeb,  Benha  el  Assal,  248. 
Attar  en  Nebbee,  Mosk  of,  339. 
Ayamet,  493. 

B. 

Bab-el-Mandeb,  straits  of,  227. 
Bab-el-Melook,  Tombs,  or  Gates  of  the  Kings  at 

Thebes,  420. 
Babylon,  Egyptian,  165. 
Backsheesh,  32;  et  passim. 
Bagdad  founded,  28. 

Baharite  Memlooks,  Sultans/or  Kings  of  Egypt, 

36.   Tombs  of,  1  ?8. 
Bahr-bela-me  ravine,  339. 
Bahr  el  Abiad  and  Bahr  el  Azrek,  493. 
Bahr  el  Fargh,  or  Bahr-bela-ma,  265. 
Bahr  el  Timsah,  240. 
Bahr  es  Sogheiyer,  250. 
Bahr  Yoosef  Canal,  300,  301,  3«5- 
Bajoora,  383- 
Ball,  game  of,  357- 
Ballah,  Lake,  243. 
Ballas,  391.   Jars,  391. 
Ballat,  31 1. 
Balsam,  160. 

Barabras,  the  modern  Nubians,  475. 
Baratoon,  265. 
Bardees,  379. 

Barrage  of  toe  Nile,  110,  162. 
Basona,  373. 
Baths  at  Cairo,  141. 
Baths  of  Cleopatra,  97. 

Baths,  remains  of,  at  El  Hammam,  in  the 

Fyoom.  305. 
Baths,  sulphur,  at  Helwan,  343. 
Batn  el  Hagar,  487,  491. 
Battle  of  the  Nile,  102. 
Battle  of  the  Pyramids,  104. 
Battle-scenes  at  the  Memnonium,  403,  404.. 

At  Medeenet  Hdboo,  413.    At  Luxor,  437. 

At  Karnak,  44?.    At  Bayt  el  Welly,  478. 

At  Derr,  483.    At  Aboo-Simbel,  486. 
Bayt,  el  Welly,  478 
Bazaars  at  Cairo,  141. 


BYADEEYAH. 


Bebayt-el-Hagar,  248. 
Bedreshayn  stat.,  202,  342. 
Beer  el  ingleez,  448. 
Beer  el  Batter,  275. 
Beggars  in  Egypt,  127,  344- 

 ,  Christian,  349. 

Behnesa,  347. 
Belak,  315. 
Belbeis  stat.,  218. 
Bellianeh,  379. 

Belzoni's  tomb  at  Thebes,  of  Sethi  I.,  421. 
Benha  el  Assal,  248. 
Benha  junct.  stat.,  113. 
Beni  Adee,  368. 

Beni  Hassan,  grottoes  of,  354-359. 

Beni  Mohammed  el  Kofoor,  painted  grottoes 

near,  368. 
Beni-Wasel,  345. 
Benisooef,  301,  344. 
Benoob,  250. 
Benoot,  391. 
Benoweet,  373. 
Berber,  492. 
Berberee,  473. 
Berenice,  228,  449. 
Berimbal,  251. 

Berkook,  mosk  of,  137.   Tomb  of,  138. 
Bers'hoom,  247. 

Beshendy,  ruined  town  of,  312. 

Biahmoo,  ruins  of,  302. 

Bibbeh,  mounds  and  convent  at,  345. 

Biggeh,  island  of,  470. 

Biggig  obelisk,  302. 

Birds  of  Egypt,  326,  327. 

Birket  Akrashar,  161. 

Birket  Arashieyab,  267. 

Birket  el  Hag,  161. 

Birket  el  Korn,  303. 

Birket-es-Sab  stat.,  113. 

Birket  Ghutta's,  106. 

Birket  Haboo,  417. 

Bishareeyah  gold-mines,  449. 

Bishareeyah  tribe  of  Arabs,  450. 

Blacks,  Oases  of  the,  3 10. 

Boars,  wild,  109,  in,  257,  303. 

Boats,  ancient  Egyptian,  described,  455. 

Boats  of  the  Nile,  74,  120. 

Bolbitine  branch  of  the  Nile,  103. 

Booayb,  457. 

Book  of  the  Dead,  or  Ritual,  147,  337.  Quota- 
tion from,  145. 
Books,  list  of,  xix. 
Boolak,  110,  174. 
Boosh,  344. 
Bordein  stat.,  218. 
Borel  and  Lavalley,  Messrs.,  233. 
Bostan,  484. 

Boghaz,  the,  or  mouth  of  the  Nile,  252. 
Brangeh,  mounds  at.  345. 
Breccia  Verde  quarries,  448. 
Brickmakers,  but  not  Jev\s,  434. 
Broonibel  mounds,  34? 

Bruce's,  or  the  Harpers'  tomb  at  Thebes,  424. 

Bubastis,  218. 

Burckhardt,  tomb  of,  139. 

Burial-place  of  the  Jews,  339;  of  Apis,  207. 

Burning-Bush,  chapel  of  the,  293. 

Busiris  village,  201. 

Bussateen  village,  339. 

Byadeeyah  village,  360. 


INDEX. 


497 


Cadi's  court  at  Cairo,  126. 

Caesars,  names  of  the,  25,  26. 

Caesar's  camp  near  Alexandria,  98,  99. 

Cairo,  founded,  3T.  Terminus,  114.  Hotels, 
lodging-houses,  tt5.  Plan  of,  116.  Cafes, 
restaurants,  117.  Post-Office,  117.  Bankers, 
Consulates,  Physicians,  117.  Shops,  trades- 
people, 118.  Agents  for  forwarding  goods,  118. 
Churches,  118.  Conveyances,  118.  Railways, 
telegraphs,  119.  Servants,  119.  Boats  for  the 
Nile  voyage,  steamers,  120.  History  and  topo- 
graphy, 121.  Copt,  Jews,  and  Frank  Quarters, 
122,123.  Oriental  character  of,  123.  Climate, 

125.  Population,  125.    Local  government, 

126.  Cadi's  court,  126.  Manufactures  and 
Industry,  127.  Gates,  walls,  127.  Canals, 
lakes,  128.  Citadel,  128.  Mosk  of  Moham- 
med Ali,  129.  Joseph's  Well,  130.  Mosks, 
churches,  130-138.  Tombs,  cemeteries,  138. 
Sebeels,  or  public  fountains,  139  Streets, 
public  places,  140.  Baths,  141.  Bazaars, 
141.  Palaces,  143.  Schools,  143.  Libraries, 
144.  Museum,  144-15 1.  Hospitals  and 
Benevolent  Societies,  151.  Theatres,  amuse- 
ments, 152.  Festivals  and  religious  cere- 
monies, 152.  Modes,  of  seeing  Cairo  and 
neighbourhood,  155.  Drives,  excursions, 
156-215.  To  Shoobra,  156.  To  Heliopolis, 
157.  To  the  "Petrified  Forest,"  161.  To 
the  Barrage,  162.  To  Old  Cairo,  163.  To 
the  Pyramids,  173.   To  Sakkarah,  201. 

Cairo,  old,  163.  Mosk  of  Amer,  164.  Roman 
fortress  of  Babylon,  165.  Coptic  convents 
and  churches,  166-170. 

Cairo  to  the  Suez  Canal,  215-247. 

 to  Suez  by  railway,  216. 

 by  water  to  Damietta,  247. 

 by  rail  to  Damietta,  253. 

 to  San  and  Lake  Menzaleh  by  rail  and 

water,  254. 

 to  the  Natron  lakes  and  monasteries,  259 

 to  the  Seewah,  or  Oasis  of  Ammon,  265. 

 to  Syria  by  the  "  Short  Desert,"  268. 

 to  Mount  Sinai,  271. 

 to  the  Fyoom,  298. 

■  to  Medeeneh,  299. 

 to  the  Little  Oasis,  the  Great  Oasis,  and 

the  Oasis  of  Dakhleh,  by  the  Fyoom,  306. 

 to  the  convents  of  St.  Anthony  and  St. 

Paul  in  the  Eastern  desert,  316.  ' 

 to  Thebes,  339. 

Caliphate  in  Asia,  end  of,  36.  In  Egypt,  end 
of,  42. 

Caliphs  and  Sultans,  list  of  the,  27-42. 
Caliphs,  tombs  of  the,  138. 
Camel-riding,  273. 

Canal,  ancient,  between  Mediterranean  and  Red 
Sea,  229. 

Canal  of  Cairo,  cutting  of  the,  128,  153. 

Canal  of  Mahmoodeeah,  94,  105.    Of  Ismail  - 

eeyah,  128.    Of  Arsinoe,  230.   OfMoez,  114, 

248,  253.   See  Suez. 
Canal,  Wady,  229. 
Canopic  branch  of  the  Nile,  102,  109. 
Canopus,  101.    Decree  of,  102,  151. 
Caravans  from  Darfbor,  314. 


COPTIC. 

Carchemish,  and  conquests  of  the  Egyptians, 

405. 

Caricature,  penchant  of  the  Egyptians  for,  43  5. 
Cartouches,  or  shields  with  kings'  names,  19-26. 

Meaning  explained,  327. 
Casal  Crendi,  xvii. 
i  Catacombs  at  Alexandria,  89,  97. 
Cataract,  First,  466.    Ascent,  and  descent  of, 

467.    Second  cataract,  487.   Third  cataract, 

491.    Sixth  cataract,  492. 
Cataract  of  Hannak,  491. 

Catherine,  St.  convent  of,  291.   Church,  292. 

Library,  293.   Excursions  from,  294-297. 
Causeways  at  the  Pyramids,  198. 
Caviglia,  192,  193,  205. 
Ceilings  of  tombs,  painted  devices  on,  369. 
Chalouf,  223,  2  j  7. 
Chameleon,  482. 

Cheops,  or  Shoofoo,  Pyramid  of,  179. 
Chephren,  or  Shafra,  builder  of  the  2nd  Pyramid 

of  Geezeh,  statue  of,  148.    His  pyramid, 

189. 
Chereu,  to6. 

Christian  church,  old,  at  Erment,  451. 
 martyrs,  453. 

 remains,  308,  314,315.  353,  J 54,  360, 

361,  363,  366,  367,  370,  r,3,  4°9,  432,  477, 
482.  483,  487. 

Christians  formerly  in  Egypt  and  Nubia,  3^7, 

477,483.487- 
Chronological  Table  of  Egyptian  dynasties  and 

kings,  12-18. 
Church,  very  early,  in  a  quarry  near  Aboo 

Honnes,  360. 
Churches,  73,  95,  118,  166,  287,  292,  345,  360, 


375,  39i,393,4°9.  4i7>  45i- 
-,  position  of  early,  376. 


Of 


1  Circles,  stone,  285,  289. 
I  Citadel  of  Cairo,  128. 
j  Cleopatra,  baths  of,  89,  97.  Cleopatra,  portrait 

of,  at  Denderah,  388.   At  Erment,  45  c 
1  Cleopatra's  Needles,  Sn. 
Climate  of  h'gypt,  1.   Of  Alexandria,  91 
j     Cairo,  125. 
!  Clothing  and  mode  of  life,  6. 
I  Coinage  of  Egypt,  8-10. 
Coins,  Cufic,  27. 
I  Colossi  of  Thebes,  407. 
j  Colossus  on  a  sledge,  361. 
Colours,  or  paints  of  the  Egyptians,  458. 
!  Columbarium  in  the  Great  Oasis,  312. 
Commerce  of  Alexandria,  92. 
)  Consular  courts,  ju  1  isdictlon  of,  91. 
Contra-Apoliinopolis,  ancient  road  from,  to 

Emerald  mines,  450. 
Contra-Latron,  temple  at,  453. 
Contract  with  Dragoman,  320. 
Convent  or  monastery  of  Gebel  et  Tayr,  349. 
Of  Mount  Sinai,  291.   Of  Geergeh,  379.  The 
oldest  in  Egypt,  at  Esneh,  453. 
Convents  or  monasteries  near  Antinoe,  360.  Near 
Negadeh,  393.   Of  St.  Anthony  and  St.  Paul, 
316.    Of  the  Natron  lakes,  261.    Of  Boosh, 
344.   Red  and  white,  374-376.    In  Island  of 
Tabenna,  384. 

 ,  other,  166,  308,  340,  344,  345,  360,  366, 

393,  4l8- 

 ,  number  of,  in  Egypt,  263. 

Coptic  convents  and  churches  at  old  Cairo,  166- 
170. 


498 


INDEX. 


COPTIC. 

Coptic  patriarch,  263,  316. 
Coptos,  391. 

 to  Berenice,  road  from,  449. 

Copts,  the,  332.1 

Coronation  ceremony  at  Thebes,  412. 
Crocodile  mummies,  367. 

Crocodiles,  213,  327,  366,  390,  460,  482,  483, 
492.    Power  of  Tentyrites  over,  389.  Cha- 

r  raeteristics  of,  390.   Sacred,  301,  345,  390. 

Crocodilopolis,  300,  301,  375,  452. 

Crusaders  in  Egypt,  95,  107,  164,  250,  252. 

Cufic  character,  31.  Inscription,  132,  133,  171, 
465- 

Curd  dynasty,  34. 

Cash,  "  Ethiopia,"  name  of,  472,  478. 
Cynopolis,  348. 
Cyperus,  251. 


D. 

Dabod  temple,  475. 

Dahabeeah,  description  and  price  of,  120.  In- 
formation respecting  voyage  in.  319-326. 

Dakhleh,  oasis  of,  311.  Fruits,  character  of  the 
inhabitants,  312. 

Dakkeh,  temple  of,  480. 

Dallas,  344. 

Damanhoor  stat.,  nr.   Canal  of,  109. 
Damietta,  252. 

 ■  besieged  by  the  Crusaders,  "3  4,  35,  95, 

252. 

Dar  Aboo  Bereek,  266. 
Daroot-Oshmoon,  363. 
Daroot  esh  Shereef,  365. 
Dashoor,  pyramids  of,  214. 
Dates  in  drums  at  Keneh,  390. 

 of  Seewah,  267.   Of  the  Little  Oasis,  309. 

Of  Assooan,  465.   Of  Ibreem,  465,  474. 
Dayr  Bolos,  316. 
Dayr  By&d  village,  345. 
Dayr  el  Arbaeen,  295. 
Dayr  ei  Bahree  temple,  418. 
Dayr  el  Medeeneh  temple,  417. 
Dayr  Mar-Antonios,  316. 
Debbah,  492. 

Debebat  Sheykh  Ahmed,  291. 
Delta,  the,  112. 

 ,  apex,  or  S.  end  of  the,  no,  162. 

Denderah,  temple  of,  384-389. 

Dendoor,  temple  of,  479. 

Derb  el  Hag,  274. 

Derb  el  Hamra,  274. 

Derb  el  Maazee,  274. 

Derb  er  Russafa,  448. 

Derb  et  Tarabeen,  274. 

Derb  et  Towarah,  274. 

Derr  or  Dayr,  capital  of  Nubia,  483. 

Dervishes,  dancing,  152. 

Desert,  journeys  in  the,  271-298,  306-317,  447- 

450.   Preparation  for,  272-274. 
Desert,  the  "Long,"  via  Mt.  Sinai,  Akabah, 

and  Petra,  297,  or  via  Mt.  Sinai  and  Nakl, 

to  Syria,  299. 

 ,  the  "  Short,"  to  Syria,  268. 

Dessook,  fete,  107. 
Diet,  6. 

Dimay,  ruins  at,  in  the  Fyoom,  305. 
Diocletian,  inscription  of,  time  of,  487. 
Diodorus,  171  et  passim. 


EL  HAYBIE. 

Diospolis  Parva,  ruins  of,  384. 

Diseases  for  which  climate  is  beneficial,  4. 

Dishneh,  384. 

Distance  from  the  sea  to  the  1st  Cataract,  462. 
Divinities,  principal  Egyptian,  146. 
Dog  and  cat  mummies,  348,  }66. 
!  Dogs,  more  than  one  breed  in  ancient  Egypt, 
348. 

 in  Egypt,  38?. 

Worn-trees,  or  Theban  palms,  365. 
Dongola,  New,  491. 

 ,  Old,  492. 

Doosh,  temple  of,  3T5. 
Doric  column,  prototype  of  the,  355,  478. 
Ddseh  at  Cairo,  154. 
Dragoman,  119,  319,  322,  324,  395. 
Drah  Aboo'l  Negga,  tombs  of,  428. 
Draughts,  game  of,  357,  410. 
Drawing,  excellence  of,  423,  436. 
Drawings,  coloured,  illustrative  of  the  agricul- 
tural pursuits  of  the  early  Egyptians,  455. 
Druses,  sect  of,  32,  135. 
Dwarfs,  358. 

Dynasties,  Egyptian,  and  kings,  chronological 
table  of,  12-25,  338 


Ebras,  366. 

Ed  Dayr,  Christian  village,  361.  Temple  of, 
452. 

Edfoo  temples,  456,  457.   Marsh  or  lake  near, 

457- 

Eel  (the  phagrus)  represented,  356. 

Eg  Gimsheh,  227. 

Eggs,  artificial  hatching  of,  127. 

Egypt,  season  for  visiting,  xiv.  Journey  from 
England  to,  xv.  General  remarks  on  sanitary 
state  of  the  country,  1.  Temperature,  2.  The 
seasons,  3.  Diseases  for  which  the  climate  is 
beneficial,  4.  Clothing  and  mode  of  life,  6. 
Coinage,  8.  Weights  and  measures,  10. 
Reigning  family  and  mode  of  government,  it. 
Chronological  table  of  Egyptian  dynasties 
and  kings,  12-25.  List  of  Caliphs  and  Sultans, 
27-42.  Shooting  and  Natural  History,  326. 
Geography,  products,  331.  inhabitants,  332. 
Antiquities,  ruins,  333. 

Egyptian  boats,  description  of  ancient,  455. 

 temples,  general  description  of,  334- 

?36. 

Eileithyias,  ruins  at,  454.   Grottoes  at,  455. 
Ekhmeem,  376. 
El  Areesh,  270. 

El  Azhar,  University  of,  134,  143.  Mosk  of, 
134- 

El  Beerbeh  mounds,  379. 

El  Bersheh,  361. 

El  Booka  stat.,  253. 

El  Dooknesra,  grotto  at,  483. 

El  Edwa  stat.,  299. 

El  Eghayta,  wells  of,  448. 

El  Ferdane,  243. 

El  Gherek,  306. 

El  Ghoree,  mosk  of,  137.   Bazaar  of,  141. 

El  Guisr,  241,  242. 

El  Hammam,  305. 

El  Hamra,  2or. 

El  Hareib,  366. 

El  Haybie,  ruins  at,  346. 


INDEX. 


499 


EL  HAYZ. 

El  Hayz,  oasis  of,  3 10. 
El  Helleh,  45  3. 
El  Howarte,  353. 
El  Kab,  454. 
EL  Kafr,  342. 
El  Kala  village,  391. 
El  Kamyseh,  266.  ' 
El  Kasr,  308. 
El  Kays,  mounds  at,  348. 
El  Kenan,  454. 
El  Khanka,  161. 
El  Khtirgeh  temple,  313. 
El  Khow^bid  mounds,  371. 
El  Kodla  pyramid,  453. 
El  Madhawwa,  287. 
El  Maharrad,  286. 
El  M^razee,  344. 
El  Markhah,  284. 
El  Masarah,  340. 
El  Mudmur,  mounds  at,  371; 
El  Muggreh  plain,  275. 
El  Muktala,  275. 
El  Murkheiyeh,  283. 
El  Wady,  district  of,  220. 
El  Wady,  village  of,  in  Fyoom,  303. 
El  Wasta,  371. 
El  Wasta  junct.  slat.,  299. 
Elephantine,  island  of,  465. 
Embabeh,  Term,  stat.,104.  Battle  of  the  Pyra- 
mids, 104. 

Emerald-mines,  449.  Ancient  road  from  Contra 

Apollinopolis  to,  449. 
English  and  Arabic  vocabulary,  45-68. 
Epitaphs  at  Assooan,  464. 
Er  Bahah,  289. 

Ergamenes,  king  of  Ethiopia,  480. 
Erment,  antiquity  of,  398,  451. 
Erment  temple,  451. 
Erweis  el  Erbeirig,  291,  298. 
Esbekeeyah,  the,  140. 
Esh  Shooma,  228. 
Esh  Shurafa  town,  392. 

Esneh,  road  to,  from  Great  Oasis,  315.  Temple 

and  town  of,  452. 
Es  Sid,  105. 

Ethiopia,  329,  47 3,  489.   See  Nubia. 
Etko  lake,  102. 
Etzoo,  493. 

Eunostus,  port  of.  at  Alexandria,  70,  93. 
Examination,  points  requiring,  43. 
Excursions  from  Cairo,  156-215.   From  Medee- 

neh  in  the  Fyoom,  300.   To  Behnesa,  347. 

To  Abydus,  379. 
Expenses  of  the  journey  to  Egypt,  xv.  From 

Cairo  to  Mount  Sinai,  271-2.    Of  voyage  up 

the  Nile,  3  29. 


F. 

Faid  stat.,  223. 

Farafreh,  oasis  of,  ?io. 

Faras  or  Farras,  486. 

Fdres,  460. 

Farshoot,  383. 

Fatemite  dynasty,  30. 

Fera^yg  temple  and  church,  486. 

Feshun,  346. 

Festivals  at  Cairo,  152.  At  Tantah,  112. 
Figures  drawn  in  squares,  423,  461. 


GRANITE. 

Flamingoes.  243,  258. 
Fons  Trajanus,  317. 
Fooah,  ic6. 

Forts.  Boman  165,  315. 

Fortification,  system  of  Egyptian,  346,  453,  481, 
489. 

Fossil  remains,  i6x,  177,  359. 
Fossil  wood,  161,  264,  274. 
Fostat,  121,  163. 

Fountains  at  Cairo,  139.   Of  the  sun,  160.  Of 

Moses,  226,  294. 
Fow,  374,  384. 

Frescoes  at  Thebes,  Boman,  438. 
Funeral  ceremonies,  353. 

 in  the  Theban  tombs,  431,  454. 

Fyoom,  the  299.   Boute  to,  298. 


G. 

Gamille,  ruins  of  a  temple  at,  476. 
Gassassine,  220. 

Gates  of  Alexandria,  92.   Of  Cairo,  127. 

Gaza,  270.  ] 

Gazelles,  242,  264,  282,  477,  493. 

Gebel  Aboofayda,  366. 

Gebel  Aboo  Ghabab,  457. 

Gebel  Attakah,  225. 

Gebelayn,  452. 

Gebel  Barkal,  492.   Tablets  found  at,  151. 

Gebel  ed  Dokhan,  porphyry  quarries  of,  317. 

Gebel  el  Ahmar,  161. 

Gebel  el  Azrek,  492. 

Gebel  el  Fateereh,  317. 

Gebel  er  Bossdss,  lead-mines  of,  228. 

Gebel  esh  Shems,  486. 

Gebel  et  M6t,  266. 

Gebel  et  Tayr,  349. 

Gebel  ez  Zeit,  227. 

Gebel  Gerri,  493. 

Gebel  Mokattam,  121,  128,  161,  340. 
Gebel  Shekh  Embarak,  346. 
Gebel  Shekh  Hereedee,  373. 
Gebel  Tookh,  379. 
Gebel  Toona,  363. 

Gebel  Zabarah,  emerald-mines  of,  449. 

Geezeh,  174.    Pyramid  platform  of,  177. 

Gemeleeyah,  251. 

Geneffe  stat.,  223.   Hills,  223. 

Geography  of  Egypt,  331. 

Geology  of  Egypt,  316. 

George,  St.,  converted  into  a  Moslem  statue, 

34'.  374- 
Gerf  Hossayn,  479. 
Gertassee.  476. 
Gezeereh,  Palace  of,  143. 
Gharb-Amun,  ruins  at,  266. 
Gbaw&zee,  or  dancing-girls,  390,  452. 
Girgeh,  379. 

Gisr  el  Agoos,  349,  364,  367,  368. 

Glass-house,  ancient,  at  Natron  lakes,  259. 

Gloves,  ancient,  433. 

Gold-mines  of  the  Bishareeyah,  449. 

Goldsaneh,  348. 

Government,  mode  of,  11. 

Gow  el  Kebeer,  372. 

Gow  el  Gharbeeyah,  372. 

Granite,  imitation  of.  355. 

 quarries  of  Gebel  Fateereh,  317.  In 

the  neighbourhood  of  Assodan,  464. 


500 


INDEX. 


GRANITE. 

Granite  sculptures  in  relief,  249,  427. 
Great  Oasis,  the,  312.   Roads  from  Abydus  to, 
582. 

Great  Pyramid,  the,  description  of,  179. 
Great  temple  at  Medeenet  Haboo,  410.  At 
Karnak,  439. 


H. 

Hadji  Kandeel,  564. 

Hagar  er  Rekkab,  282. 

Hagar  es  Salam,  347. 

Hagar  Silsileh,  457. 

Hajar  el  Magareen,  295. 

Hakem,  mosk  of,  134. 

Ham^tha,  dog  mummies  at,  347/ 

Hamdoo,  494. 

Handak,  492. 

Hannak,  Cataract  of,  491. 

Haras,  at  Shoobra,  157.   At  Kooba,  158. 

Harbayt,  253. 

Hare,  desert,  278,  482. 

Haroon,  hill  of,  295. 

Haroun  el  Rashid,  28. 

Harra  Treb,  494. 

Harris,  Mr.,  353,  360,  365,  368,  382,  457. ' 

Hassan  Sultan,  mosk  of,  135. 

Hassaneyn,  mosk  of,  234. 

Hegira,  note  on,  27. 

Heheeyah  stat.,  253. 

Heliopolis,  157.   Obelisk,  158. 

Helwan  village,  341. 

Henneh,  474,  479. 

Heptastadium,  the,  82. 

Hereedee,  Shekh,  37 3. 

Hermonthis  temple,  451. 

Hermopolis  Magna,  362. 

Herodotus,  108  et  passim. 

Heroopolis,  229. 

Hesy  el  Khattiiteen,  supposed  to  be  the  rock 

struck  by  Moses,  286. 
Hieraconpolis,  453. 
Hierasycaminon,  481 

Hieroglyphics,  method  by  which  first  deciphered, 

3  A  337- 
Hippopotami,  213,  492. 

Historical  sculptures  at  Karnak,  443.  At 
Medeenet  Haboo,  41  j.  See  Battle  scenes. 

History  and  Topography  of  Alexandria,  75. 
Of  Cairo,  121.    Of  Thebes,  397- 

Horses  in  Egypt,  158.  First  seen  on  sculptures, 
332,  358. 

Hospitals,  &c,  at  Alexandria,  96.  At  Cairo, 
151. 

Hotels  at  Alexandria,  72.    At  Cairo,  115. 
How,  Diospolis  Parva,  3P4. 
Howara  Arabs,  382. 
Howaweesh  grottoes,  378. 
Hyksos,  the,  14.  151,  255,  257. 
Hyama,  the  spotted,  199,  278,  396 


I. 

Ibreem,  484. 

Ichneumon,  worship  of  the,  345. 

Illahoon  Pyramid,  301. 

Inhabitants  of  Egypt,  352. 

Introduction,  xiv.  Season  for  visiting  Egypt, 


KHALEEG. 

xiv.  Journey  from  England  to  Egypt,  xv. 
Things  bought  in  EDgland  for  the  Nile  jour- 
ney, xix. 

Irrigation,  mode  of,  in  Nubia,  474. 

Isbayda,  363. 

Iseum,  the  ancient,  248.   Temple  of,  248. 
Islands  of  Elephantine,  465.   Of  Sehayl,  466. 

Of  Philse,  469.    Of  Biggeh,  470.   Of  Argo, 

491. 

Ismailia,  220,  241.    Hotel,  241.  Waterworks, 
241. 

Isment,  in  the  Oasis,  ruins  of,  311. 
Isment  el  Bahr,  345. 

Israelites,  passage  of  the,  226,  279.  Rxrate  of 

the,  279. 
Itfoo,  374. 

J. 

Jebel,  Risher,  282. 

Jebel  ed  Dayr,  296. 

Jebel  el  Markhah,  284. 

Jebel  el  Moneijah,  288,  296. 

Jeb<4  et  Tahooneh,  287. 

Jebel  Hammam  Pharoon,  283. 

J ebel  Katareena,  ascent  of,  29?. 

Jebel  Moosa,  ascent  of,  and  Ras  Sufsafeh,  294. 

Jebel  Nagoos,  296. 

Jebel  Serbal,  286. 

Jebel  Zebeer,  295. 

Jephsehan,  365. 

Jerusalem,  taking  of,  33. 

Joseph's  Well,  130. 

Journey  from  England  to  Egypt,  xv. 

Juvenal,  banished  to  Assooau,  863. 


K. 

Kafr  Douar  Stat.,  111. 
Kafr  el  lyat,  342. 
Kafr-ez-Zyat  stat.,  112. 
Kafr  Mukfoot,  306. 
•Raid  Bey,  138, 161. 
Kabibsheh,  477. 
Kalamoon,  311. 
Kalioob  junct.  stat,  114,  216. 
Kalaoon,  mosk  of,  136. 
Kalat-el-Kebsh,  133. 
Kantarab,  243. 
Kar£  Meydan,  the,  145. 
Karioon,  106. 

Karnak,  the  Great  Temple,  439.   Plan  of,  440. 

Historical  sculptures  in   the,  443.  Other 

buildings  and  remains,  445.    Causes  of  its 

destruction,  447. 
Karrawee,  106. 
Kasr  Ain  es  Sont,  313. 
Kasr  Ain  ez  Zayan,  315. 
Kasr  el  Benat,  304. 
Kasr  el  Kharoon,  ruins  of,  303. 
Kasr  esh  Shemmah,  and  site  of  Roman  fortress 

of  Babylon,  165,  168. 
Kasr  es  Syad,  384. 
Kasr  Gashast,  266. 
Kasr  el  Goeytah,  315. 
Kasr  Room,  266. 
Keneh,  390. 

Kendos,  or  Kensee,  tribe,  472,  475. 
Khaleeg,  the,  or  Canal  of  Cairo,  128,  153. 


INDEX. 


501 


KHAN. 

Khan  Yodnes,  270. 
Khan  Khaleel,  bazaar,  141. 
Ivhartoom,  493. 
Kibotus,  the,  79. 

Kings,  list  of:  Pharaohs,  19-23.  Ptolemies  or 
Lagides,  24-25.  Cassars,  26.  Caliphs  and 
Sultans,  27-42. 

Kings,  tombs  of  the,  at  Thebes,  420. 

Kobt,  or  Koft,  the  ancient  Coptos,  391. 

Ko-komeh,  206,  207. 

Kokreb,  493. 

Kolzim,  224. 

Koni-Ahmar,  mounds  at,  353,  453. 

Kom  el  Aswed,  201. 

Kom  el  Hettan,  406. 

Kom  Ombo,  460. 

Kom  "Weseem,  ruins  of,  305. 

Koobah,  158. 

Koorneh,  temple  of,  399. 

Koornet  Murraee,  tombs  of,  455. 

Koortee,  481. 

Koos,  392. 

Koos-kam,  371. 

Korayn  dates,  107. 

Korosko,  482. 

Korti,  492. 

Kosseir,  227.  Road  to,  from  Thebes  or  Keneb, 
447- 

Kostamneh,  480. 

L. 

Labyrinth,  the,  and  Lake  Mceris,  300. 

Lake  Mardotis,  94,  105,  ill.   Menzaleh,  24?, 

258.   Mceris,  301. 
Lakes,  the  Bitter,  223,  238. 
Latopolis,  452.  See  Esneh. 
Lead-mines  of  Gebel  er  Rossass,  228. 
Lekhmas,  109. 
Lepidotum,  382. 
Lesseps,  M.  de,  232. 
Leucos  Portus,  228. 
Library  at  Alexandria,  83. 

 at  Cairo,  144. 

 at  Convent  of  St.  Catherine,  293. 

 Malta,  xvi. 

Libyan  Hills,  the,  362,  384  et  passim. 

Limestone  quarries,  340,  348,  353,  359,  389. 

Linant-Bey,  M.,  162,  232,  301. 

Lisht,  Pyramids  of,  343. 

Little  Oasis,  the,  308. 

Lowb'geh  wine,  in  the  Oasis,  309. 

Luxor,  394,  395, 437- 

Luxor  (Thebes)  to  Assooan,  the  First  Cataract 

and  Phila?,  451. 
Lycopolis,  369.   See  Asyoot. 


M. 

Maabdeh,  caverns  and  crocodile  mummy  pits 

of,  367. 
Maazee  Arabs,  316. 
Macrizi,  86  et  passim. 
MagMgha,  346. 

Magharah,  turquoise  mines  at,  284. 
Mahallet  Darnaneh,  251. 

 el  Kebeer  stat.,  254. 

 Rokh  stat.,  254. 

Maharraker,  481. 


MOOSKEE. 

Mahass,  district  of,  491. 
Mahattah,  468. 

"MaMttah,"  or  day's  journey,  length  of  a,  491. 
Mahmoodeeah  Canal,  the,  105. 
Mahsamah  stat.,  220. 
Makkemeh,  92.  See  Cadi's  Court. 
Malateeah,  mounds  at,  346. 
Malkeh,  482. 

Malta,  xv.   Hotels,  &c,  xvi.   Sights  at,  xvi. 

Manfaloot,  367. 

Mankabat,  368. 

Manna  of  the  Desert,  276. 

Mansoorah,  250. 

 ,  to  Menzaleh  and  the  lake,  250,  251. 

 Terminus  stat.,  253. 

Mansooreeah,  island  of,  462. 
Mareotis,  lake,  105,  11 1. 

Mariette^  M.,  109  et  passim.   His  discovery  of 

the  Serapeum,  or  Apis  Mausoleum,  207. 
Masarab,  311.    Limestone  quarries  at,  340. 
Massowah,  228. 
Matareeah,  160,  258. 
Mawe,  267. 
Mayan  Moosa,  294. 

Maydoom,  pyramid  of,  343.  See  False  Pyramid. 
Measures  and  weights,  10. 
Medainot,  393. 

Medeeneh,  or  Medeenet  el  Fyodm,  stat.,  300. 

Excursions  from,  302. 
Medeenet  Haboo,  temples  of,  409. 
Medicines,  7. 
Mellawee,  363. 

Memlooks,  105.   Massacre  of,  128. 

Memnon,  the  Vocal,  407. 

Memnon,  lomb  of,  420. 

Memnonium,  401.  See  Rameseum. 

Memphis,  history  of,  202.   Remains  of,  205. 

Colossal  statue,  205. 
Mendes,  site  of,  251. 
Mendesian  branch  of  the  Nile,  no,  251. 
Menes'  Dyke,  202,  342. 
Menoof,  104. 
Mensheeyah,  378. 
Menzaleh,  lake,  24J,  258. 

 ,  canal  of,  2  50. 

Meroe,  492. 

MetaTiara,  354. 

Metoobis,  104. 

Mex,  quaries  of,  97. 

Minieh,  352.   Cemetery  at,  353. 

Miniet-Silseel,  251. 

Mines,  emerald,  449. 

 ,  gold,  449. 

 ,  lead,  228. 

 ,  turquoise,  284. 

Mishte,  mounds  at,  373. 

Mitemna,  492. 

Mit-en-Nasarah,  251. 

M  it-Fares,  251. 

Mitrahenny,  202,  342. 

Moaiud,  mosk  of,  137. 

Mceris,  lake,  301. 

Moez  Canal,  the,  114,  252. 

Mohammed  Ali,  11, 128, 156,  452.  Mosk  of,  129. 

Moileh,  valley  of,  308. 

Mokattam  hills,  the,  123,  128,  339. 

Monasteries  of  the  Natron  valley,  261.  Library 

at,  261. 
Mons  Pentedactylus,  449. 
Mooskee,  the,  140. 


502 


INDEX. 


MORG-OSE. 

Morgdse,  476. 
Morostah,  the,  136. 
Moses,  fountain  of,  226. 

Mosk,  general  description  of  a,  130.  Lord 

Houghton's  poem  on,  131. 
Mosks  at  Alexandria,  95.   At  Cairo,  130.  At 

Old  Cairo,  164. 
Mount  Sinai,  instructions  for  journey  to,  271. 

See  Sinai. 
Mountain,  the  red,  199. 
Mudmur,  371. 

Mummy  pits,  ibis,  206,  362.    Dog  and  cat,  348, 

366.   Crocodile,  367.   Ape,  437. 
Museum,  Alexandria,  83. 

 of  Egyptian  antiquities,  144. 

Mycerinus,  pyramid  of,  191. 
Myos  Hormos,  ruins  of,  227. 


N. 

Nader,  109. 
Napata,  413. 

Natron  lakes  and  valley,  the,  109,  260. 
Natron  in  valley  of  Nile,  455. 
Nawamees,  mosquito  houses,  276,  279,  289, 
291. 

Neby  Saleh,  tomb  of,  298. 
Nechesia,  228. 

Necropolis,  site  of,  at  Alexandria,  79. 

 of  Memphis,  206. 

 of  Abydus,  382. 

 of  Thebes,  428. 

 in  the  Great  Oasis,  314. 

Nefiche  stat.,  220. 

Negadeh,  393. 

Nerba,  305.   See  Dimay. 

Neslet  ez  Zowyeh,  353. 

Nestorius  banished  to  the  Oasis,  314. 

Nezleh,  303. 

Nicopolis,  site  of,  98. 

Nile,  preliminary  information  for  voyage  up 
the,  318.  By  steamer,  318.  In  a  dahabeeah 
with  a  dragoman,  319.  In  a  dahabeeah 
■without  a  dragoman,  322.  List  of  provisions, 
323.  General  hints,  324.  Backsheesh,  325. 
Shooting  and  natural  history,  326.  Wild 
animals,  326.  Land  birds,  326.  Aquatic  birds, 
327.  Amphibious  animals,  327.  Fish,  327. 
Geography  and  products,  328.  Trees,  fruit, 
&c,  331.  Domestic  animals,  331.  Inha- 
bitants, 332.  Antiquities,  Ruins,  &c,  333. 
Temples,  334.  Tombs,  336-  History,  337. 
Dynasties,  338. 

Nile,  the  Blue  and  the  White,  junction  of,  493. 

Nile  journey,  the,  things  necessary  for,  xix. 

Nile,  rise  of  the,  at  Cairo,  172. 

Nile,  Upper,  requisites  and  season  for  journey 
to,  490. 

Nile,  steamers  for  the,  120. 

JNilometer,  the,  170. 

Nilometers,  other,  171,  341,  465. 

Nilus,  the  god,  honours  paid  10,  at  Silsilis,  460.° 

Nishoo,  mounds  of,  106. 

Nitria,  district  of,  263. 

Nourri,  492. 

NuBrA,  472.  Ancient  history  and  geography 
of,  472.  Method  of  irrigation,  474.  Modern 
inhabitants,  473. 

Nugb  Buderab,  284. 


PRODUCTS. 

Nugb  Hawa,  289. 
Nugb  Suwig,  291. 
Nugr  el  Baggar,  295. 


0. 

Oases  of  the  Blacks,  310. 

Oasis  of  Ammon,  or  the  See-wah,  266. 

Oasis,  the  Great,  or  Wah  el  Khargeh,  312-314. 

Oasis,  the  Little,  306-310. 

Oasis  of  Dakhleh,  311. 

Oback,  493. 

Obelisk  at  Alexandria,  87.    At  Assooan,  464. 

At  Biggig,  302.    At  Heliopolis,  158.  At 

Karnak,  441.     At  Luxor,  437.    At  San 

(Tanis),  256. 
Old  Cairo,  163.   Coptic  convents  and  churches 

at,  166-170. 
Om  Baydah,  266. 
Ommiade  dynasty,  27. 
Onion,  foundation  of,  216. 
Ooched,  494. 
Ophthalmia,  7. 
Ordee,  491. 
Oshmoouayn,  362. 
Osiris,  tomb  of,  301,  382. 
Otan,  494. 


LP. 

Palaces  at  Cairo,  143. 
Palm-wine,  309. 

Palms,  Theban,  369.   Of  Assooan,  465. 
Paints  of  the  Egyptians,  458. 
Panium,  or  temple  of  Pan,  86. 
Panopolis,  377. 
Passports,  8. 
Pelicans,  243,  258. 

Pelusiac  branch  of  the  Nile,  229,  230,  244. 

Pelusium,  site  of,  244,  269. 

Peninsula  of  Sinai,  275. 

Peter  the  Hermit,  32. 

"  Petrified  Forest,"  the,  161. 

Pharaohs,  the,  chronological  list  of,  19-23. 

"Pharaoh's  Hot-bath,"  283. 

"  Pharaoh's  Throne  "  at  Sakkarah,  206. 

Pharos,  isle  of,  79,  82. 

Philaj,  island  of,  469. 

 to  Wddy  Halfah,  475. 

Philotera,  port  of,  227. 

Phtah,  temple  of,  at  Memphis,  204. 

Pigeon  towers,  373,  393. 

Pilgrims,  lake  of  the,   161.    Departure  for 

Mecca,  152. 
Pipe-bowls  at  Asyoot,  368. 
Pliny,  78  et  passim. 
Plutarch,  78  et  passim. 
Pococke,  95  et  passim. 
Pompey's  Pillar,  88. 
Population  of  Egypt,  11. 
Porphyry  quarries  of  Gebel  ed  Dokhan,  317. 
Port  Said,  244.   Hotels,  steamers,  244.  Ports 

and  moles,  246. 
Post  Office,  at  Alexandria,  72.    At  Cairo,  117. 
Presents,  8. 
Priests,  tombs  of,  428. 
Prim  is  parva,  484. 
Products  of  Egypt,  331. 


INDEX. 


503 


PROTEUS. 

Proteus,  abode  of,  75.   Sacred  grove  of,  204. 

Provisions  for  Nile  voyage,  xix,  323,  490. 

Psammetichus,  deserters  from,  485. 

Pyramid,  derivation  of  the  word,  177. 

Pyramids,  the,  172.  Drive  to,  173.  History 
and  object  of  pyramidal  buildings  in  Egypt, 
176.  The  pyramid  platform  of  Geezeh,  177. 
Topographical  plan  of  the  pyramids  of 
Geezeh,  178.  The  Great  Pyramid,  179.  Di- 
mensions of  the  Great  Pyramid,  j8i.  Plan 
of,  183.  The  Second  Pyramid,  189.  The 
Third  Pyramid,  191.  Other  small  pyramids, 
193.  Tombs,  196.  The  Causeways,  198. 
The  pyramid  of  Abooroash,  199.  The  pyra- 
mids of  Abooseer,  200.  The  pyramids  of 
Sakkarah,  206.  Of  Dashoor,  214.  Of  El 
Kobia,  453.  Of  Meroe,  492.  Crude-brick 
pyramids  at  Dashoor,  214.  At  Howarah  and 
lllahoon,  301.  At  Abydus,  382.  At  Thebes, 
436.    The  "  false  "  pyramid,  343. 


Q. 

Quails,  161,  175,  214,270,  278.  Shooting  of,  in 
Egypt,  326. 

Quarries,  alabaster,  316.  Breccia,  448.  Gra- 
nite, 317,  464.  Gypsum,  316.  Porphyry, 
317.  Limestone,  340,  348,  353.  359,  3%9- 
Sandstone,  457,  478. 

Quarry,  mode  of  beginning  a,  351. 

Quarters,  division  of  Cairo  into,  122. 

Queens,  tombs  of  the,  437. 


E. 

Raaineh,  372,  373. 
Ramaneeah,  107. 
Rameses,  site  of,  220. 

 II.,  15.   Statues  of,  205,  401,  485. 

 III.,  16.   Temple  of,  at  Thebes,  410. 

Rameseum,  or  Memnonium,  401.  Sculptures, 

402.   Ruins  in  the  vicinity,  406. 
Ramleh,  near  Alexandria,  ico.   At  Boolak,  no. 
Ram  sees,  109. 
Raramoon,  362. 
Ras  Aboo  Zeneeneh,  283. 
Ras  el  Ech,  244. 
Ras-et-Teen,  palace  of,  97. 
Ras  Mohammed,  227,  276. 
Ras  Sufsafeh,  294. 
Red  Convent,  376. 

Red  Sea,  the,  227,  494.   Passage  of  the  Israel- 
ites, 226,  279. 
Red  Sea,  the,  Egyptian  coast  of,  227. 
Refah,  270. 

Reigning  family  in  Egypt,  h. 
Rephidim,  286,  287. 
Revenue  of  Egypt,  11. 
Rhoda,  360. 
Rigga,  343. 

Ritual,  the,  or  Book  of  the  Dead,  145,  337. 
Roda,  island  of,  and  Nilometer,  170. 
Rosetta,  103. 

 to  Atfeh  and  Cairo,  by  the  Nile,  104. 

 Stone,  the,  103,  j  36,  469. 

Route  of  the  Israelites  from  Egypt  to  Mount 
Sinai,  279. 


SHEYKH. 

Routes  from  A  in  Moosa  to  Jebel  Moosa,.aud  the 

Convent  of  St.  Catherine,  281. 
Rowik,  493. 
Rumeyleh,  the,  141. 


s. 

Sabagoora,  479. 
Saeed,  the,  328. 

Sa'is,  107.   Mounds  of,  107.   Sepulchres  of  the 

Sa'ite  Kings  of  Egypt,  108. 
Saitic  branch  of  the  Nile,  no. 
Sakayt,  450. 

Sakkarah,  201,  206.  Pyramids  of,  206.  Mummy 
pits,  206.  Tombst  249.  Tablet  of,  151,  206, 
331- 

Saladin,  34,  121,  128,  130. 
Salaheeyah,  269. 
Samhood,  383. 

San,  255.   La  pierre  de,  102.   Objects  found  at, 

in  Museum,  151. 
Sandgrouse,  278,  326,  492. 
Sandstone  quarries,  457.     At  Gertassee,  476. 

At  Kalabsheh,  478.   Region  of,  454. 
Sani,  492. 

Sarabit  el  Khadim,  290. 
Saracenic  Wall  at  Assooan,  464. 
Sarboot  el  Jemel,  290. 
Scarabaji,  148. 
Schedia,  105. 

Schools  at  Alexandria,  66.   At  Cairo,  143.] 

Schwabti,  or  mummy  emblems,  147. 

Season  for  visiting  Egypt,  xiv. 

Seasons,  the,  in  Egypt,  3. 

Sebayda,  363.  See  lsbayda. 

Sebeels,  or  public  fountains,  139. 

Sebennytic  branch  of  the  Nile,  no. 

Sebennytus,  mounds  of,  248. 

See-wah,  the,  266.   See  Oasis  of  Amnion. 

Sehayl,  island  of,  466. 

Seih  Bab'a,  284. 

Seih  Sidreh,  284. 

Semaloot,  349. 

Sembellavvein  stat,,  253. 

Semenhood,  248. 

Semneh,  488,  491. 

Senhoor,  305. 

Senooris,  306. 

Serapeum,  heights  of,  239. 

 stat.,  223.  I 

 at  Alexandria,  84. 

 ,  or  Apis  Mausoleum,  207. 

Serra,  487. 

Servants,  in  Egypt,  74,  119. 
Sesostris,  15. 

Sethi  I.,  temple  of,  at  Abydus,  380,  381. 
Shabeka,  mounds  at,  373. 
Sharara,  mounds  at,  354. 
Shaym-t-el-Wah,  475. 
Sheykh  Aboo  Noor,  346. 
Shendy,  492. 
Shenhoor,  393. 
Sherg  Selin,  371. 

Sheykh  el  beled,  or  village  chief,  statue  of  a, 
148. 

Sheykh  Fodl,  348. 

Sheykh  Hanaydik,  230,  240. 

Sheykh  Hassan,  3*48. 

Sheykh  Shenedeen,  mounds  at,  373. 


504 


INDEX. 


SHEYKH. 

Sbejkh  Timay,  350. 

Nhibeen  el  Kanater  stat.,  216. 

Shobd,  371. 

Sbobuk,  342. 

Sboobra,  palace  of,  156. 

Shooting,  219,  247,  299,  303,  326,  372. 

Shur,  wilderness  of,  282. 

Silsilis,  quarries  at,  457. 

Sinai,  Peninsula  of,  275.  Inhabitants,  275. 
Population,  276.  Geographical  and  Natural 
features,  276.  Natural  history  and  climate, 
278.  Ruins,  279.  Route  of  the  Israelites 
from  Egypt  to  Mount  Sinai,  279.  Routes 
from  Ain  Moosa  to  Jebel  Moosa,  and  the 
Convent  of  St.  Catharine,  281. 

Sinaitic  inscriptions,  285,  287,  298. 

Sioout,  369."  See  Asyoot. 

Sits,  mounds  at,  345. 

Sledge,  Colossus  on  a,  361. 

Smyth,  Mr.  Piazzi,  theory  of,  about  Great  Py- 
ramid, 176,  188. 

Snipe  shooting,  106,  161,  219,  264,  327. 

Sont  tree,  the,  331.   See  Acanthus. 

SooMee,  353- 

Soohag,  374. 

Sowakim,  228,  494. 

Speos  Artemidos,  3?  8. 

Sphinx,  the,  193.   Tablet  relating  to,  149,  194. 
Sphinxes,  Avenues  of,  439,  443,  446. 
Springs,  sulphur,  283,  342. 

 ,  warm,  in  the  Little  Oasis,  308. 

Stabl  Antar,  339,  558,  369. 

Steamers  for  the  Nile.  120. 

Stela;,  or  inscribed  tablets,  209,  211  et passim. 

Strabo,  77  et  passim. 

Suez,  223, 494.  Hotels,  223.  British  Consulate, 
224.  Steam-packet  companies,  224.  History, 
224.   Quays  and  Harbours,  225. 

Suez  Canal,  225.  Financial  and  political  his- 
tory of  the  present  Maritime,  232. 

Suez,  gulf  of,  224. 

 ,  plain  of,  236. 

Suez  to  Port  Said,  by  the  Canal,  235. 

Suff,  343. 

Sugar  factories,  305,  347,  352,  360. 

 plantation,  353. 

Sukkoot,  district  of,  491. 
Sulphur  springs,  283,  342. 
Sultans,  list  of,  27-42. 
Syene,  463.   See  Assooan. 


T. 

Tabenna,  isle  of,  384. 

Table,  chronological,  of  Egyptian  dynasties 

and  kings,  12-18. 
Tablet  of  Abydus,  337,  J81.   Of  Sakkarah,  151, 

206,  381. 
Tafah,  476.   See  Wady  Tafah. 
Taha,  352. 
Tahaneh,  342. 
Tahtah,  373. 
Talkah  stat.,  254. 
Tanis,  255. 

Tanoof,  mounds  of,  365. 

Tanseh  mound,  345. 

Tantah  junct.  stat.,  112.   Fairs,  112. 

Tehneh,  350. 

Tel  Basta,  218.   See  Bubastis. 


TOOSSOOM. 

Tel  el  Amarna,  grottoes  of,  364. 
Tel  el  Haroot  stat.,  112. 
Tel  el  Kebeer  stat.,  220. 
Tel  el  Odameh  mounds,  109. 
Tel  el  Yahoodeh,  the  Mound  of  the  Jew.  161, 
216. 

Tel  en  Nassara,  mounds  at,  345. 
Tel  et  Teen,  mounds  at,  345. 
Tel-et-Tmei,  251. 
Tel  Defenneh,  269. 
Tel  Phakoos,  253. 
Temperature,  2. 

Temple,  description  of  an  Egyptian,  334. 
Tennes,  island  of,  258. 

Tentyrites,  the,  tbeir  power  over  the  crocodile, 
J  89. 

Teraneh,  109,  259. 

Theatres,  &c,  at  Alexandria,  96.  At  Cairo, 
.152. 

Thebes,  39 ?.  Arrival  at  Luxor,  and  general 
Information,  395.  Mode  of  seeing,  396. 
History  and  topography  of,  397.  Ruins  and 
remains :—  Western  Bank,  399.  Temple  of 
Koorneh,  399.  The  Rameseurn  or  Memno- 
nium,  401.  Other  ruins,  406.  The  Colossi ; 
the  Vocal  Memnon,  407.  Temples  of  Me- 
deenet  H£boo  and  other  ruins,  409.  Sculp- 
tures, 411.  Small  Ptolemaic  temple,  416. 
Lake,  417.  Dayr  el  Medeeneh,  417.  Dayr  el 
Bahree,  418.  Tombs  of  the  Kings,  420. 
Tombs  of  Priests  and  private  individuals,  428. 
Tombs  of  the  Assaseef,  428.  Tombs  of 
Sheykh  Abd  el  Koorneh,  430.  Tombs  of 
Koornet  Murraee,  435.  Tombs  of  the  Queens, 
436.  Eastern  Bank,  Luxor,  437.  Karnak, 
4?9.   The  Great  Temple,  439. 

Thebes  and  Keneh  to  Kosseir  on  the  Red  Sea, 
447- 

Thinis,  381.  See  Abydus. 
Thomu,  378. 

Thothmes  III.,  14.  Temple  of,  at  Karnak,  442. 

Tih,  tomb  of,  211. 

Timsah  lake,  223,  240. 

Tofnees,  452. 

Toma,  mounds  of.  301. 

Tomb,  Egyptian  of  Old  Empire,  description  of, 

197,  209. 
Tomb  of  Alexander,  86. 

Tombs  of  the  Caliphs,  1 38.  At  Kaitbey,  138. 
At  the  Pyramids,  196.  At  Sakkarah,  209. 
Of  Tih,  211.  Of  Phtahhotep,  214.  Of  Sbeykh 
Hanaydik,  240.  Of  Neby  Saleh,  298.  Of 
Asyoot,  369.   Of  Beni  Hassan,  356. 

Tombs  of  the  Kings  at  Thebes,  420: — Sethi  I., 
421.  Rameses  III ,  or  Bruce's,  424.  Rameses 
VI.,  426.    Menephtab,  426.    Rameses  IX., 

426.  Rameses  IV.,  427.  Rameses  I.,  427. 
Pthah-se-pthab,  427.   Sethi  I.,  or  Osirei  II., 

427.  Amunoph  III.,  427. 

Tombs  of  the  Priests  and  private  individuals 
at  Thebes,  428.  Of  the  Assaseef,  428.  Of 
Sheykh  Abd-el- Koorneh,  4J0.  Of  the  Queens, 
437- 

Tomeeah,  300,  306. 

Tookh  stat.,  114. 

Tooloon  dynasty,  29. 

Tooloon,  mosk  of,  132. 

Toona  island,  258. 

Toora  mounds,  340.   Quarries,  340. 

Toossoom,  heights  of,  239. 


INDEX. 


505 


TOR  PORT. 

Tor  port,  227. 
—  town,  296. 
Tosk,  484. 

Towns,  sites  of  ancient,  raised,  218. 
Towns,  denominations  of,  331. 
Trees  of  Egypt, 

Trilingual  stones,  102,  103,  151,  33b. 
Troici  lapidis  mons,  stones  taken  from,  to 

Pyramids,  340 . 
Tropic,  463,  479. 
Tuot,  451. 

Turkmans,  rise  of  the,  32. 
Turks,  333- 
Turquoise-mines,  284. 
Tzitze,  ruins  of,  476. 


IT. 

Um,  African  prefix  of,  269. 
Umgoozah,  492. 
Umm  Shomer,  296. 


V. 

Valley  of  the  Queens,  437. 
Valley,  Western,  at  Thebes,  427. 
Venus,  temple  of,  at  Memphis,  204. 
Virgin's  tree,  the,  158. 
Vocabulary,  English  and  Arabic,  45-68. 
Vocal  Memnon,  the,  407. 
Vyse,  Colonel  Howard,  181,  182,  184,  186, 
190,  192,  200,  207,  214. 


W. 

Wddy  Aboo  Seileh,  289. 

 Aleyat,  286. 

 Amarah,  282. 

 Bark,  291. 

 Berrah,  291. 

 Bub'a,  29Q. 

 Canal,  the,  229. 

 ed  Dayr,  289,  296,  31 

 ed  Dehseh,  281. 

 el  Areesh,  270. 

 en  Nukkaree,  228. 

 esh  Sheykh,  288. 

 Ethal,  283. 

 et  Toomil&t,  223. 

 Feiran,  285. 

 Foakheer,  448. 

 Genaiyeh,  284. 

 Gendelee,  275. 

 Ghurundel,  282. 


ZUBBO. 


Wady  Halazdnee,  274. 

 Halfah,  487,  490. 

 lgne,  284. 

 Jaffra,  275. 

 Khameeleh,  291. 

j  Mukatteb,  285.   Inscriptions  at,  285. 

1  Natrdon,  260. 

the  !  Nisreen,  285. 

 —  Nogrus,  450. 

I  Nugb  Buderah,  284. 

I  Kahabeh,  296. 

!  Pvyan,  308. 

j  Sa'al,  298. 

■  Sabooah,  482. 

 Sadur,  282. 

 Shebeika,  28?. 

j  Shellal,  284. 

— —  Solaf,  288. 

 Suwig,  290. 

 Tafa,  4-16. 

j  Taiyibeh,  283- 

!  ■  Useit,  283. 

j  Wardan,  282. 

i  Wtfdy  Halfah,  by  Dongola,  Meroe,  and  Berber, 
j     to  Khartoom,  and  thence,  by  Berber,  to  Sowit- 

kim  on  the  Red  Sea,  490. 
J  Wan,  or  Oasis,  derivation  of  word,  308. 
Wah  ed  Dakhleh,  311. 
Wah  el  Behnesa,  the  Little  Oasis,  jc8. 
j  Wah  el  Khargeh,  the  Great  Oasis,  312. 
J  Wah  Koorkoo,  476. 
gg   t  Wall,  Saracenic,  at  Assooan,  464. 
j  Wasta  junct.  stat.,  299,  344. 
j  Weights  and  measures  in  Egypt,  10 
1  Wells  of  Moses,  226.   Of  El  Eghayta,  448. 
j  White  Convent,  or  Monastery,  the,  374. 
Wild  fowl,  242,  247,  254,  257,  258,  264,  300,  30 3, 

306,  327,  343,  353,  366,  372,  396,  457- 
Wood,  fossil,  161,  274,  493. 
I  Wolves,  303. 
Wooden  cramps  in  masonry,  old,  418. 
Wrestling,  ancient,  357. 


Zagazig,  junct.  stat.,  219. 

Zakook  at  the  Natron  lakes,  259. 

Zaytoon,  34  j. 

Zifteh  stat.,  248. 

"  Zoan,  field  of,"  256. 

Zodiac  of  Denderah,  385.   At  the  Rameseuia 

40$.    Esndh,  453. 
Zowyeh,  343. 
Zowyet  el  Myiteen,  35?. 
Zubbo,  ruins  near,  in  the  Little  Oasis,  308. 


V'm1  ] 


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AGENTS. 

London,  May  1,  1873. 

MESSRS.  J.  &  R.  MTRACKEN, 
38,  QUEEN  STEEET,  CANNON  STEEET,  E.C., 

AGENTS,  BY  APPOINTMENT,  TO  THE  ROYAL  ACADEMY,  NATIONAL  GALLERY, 
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AG-EN  TS. 


MESSRS.  J.  AND  R.  MCCRACKEN'S; 


PRtNCtPAL  CORRESPONDENTS. 


ALEXANDRIA   Messrs.  D.  Robertson  &  Go. 

ALICANTE   Mr.  P.  R.  Dahlander. 

ANCONA    Messrs.  Moore,  Morellet,  &  Co. 

ANTWERP   Messrs.  F.  Monheim  &  Co. 

ATHENS,  (the  Piraus) 

t>  a  Tiww  t»  *  tm?\t       \  Messrs.  Mellerio  Freres.     Mr.  F.  Pelikan's  Successor 
BADEN-BADEN  . . .  j    Mr.  H.  Ullrich. 
BAD  EMS..........    Mr.  H.  W.  Thiel. 

oiOT1,  (  Messrs.  Jean  Preiswerk  &  Fils. 

BASLE Mr.  J.  Frby. 

nxrwT  txt  i  Mr-  Lion  M.  Cohn,  Commre.  Expediteur. 

BERLIN.. .........  |Mr  A.  Warmuth. 

BERNE  ,   Messrs.  A.  Bauer  &  Co. 

BEYROUT   M.  Henry  Heald 

BOLOGNA   Messrs.  Rknoli,  Buggto,  &  Co.    Sig.  L.  Meni. 

BOMBAY   Messrs.  King,  King  &  Co. 

f  Messrs.  Albrkcht  &  Fils. 
BORDEAUX  «|  Mr.  Roupbil  Jeune,  13,  Rue  d'Orleans. 

[  Mr.  Gremailly  Fils  Afrie. 

BOULOGNE  s.  M         Messrs.  Mory  &  Co.   Messrs.  L.  J.  Vogue  &  Co 

BRINDISI   Italo-Oriental  Co.  A.  Coen,  Manager. 

CALAIS   Messrs.  L.  J.  Vogue  &  Co. 

CALCUTTA   MeBsrs.  Gillanders,  Arbuthnot.  &  Co.  •! 

CARLSBAD   Mr.  Thomas  Wolf,  Glass  Manufacturer. 

CANNES   Mr.  J.  Taylor. 

CARRARA   Sig.  F.  Biknaime\  Sculptor. 

CATANIA   Mr.  Matthey. 

CI  VITA  VECCHIA  .    Messrs.  Lowe  Brothers,  British  Consulate. 

nnr  rvr-xrc  f  Mr.  J.  M.  Farina,  gegeniiber  dem  Julichs  Plata.' 

COLOGNE   ^  Megsrg  Gme  TlLM|s\  Co 

CONSTANTINOPLE    Mr.  Alfked  C.  Laughton.   Messrs.  C.  S.  Hanson  &  Co." 
COPENHAGEN. ....    Messrs.  H.  J.  Bing  &  Son. 
CORFU   Mr.  J.  W.  Taylor. 

(Messrs.  H.  W.  Bassenge  &  Co.  Mr.  E.  Arnold,  Printseller.  The 
Director  of  the  Royal  Porcelain  Manufactory  Depot.  Madame 
Helena  Wolfsohn,  Schossergasse.  No.  5.  Mr.  Mobitz  Meyer, 
Moritz  Strasse.    Messrs.  Sekgek  &  Maeser. 

I Messrs.  French  &  Co.  Sig.  Luigi  Rawacci.  Messrs.  EMiffle.  Fenzi 
&  Co.  Sig.  Tito  Gagliardt,  Dealer  in  Antiquities.  Messrs. 
Maquay,  Hooker,  &  Co.  Messrs.  Eyre  &  Matteini.  Mr.  E. 
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Bianchini,  Mosaic  Worker.  Messrs.  P.  Bazzanti  &  Fig., 
Sculptors,  Lungo  l'Arno. 
FRANKFORT  o  M  i^e88rs-  BrNG,  Jun.,  &  Co.    Mr.  F.  Bohler,  Zeil  D.  17-  Mr.  G 

  '    "  (    Krebs.   Messrs.  Sachs  and  Hochheimeb,  Wine  Merchants. 

GENEVA   MM.  Levrier  &  P^lissieb. 

GENOA  £  Messrs.  Granet,  Brown,  &  Co.   Messrs  G.  &  E.  Barchi  Brothers. 

 (  Mr.  C.  A.  Wn  sow.    Mr.  H.  A.  Mossa,  Grande  Albergo  d'ftalia. 

GHENT  i  Messrs.  De  Buyser  Frebes,  Dealers  in  Antiquities,  Marctae  au 

 (    Beurre,  No.  21. 

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1)2 


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May, 


AGENTS. 

MCCRACKEN'S  LIST  OF  CORRESPONDENTS- continued. 

KISSINGEN   Mr.  David  Kugelmann.   Mr.  H.  F.  Kugelmann. 

LAUSANNE   Mr.  Dubois  Renou  &  Fils. 

t  wmrvR-Nr  5  Messrs.  Alex.  Macbean  &  Co.    Messrs.  Maquat,  Hooker,  &  Co. 

fitrllUfin )     Mr.  M.  Ristori.    Mr.  H.  Trumpy. 

LEIPZIG   Mr.  J.  E.  OehlschlSger's  Successor. 

LISBON   Mr.  E.  Bourgard. 

LUCERNE   Messrs.  F.  Knorr  &  Fils. 

MADRAS   Messrs.  Binnt  &  Co. 

MALAGA   Mr.  George  Hodgson.   Mr.  J.  A.  Mark. 

MaTTA  {Messrs.  Josh.  Darmanin  &  Sons,  45,  Strada  Levante,  Mosaic 

 Workers.   Mr.  Fortunato  Testa,  92,  Strada  S*a  Lucia. 

MANNHEIM  ......    Messrs.  Etssen  &  Clauss. 

MARIENBAD   Mr.  J.  T.  Adler,  Glass  Manufacturer. 

MARSEILLES   Messrs.  Claude  Clerc  &  Co. 

MENTONE   Mr.  Palmaro.   Mr.  Jean  Orengo  Fils. 

MESSINA   Messrs.  Cailler,  Walker,  &  Co. 

{Mr.  G.  B.  Buffet,  Piazza  di  S.  Sepolcro,  No.  1. 
Messrs.  Fratelli  Brambilla.    Messrs.  Ulrich  &  Co. 
MessTs.  G.  Bono  &  Co. 
w  C  Messrs.  Wimmer  &  Co.,  Printsellers,  Brienner  Strasse. 

MUJNlUfci  ^    Messrs.  Bleicher  &  Andreis. 

m  a  pt  ttq  i  Messrs.  Iggulden  &  Co.   Messrs.  W.  J.  Turner  &  Co.    Mr.  G. 

JN  A-FUt!^  . . . . ,  |    Scala,  Wine  Merchant.   Messrs.  Flli.  Questa. 

NEUCHATEL         J  Messrs.  Bouvier  Frebes,  Wine  Merchants.  Messrs.  Humbert  &  Co., 

(Suisse)  <.  Bazaar. 

NEW  YORK   Messrs.  Austin  Baldwin  &  Co. 

i  Messrs.  A.  Lacroix  &  Co.,  British  Consulate.    Messrs.  M.  &  N. 

■k1^  '  * \   Giordan.  Mr.  H.  Ullrich,  7,  Quai  Massena.   Freres  Mignon. 

NUREMBERG   Mr.  A.  Pickert,  Dealer  in  Antiquities.   Mr.  Max  Pickert. 

OSTEND   Messrs.  Bach  &  Co. 

PALERMO   Messrs.  Ingham,  Whittaker,  &  Co. 

PARIS   Mr.  L.  Chenue,  Packer,  Rue  Croix  des  Petits  Champs,  No.  24. 

PAU   Mr.  Musgrave  Clay. 

pro.  (Messrs.  Huguet  &  Van  Lint,  Sculptors  in  Alabaster  and  Marble. 

FlbA   (Mr.  G.  Andreoni,  Sculptor  in  Alabaster. 

_n  .  r,  C  Mr.  W.  Hofmann,  Glass  Manufacturer,  Blauern  Stern. 

PRAGUE  \  Mr.  A.  V.  Lebeda,  Gun  Maker. 

{Messrs.  Plowden  &  Co.  Messrs.  A.  Macbean  &  Co.  Messrs. 
Freeborn,  Dantell,  &  Co.  Messrs.  Mayday,  Hooker,  &  Co. 
Messrs.  Furse  Bros.  &  Co.  Messrs.  E.  Welby,  Son,  &  Co.  Messrs. 
Spada,  Flamini,  &  Co.  Mr.  J.  P.  Shea.  Mr.  A.  Tombini.  Mr. 
Luigi  Branchini,  at  the  English  College. 

ROTTERDAM   Messrs.  Preston  &  Co.   Messrs.  C.  Hemmann  &  Co. 

SAN  REMQ   Fratelli  Asquasciati. 

c  Mr.  Julian  B.Williams,  British  Vice-Consulate.   Don  Juan  Akt. 
SEVILLE...  [  Baillt. 

SMYRNA   Messrs.  Hanson  &  Co. 

ST.  PETERSBURG  .    Messrs.  Thomson,  Bonar,  &  Co.   Mr.  C.  Kbuger. 

THOUNE   Mr.  Jean  Kehbli-Sterchi. 

TRIESTE   Messrs.  Flu.  Chiesa. 

TURIN   Messrs.  Rochas,  Pere  &  Fils. 

{Mr.  L.  Bovardi,  Ponte  alle  Ballotte. 
Messrs.  Freres  Schielin.   Mr.  Antonio  Zen. 
Messrs.  S.  &  A.  Blumenthal  &  Co.   Mr.  Carlo  Ponti. 

VEVEY    Mr.  Jdles  Getaz  Fils. 

f  Mr.  H.  Ullrich,  Glass  Manufacturer,  am  Lugeck,  No.  3. 

VIENJSA  |  Messrs.  J.  &  L.  Lobmeybr,  Glass  Manufacturers,  940,  Karnthner 

[Strasse. 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


5 


AGENTS. 

CHARLES  CARR  &  CO., 
14,  BISHOPSGATE  STEEET  WITHIN,  LONDON,  E.O., 
COMMISSION  MERCHANTS, 

General  Agents  for  the  Reception  and  Shipment  of  Goods  from 
and  to  all  Parts  of  the  World, 

AND 

WINE  MERCHANTS. 

pHAELES  CAKE  &  CO.  have  the  honour  to  inform 

^  VISITORS  TO  THE  CONTINENT, 

that  they  receive  and  pass  through  the  Custom  House  in  London,  Liverpool, 
Southampton,  &c, 

WORKS  of  Art,  BAGGAGE,  and  PROPERTY  of  EVERY  DESCRIPTION 

which  are  attended  to  on  Arrival  under  their  Personal  Superintendence, 
with  the  utmost  Care  in  Examination  and  Removal, 

AND  AT 

very  Moderate  Charges, 

regulated  according  to  the  value  of  the  Packages,  and  the  care  and  attention 
required. 

Keys  of  all  locked  Packages  should  be  sent  to  C.  C.  &  Co.,  as  everything  must  be 
examined  on  arrival,  although  not  liable  to  duty. 


CHARLES  CARR  &  CO.  also  undertake  the 

FQEWAEDIIG-  OF  PACKAGES  OP  EVEEY  KIM), 

which  can  be  sent  to  the  care  of  their  Correspondents,  to  remain,  if  required,  until 
applied  for  by  the  owners  ;  also 

THE  EXECUTION  of  OEDEES  for  the  PUECHASE  of  GOODS, 

of  all  kinds,  which  from  their  long  experience  as  Commission  Merchants,  they  are 
enabled  to  buy  on  the  most  advantageous  terms. 

Residents  on  the  Continent  will  find  this  a  convenient  means  of  ordering  anything 
they  may  require  from  London. 

INSURANCES  EFFECTED,  AND  AGENCY  BUSINESS  OF  EVERY 
DESCRIPTION  ATTENDED  TO. 


Packages  Warehoused  at  Moderate  Rates  of  Rent. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


May, 


CM  AS.  CABH 

At  Aix-la-  Chapelle 

„  Antwerp 

„  Basle  . 

„  Berlin 

„  Bologna 

„  Bordeaux 

n  Boulogne 

„  Boston,  U. 

„  Brussels 

„  Calais . 

„  Cologne 

„  Constantinopl 

„  Dresden  . 

„  Florence  . 

„  Frankfort 
\  „  Geneva 
\„  Genoa  .  . 
Ghent 

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„  Havre  .  . 

,,  Innsbruck 

„  Jnterlackm 

„  Leipzig 

„  I, eg  horn 

„  Ha  I  ay  a 

„  Malta  . 

„  Marten  had 

„  Marseilles 

„  Menione 

„  Milan  . 
\„  Munich, 


CO.  s  principal  Correspondents  ar«  

Messrs.  A.  SOUHEUR  and  CO. 

Mr.  LOUIS  SCHELL. 

Mr.  J.  WILD,  12,  Steinenthors-trasse. 

Mr.  J.  A.  FISCHER.  Agent  to  the  Court. 

Messrs.  ANTONIO  MAZZETT1  and  CO. 

Messrs.  ALBRECHT  and  FJLS. 

Messra.  L.  BRANLY  and  CO.,  81,  Rue  Napoleon. 

Messrs.  WELLS.  FARGO,  and  CO. 

Messrs.  H.  Al  .LART  &  P. RE  VV ORST,  11, Quai  kBa  Caans. 

Messrs.  L.  J.  VOGUE  and  CO. 

Messrs.  C.  H.  VAN  ZUTPHEN  and  CO. 

Mr.  Ht.  LAMB. 

Mr.  R.  WEIGANJX  Messrs.  SCHEFFLER,  S1EG,  &  CO. 
Messrs.  HASKARD  and  SON. 


Messrs.  JOLTMAY  and  CO.    Mr.  Phe.  STB  ASS  B. 
Messrs.  G.  M  ORG  A  VI  and  CO. 
Mr.  A.  DELIGE. 

Messrs.  HOFMEISTER,  SCHEFFLER,  and  S1EG. 
Messrs.  CHR.  EG  LIN  and  MARlNG. 
Mr.  MAX  STEINER. 
Messrs.  RITSCHARD  and  BURKI. 
Messrs.  GERHARD  and  HEY. 

Messrs.  J.  THOMSON  HENDERSON  &C0.  Mr.  P.  TASSI. 
Mr.  GEO.  HODGSON. 
Messrs.  ROSE  and  CO. 
Mr.  J.  T.  ADLER. 
Messrs.  GIRAUD  FRERES. 
Mr.  J.  ORENGO  F1LS. 
Messrs.  G.  BONO  and  CO.,  8,  Via  Agnelto. 
Messrs. GUTLEBEN  and  WED >ERT . 
Messrs.  FISCHER  and  RECHSTEINER. 
„  Nantes      ......     Messrs.  PARF1TT  and  PETIT  JEAN. 

„  Naples  Messrs.  CERULLI  and  CO.    Mr.  G.  CIVALLERI. 

„  N«w  York  Messrs.  AUSTIN,  BALDWIN  and  CO. 

„  Nice   .     Messrs.  M.  and  N.  GIORDAN,  Qua!  Lunel,  14  (sur  la  Port.) 

„  Ostend     ......     Mr.  AUG.  FONTAINE. 

„  Paris   .     Messrs.  J.  ARTHUR  and  CO.,  10,  Rne  Castigiione. 

Mons.  GUEDON,  20,  Rue  Pierre  Levee. 
„  Pau  Mr.  BERGEROT. 

„  Prague    ......     Mr.  J.  J.  SEIDL,  Hibernergasse,,  No.  1000. 

„  Rome  Mr.  J.  P.  SHEA,  11,  Piazza  di  Spagna. 

Mr.  A.  TOMBINJ,  23,  Piazza  S.  Luigi  de'  Frances*. 
„  Rotterdam     .....     Mr.  J.  A.  HOUWKNS. 

Messrs.  P.  A.  VAN  ES  and  CO. 
„  Turin  Mr.  C.  A.  RATTI. 

„  Venice  Messrs.  FISCHER  and  RECHSTEINER. 

„  Vienna  Mr.  GUST  A  V  ULLRICH. 

Any  other  houses  will  also  forward  goods  to  C.  C.  &  Co.,  on  receiving  instructions  to  do  so. 
Travellers  are  requested  always  to  give  particular  directions  that  their  Packages  are  consigned 
direct  to  CHAS.  CARR  &  CO.,  14,  Bishopsgate  Street  Within.  

PRICE  LIST  OF 

IMPORTED  BY 

CHARLES    CARR  AND 

AGENTS  TO  GROWERS. 

Per  dozen. 

Clarets— Medoc  15s.  to24s.  Hock- 

St.  Estephe.Margaux,  &c.30s.  to  36s. 
St.  Julien,  &c,    .    .    .  42s. 
Other  Qualities  .    .    .  48s.  to  150s 
Burgundies — Beaune     .    .  24s.  to  30s. 

Volnay      .    .  36s.  to  42s. 
Other  Qualities  48s.  to  8-1  s. 
Chablis     .    .  30s.  to  54s. 
Hock—  Oppenheim  ....       2 is. 


WINES 


-Nierstein 
Hochheim 
Other  Qualities 


CO., 


Per  desen . 
30*. 

.  36s.  to  42s. 
.  48s.  to  120s. 


42s.  to  72s. 
36s.  to  60s. 
36s.  to  72*. 
84s.  to  126& 
24s. 

AND  OTHER  WINES. 
Clarets,  Burgundies,  Sherries,  &c,  by  the  Hogshead  or  Half-Hogshead  at  reduced  Prices. 
Detailed  Price  Lists  may  be  obtained  of  C.  CARR  <fe  Co.,  14,  Bishopsgate  Street  Within. 


Sparkling  Hock  &  Moselle  42s.  to  54s. 
Champagne  .... 

Sherries— Pale,  Gold,  &c. 
Port  ...... 

Fine  Old  Vintage  Wines 
Marsala  


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


7 


AIX  LES  BAINS. 

GRAND  HOTEL  DE  L'EUROPE. 

Proprietor,  J.  BERNASCON. 

jpiEST-CLASS  House,  admirably  situated  near  the  Casino, 
the  Baths,  and  the  English  Church.  This  Hotel  is 
strongly  recommended  to  travellers  for  the  comfort  of  its 
arrangements.  Good  Gardens,  with  a  beautiful  view  of  the 
Lake  and  Mountains.  Large  and  small  Apartments  for  Families 
at  moderate  prices,  and  a  Chalet  in  the  Garden  for  Families 
who  may  prefer  being  out  of  the  Hotel.  Excellent  Table- 
d'Hote.  

Carriages  for  hire,  and  an  Omnibus  belonging  to  the 
Hotel  to  meet  every  Train. 


AMPHION  (Haute-Savoie). 

BAINS  D'AMPHION. 

The  only  Bath  Establishment  really  situated  on  the  Borders 
of  the  Lake  of  Geneva, 

NEAE  EVIAN. 


THE  Alkaline  Waters  of  Amphion  are  of  the  same  nature  as 
those  of  Evian  (according  to  the  official  analysis  made  of  them) ;  and 
are  recommended  to  Invalids  suffering  from  all  kinds  of  Diseases  where 
Alkaline  Waters  are  required.  The  ferruginous  Waters  of  Amphion, 
enjoying  an  ancient  celebrity,  are  also  strongly  recommended  in  cases 
requiring  the  use  of  tonics.  Three  fine  Hotels  connected  with  the  Esta- 
blishment. Baths  of  all  Descriptions.  Good  attendance.  Magnificent 
Park  and  Garden.  Splendid  View.  Billiard  and  Conversation  Booms. 
Telegraphic  Station.    Steamboats,  &c. 

The  Hotels  of  Amphion  are  Branches  of  the  Hotel  Beau-Site  of  Cannes 
(Alpes  Maritimes),  the  Proprietor  of  which  is  Mr.  Geokges  Gotjgoltz, 
whose  well-merited  reputation  acquired  in  that  locality  is  a  guarantee  of 
their  excellence  and  accommodation, 


8 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


May, 


AMSTERDAM. 

AMSTEL  HOTEL 

13UILT  Six  Years  ago.    Situated  near  the  Khenish  Kail  way 

Station,  the  Zoological  aud  Botanical  Gardens,  &c.  Cheerful  view 
of  the  City  and  the  Amstel  River.  Patronised  by  English  and  American 
Families.    First-rate  Table  and  excellent  Wines. 

Terms  Moderate. 

Telegraph  Office  and  Stables  attached  to  the  Hotel. 


ANTWERP, 

HOTEL  ST,  ANTOINE, 

PLACE  VERTE, 

OPPOSITE  THE  CATHEDRAL. 

fJVHIS  Excellent  first-class  Hotel,  which  enjoys  the 
well-merited  favour  of  Families  and  Tourists,  has  been 
repurchased  by  its  old  and  well-known  Proprietor,  Mr.  Schmitt- 
Spaenhoven  ;  who,  with  his  Partner,  will  do  everything  in 
their  power  to  render  the  visit  of  all  persons  who  may  honour 
them  with  their  patronage  as  agreeable  and  comfortable  as 
possible.    Baths  in  the  Motel. 


ANTWERP. 

MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  FOR  NORTH 
GERMANY  AND  THE  RHINE 

CONTAINS 

A  FULL  DESCRIPTION  OF  ANTWERP,  THE  CATHEDRAL,  &c. 
Price  12s. 

TO  BE  HAD  OF  ALL  BOOKSELLERS. 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


9 


ANTWE  R  P- 

HOTEL  1)U  GRAND  LABOUHEUR, 

PLACE  DE  MEIR,  26. 

THIS  old-established  and  highly-recommended  Hotel,  which 
has  been  considerably  enlarged,  is  situated  in  the  finest  and 
healthiest  square  of  the  city  of  Antwerp ;  its  cleanliness  and 
the  excellency  of  the  Table-d'Hote  and  Wines,  added  to  the 
attention  and  civility  shown  to  all  visitors,  have  made  it 
deservedly  popular. 


HOT  AND  GOLD  BATHS. 

ENGLISH  AND  FKENCH  NEWSPAPEBS. 

ANTWERP. 

TTOTEL  DU  DANEMARCK. —  Second-Class  Hotel,  very 

J— *-  well  situated,  just  opposite  the  landing-place  of  the  London  and  Hamburg  Steamers. 
Very  good  and  clean  Rooms,  at  moderate  Prices,  Good  attendance.  English  and  French 
Newspapers  taken  in.  Table  d'H6te  at  1  and  5  o'clock.  English,  French,  and  German 
spoken.  Restaurant.  N.B. — This  Hotel  has  been  newly  re-fitted  up  and  improved  by 
M.  EGELIE,  the  new  Proprietor,  who  endeavours  by  the  most  strict  attention  to  deserve  the 
patronage  of  English  Travellers. 

ANTWERP. 

Prize  Medals  in  the  last  Belgian  Exhibitions  of  1826,  1835,  1841,  #  1847. 
Diploma  of  Excellence  in  the  Exhibition  of  Amsterdam,  1869. 

J.  H.  TO  BELLINGER  k  MAX*.  SUREMONT, 

LINEN  MATtKET,  No.  9,  MARCHE  All  LINGE,  He.  9, 

Near  the  Cathedral,  Antwerp. 
'THE  oldest  Manufactory  of  the  Celebrated  Antwerp  Washing  Black  Silks, 
so  much  esteemed  all  over  Europe.   Taffetas  Gros  Grain,  Gros  Heps,  Royal,  &c,  and 
the  splendid  Faille  Silk  for  Dresses.   Neckerchiefs,  &c,  &c. 

ANTWERP. 

Second  Edition,  Revised,  with  Woodcuts,  Post  8vo.,  10s.  6d. 

T  IYES  OF  THE  EARLY  FLEMISH  PAINTERS.  With 

Notices  of  their  Works.    By  J.  A  Crowe  and  G.  B.  Cavalcaselle. 


JOHN  MUKKAY,  ALBEMARLE  STREET* 

B  3 


10 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISE!?. 


ANTWERP. 

HOTEL  DE  HOLMNDE  RESTAURANT  (stroobakt's), 

Rue   <Ie  1'Etuve, 

Close  to  the  London  and  Hull  Steam-boat  Wharf. 
THIS  HOTEL,  being  now  entirely  under  a  new  management,  and  being 

-*  newly  fitted  up  with  great  comfort,  is  recommended  to  English  travellers,  or  families, 
•who  will  find  every  convenience.  Choice  Wines  of  the  best  vintages.  English  Daily  and 
Weekly  Newspapers.  Every  attention  is  paid  to  travellers  by  the  landlord,  Mr.  Steoobant, 
who  speaks  English,  and  being  well  acquainted  with  the  Continent,  can  furnish  every  infor- 
mation required.  Table  d'Hote  at  Hall-past  Twelve  and  Five  o'clock.  Private  Dinners  at 
any  hour. 


ANTWERP. 

HOTEL  DES  FLANDRES, 

IN"o.  O,  Place  Yerte. 
Mr.  J.  J.  LAMBERT,  Proprietor. 
THIS  HOTEL,  near  the   Entrance   to  the   Cathedral,  is 

recommended  by  Visitors  from  England  and  America,  for  comfort  and 
moderate  charges.    The  Proprietor  speaks  English. 

The  Post-office  and  Rubens'  Statue  are  situated  in  the  Place  Verte. 

ATHENS- 
HOTEL   DES  STRANGERS, 

Hear  the  Royal  Palaes. 
In  the  most  delightful  situation,  opposite  the  Royal  Gardens,  near  the  Palace.    The  best 
Hotel  in  Athens.    Moderate  prices ;  good  attendance.   All  languages  spoken. 

BADEN-BADEN. 

HOTEL  DE  HOLLANDE  and  Dependance. 

k  U  BEAU  SEJOUR. — A.  Roessleb.  Proprietor.  This  favourite  and  first-class 
Hotel,  situated  near  the  Kursaal,  Promenade,  and  Theatre,  commands  one  of  the  most 
charming  views  in  Baden.  The  Hotel  and  Dependance  consist  of  One  Hundred  and  Sixty 
Sleeping  Apartments,  elegant  Sitting-rooms,  and  a  Garden  for  the  use  of  visitors.  Extensive 
and  airy  Dining-room,  and  a  comfortable  Public  Sitting-room,  with  Piano  and  Library.  It.  is 
conducted  under  the  immediate  superintendence  of  the  Proprietor,  who  endeavours,  by  the 
most  strict  attention  and  exceedingly  Moderate  Prices,  to  merit  the  continued  patronage  of 
English  and  American  visitors.  Engiish  and  American  Newspapers.  The  Table  d'Hote  and 
Wines  of  this  Hotel  are  reputed  of  the  best  quality  in  Baden.  Fixed  moderate  charges  for 
everything.   Rooms  from  2s.  and  upwards. 

Mr.  Roessler  will  spare  no  pains  to  deserve  the  confidence  of  English  Travellers.  Open 
during  the  winter.   English  is  spoken. 

Seventh  Edition,  with  Illustrations,  Post  8vo.,  7s.  Qd. 

pUBBLES  FEOM  THE  BRUNNEN  OF  NASSAU.  By 
Sir  FfUNCis  B.  Head,  Bart. 


JOHN  MURRAY,  ALBEMAKLE  STREET. 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


11 


BADEN-BADEN. 
V  I  C  T  O  It  I  HOTEL. 

Proprietor,  Mr.  FRANZ  GROSHGLZ. 

'PHIS  is  one  of  the  finest  built  and  best  furnished  First-class 
Hotels,  situated  on  the  new  Promenade,  near  the  Kursaal  and  Theatre  ;  it 
commands  the  most  charming  views  in  Baden.  It  is  reputed  to  be  one  of  the  best 
Hotels  in  Germany.  The  Table  and  Wines  are  excellent  with  prompt  attendance 
and  great  civility.    Prices  very  moderate.    English  and  other  Journals. 


BADEN-BADEN. 

HOTEL 

Proprietor— Mb.  J.  TH.  KAUB. 

F1KST-RATE  Hotel  for  Families  and  Single  Gentlemen, 
close  to  the  Station.  Kursaal  and  Promenade.  Table  d'Hote.  Private 
Dinner  to  order.  English  spoken  by  all  the  attendants.  The  utmost  attention 
and  civility.  Reading-room.  The  Hotel  is  superintended  by  the  new  Proprietor, 
who  has  been  10  years  in  England,  during  which  time  he  has  travelled  with 
Charles  Dickens,  Esq.,  the  Duke  of  Sutherland,  and  other  distinguished  English 
families. — Mr.  KAUB  exports  Wines  to  England. 


BADEN-BADEN. 

AMERICAN  HOTEL  AND  PENSION. 

Proprietors — H.  &  E.  BILHAEZ. 
OITUATED  on  the  New  Promenade  near  the  Kursaal,  and 
^    opposite  the  Parks  of  the  Duchess  of  Hamilton.    First-rate  Hotel, 
with  splendid  Apartments  of  all  descriptions.     Excellent  accommodation, 
and  all  that  can  be  desired  for  Families  and  Single  Gentlemen. 

Excellent  Wines,  and  Table  d'Hote  in  the  town  at  One  and  Five  o'clock. 
Arrangements  made  by  the  week,  &c. 

Terms  very  moderate. 


THE  TRAVELLER'S  COMPANION. 

Fifth  Edition,  with  Woodcuts,  Small  8vo.,  7s.  6d. 

THE  AET   OF  TRAVEL;  or,  Hints  on  the  Shifts  and 
Contrivances  available  in  Wild  Countries.    By  Francis  Galton, 
F  R.G.S.,  Author  of  "  The  Explorer  in  South  Africa." 

"  Mr.  Galton  publishes  this  little  volume  for  the  use  of  tourists  who  travel  far  and  '  rough 
it.'  It  would  also  put  some  useful  ideas  into  the  heuds  of  men  who  stay  at  home." — 
y.  xaminer. 

JOHN  MURRAY,  ALBEMARLE  STREET. 


12  MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER.  May, 

BAGNERES-DE-BsGORRE  (Haute  Pyrenees.) 

HOTEL  DE  PARIS. 


LARGE  FIEST-CLASS  FAMILY  HOTEL 

"With  over  100  Large  and  Small 

SALOONS  AND  CHAMBERS. 

RESTAURANT. 

LARGE  GARDEN 

FACING  THE 

PROMENADE   I>E  CAUSTONS, 

Well  known  to  English  Families. 


FULL  SOUTH. 
MOUNTAIN  GUIDES. 

B.  NOGUES,  Proprietor. 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


13 


BALE. 

H  O  T  3S  Hi    S  O  H  RIEDER, 

OPPOSITE  the  German  Railway  Station  for  Baden-Baden,  Frankfort,  etc.,  also 
to  Schaffhausen  (Hhinefall),  Zurich,  and  any  other  Swiss  Town.  Large  Rooms  with 
Saloons.  Special  Saloons  for  Ladies.  Elnglish  and  French  Newspapers.  Post  and  Telegraph 
Offices.    Very  moderate  charges.    Omnibus  at  the  Station.  

BARCELONA. 
GRAND  HOTEL  DES   QUATKE  NATIONS, 

IN  THE  EAMBLA. 
Kept  by  Messrs.  FOKTIS  &  CO. 


rPH±S  is  a  first-rate  Establishment,  advantageously  situated  close  to 

•*  the  Post-office  and  the  Theatre,  with  a  southern  aspect,  and  newly  decorated.  Table- 
d'faote;  private  service;  large  and  small  apartments;  many  fire-places;  baths;  reading- 
rooms  ;  Spanish  and  foreign  newspapers.  Carriages  of  every  description.  Omnibus  at  the 
Railway  Stations.   Interpreters.   Moderate  terms. 


BERLIN. 
HOTEL  D'ANG-LETEREE, 

2,  PLACE  AH  DEE  BAUACABEMXE,  2. 

SITUATED  IN  THE  FINEST  AND  MOST  ELEGANT  PART  OF  THE  TOWN, 

Near  to  the  Royal  Palaces,  Museums,  and  Theatres. 

Single  travellers  and  large  families  can  be  accommodated  with  entire  suites  of  Apartments, 
consisting  of  splendid  Saloons,  airy  Bedrooms,  &c,  all  furnished  and  carpeted  in  the  best 
English  style,  First-rate  Table-d'H6te,  Baths,  Equipages,  Guides.  Times  and  Galignani's 
Messenger  taken  in.   Residence  of  Her  British  Majesty's  Messengers. 

K.  SIEBELIST,  Proprietor. 


BERNE  (Switzerland). 

MUSICAL  BOXES, 

WOOD  CARVINGS,  SCULPTURES,  die,  4c, 

OF 

J.  H.  HELLEE 

AT  BERNE. 


No  such  Selection  anywhere  else,  and,  above  all, 
Large  Music-performing  Articles. 

ORCHESTRIONS.         ELECTRIC  PIANOS. 

Concert  every  evening  during  the  Season. 


14 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


May 


BIARRITZ. 

GRAND  HOTEL, 

OR 

MAISON  GARDERES. 

13 1- tin  ell  of"  tlie    HOTEL  DE  FRANCE. 

SPLENDID  HOUSE, 
SITUATED  IN  THE  FINEST  POSITION.    IS  RECOMMENDED  FOR 
ITS  GREAT  COMFORT. 
Charges  extremely  Moderate  for  Winter. 
English  Spoken. 


CASINO  DE  BIARRITZ. 

THIS  immense  Establishment,  built  on  the  Shores  of  the 
Ocean,  near  the  Plage,  and  in  a  splendid  position,  has  just  been  entirely 
restored  by  its  new  Proprietors,  MM.  GARDERES  and  CO. 

It  contains,  1st,  a  Hotel  consisting  of  a  hundred  Apartments,  furnished 
with  every  modern  comfort,  and  all  of  them  having  a  view  of  the  Sea. 

2nd.  A  large  Establishment  of  Baths,  hot,  sea,  and  fresh  water ;  to  which 
are  attached  a  Hydropathic  Chamber,  and  very  complete  Douche  Baths.  Also 
Stoves  for  Russian  Baths. 

3rd.  A  CASINO,  consisting  of— 

A  Magnificent  Terrace — A  Covered  Promenade 
—  A  Ball  Room  —  A  Conversation  Room  —  A 
Private  Boudoir  for  Ladies — A  Reading  Room 
and  Library — A  Billiard  Room — Two  Gaming 
Rooms  as  at  Baden — Magnificent  Dining  Rooms, 
Restaurant,  and  Cafe, 

Which  together  present  an  ensemble  unique  in  the  world  from  its  splendid 
position,  and  the  magnificent  panorama  which  is  displayed  before  us. 

A.  Theatre  open  all  tlie  Year. 

4th.  The  Casino  is  arranged  for  the  Summer  and  Winter  Season.  During 
Summer,  which  commences  the  1st  July  and  finishes  the  31st  October,  Rooms 
and  Board  are  provided  at  all  Prices.  The  Saloons  are  open  to  the  Public  for 
1  fr.  during  the  day,  and  1  fr.  at  night ;  or  a  Subscription  of  30  fr.  a  month. 

During  Winter,  which  commences  the  1st  November  and  finishes  the 
1st  July,  there  is  a  PENSION  ANGLAISE,  at  6  fr.  50  c.  a  day,  including 
Lodging,  Food,  Service,  and  the  entree  to  the  Saloons  of  the  Casino. 

The  Heating  is  done  by  Steam  Pipes. 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


IS 


BOLOGNA. 

HOTEL  BRUN  OR  SUISSE, 

Me.  W.  WELLEK,  Peopeietoe. 

fjpHE  high  reputation  which  this  Hotel  enjoys  among  the 
travelling  public,  and  more  especially  English  and  American 
Families,  is  the  strongest  assurance  of  its  superior  arrangement 
and  comfort. 

Rooms  from      francs  upwards. 

Table  d'H6te,  4*  francs. 

Reading  Room,  Smoking  Room. 

Billiard  Room  and  elegant  Dining  Room. 

Private  Carriages  to  be  obtained  from  the  Hotel. 


BONN. 

THE  GOLDEN  STAR  HOTEL 

fllHIS  first-rate  and  unrivalled  Hotel,  patronized  by  the 
English  Royal  Family,  Nobility,  and  Gentry,  is  the 
nearest  Hotel  to  the  Railway  Station,  and  to  the  Landing- 
places  of  the  Rhine  Steamers. 

The  Proprietor,  Mr.  J.  SCHMITZ,  begs  leave  to  recommend 
his  Hotel  to  Tourists. 

The  Apartments  are  comfortably  furnished  and  carpeted  in 
the  best  style,  and  the  charges  are  moderate. 

Arrangements  for  the  Winter  may  be  made,  on  the  most 
moderate  terms. 


16 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


May, 


BRUSSELS. 

HOTEL  I)E  BELLE  YUE. 

Proprietor,  Mr.  EDWARD  D  RE  MEL. 

fpRIS  magnificent  Hotel,  in  offering  to  the  Visitor  every 
kind  of  comfort  and  accommodation,  has  the  great  advantage  of 
being  situated  adjoining 

THE  PALACE  OF  THE  KING, 

and  facing 

THE  PLACE  ROYALE  AND  THE  PARK. 

It  contains  numerous  large  and  small  Apartments,  as  well  as  single 
Booms. 

Table-cC 'Hote,  richly  served.    Choice  Wines. 
SMOKING  ROOM. 
BEADING  ROOM,  with  the  best  Belgian,  English,  French, 
German,  and  American  Daily  Papers  and  Periodicals. 

Terraces,  with  Splendid  View  overlooking  the  Park. 

ARRANGEMENTS  MADE  FOR  THE  WINTER. 


Mr.  Dremel,  the  new  Proprietor  of  this  Hotel,  hopes  to  justify  the 
confidence  placed  in  him,  by  a  carefully  arranged  system  of  prompt  and 
civil  attendance,  combined  with  moderate  charges. 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


17 


BRUSSELS.        C   !  '    h4&&  BRUSSELS. 


SUFFELL'S 
ENGLISH  AND  AMERICAN  BANK  AND  EXGHANGE 

OFFICE, 

81,  MONTAGE'S  BE  LA  COUR, 

(Two  doors  from  the  Hotel  de  V Europe,) 

Changes  Circular  and  Bank  Notes,  whether  addressed  to  him  or  not, 
Letters  of  Credit,  &c.  Cheques  cashed  at  sight,  on  the  London  and 
County  Bank,  Coutts,  Drummond,  Scott,  London  and  Westminster, 
Union  Bank  of  London,  and  all  other  Banks  in  town  or  country. 
Cashes  Letters  of  Credit  on  Messrs.  Brown,  Shipley  &  Co.,  New  York. 

BRUSSELS    HOUSE  AGENCY. 


ESTABLISHED  36  YEARS. 


Apartments  and  Houses.    Agency  and  General 
Information. 

Families  can  in  full  confidence  apply  to  Mr.  SUFFELL,  81,  Montagne  de 
LA  COUR,  who  is  English,  and  established  here  36  years.  Mr.  S.  accepts  no  fees 
whatever  for  such  services,  but  only  solicits,  in  return,  the  patronage  of  his  fellow- 
countrymen  in  all  that  relates  to  Money-changing  and  Banking  Business  in 
general.  Lists  of  Prices  of  Apartments,  Houses,  Living,  Education,  &c,  on 
application. 

Write  post  free,  and  please  enclose  stamps  for  reply. 

SUFFELL'S  WINE  STORES. 


FINE   OLD   PALE   AND  GOLDEN   SHERRY.       PALE  BRANDY. 

ENGLISH  SODA  WATER. 
BASS'S  PALE  ALE.     GUINNESS'S  STOUT.     BOOTH'S  OLD  GIN. 
HAVANNAH   CIGARS,   from  the  London  Docks. 


81,  MONTAGNE  DE  LA  COUR. 

Agent  for  the  Calais  and  Ostend  Royal  Mail  Packet  Service  ;  Great  Luxembourg, 
The  Rhine  and  Moselle  Company;  Cunard,  Inman,  and  the  National,  for 
New  York. 


18 


MUREAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


Maj, 


BRUSSELS. 

/^.RAND  HOTEL  DE  SAXE,  77  and  79,  RUE  NEUVE.  Admirably  situated 
near  the  Roulevards,  Theatres,  and  two  minutes'  walk  from  the  North  Railway 
Stations.  This  Establishment,  which  has  been  considerably  enlarged,  possesses  now  a  most 
splendid  Dining-room,  and  offers  to  Families  and  Single  Travellers  spacious,  comfortable, 
and  airy  Apartments.  Tariffs  in  every  Room.— Fixed  Prices: — Plain  Breakfast  lfr.  25c. 
Two  chops  or  steak,  or  ham  and  eggs,  lfr.  50c.  Table  d'Hote  at  five  o'clock,  3fr.  50c.  Pri- 
vate Dinners  from  5fr.  Bed-rooms,  including  light,  4fr.  25c. ;  3fr.  7  5c;  6fr.  for  the  first 
night,  and  for  the  following  night  3fr.  50c. ;  3fr. ;  5fr. ;  and  4fr.  Sitting-rooms  from  3fr.  to 
12fr.  Attendance  lfr.  per  night.  London  "Times"  and  "Illustrated  London  News" 
taken  in.  Travellers  having  only  a  few  hours  to  spend  in  Brussels,  between  the  departure 
of  the  trains,  can  have  refreshments  or  dinners  at  any  hour.  The  Waterloo  Coach  leaves 
the  Hotel  at  9.30  o'clock  every  morning.  Private  Carriages  for  Waterloo  28fr.,  every 
expense  included. 

KERVAND,  Proprietor. 


BRUSSELS. 

HOTEL  DE  L'UNIVERS, 

RUE  NEUVE. 


fjpHXS  first-class  Hotel,  situated  in  the  centre  of  the  Town, 
opposite  the  new  passage,  near  the  Theatres,  the  Prome- 
nade, and  the  beautiful  Place  des  Martyrs,  has  just  been 
entirely  refitted  by  the  new  Proprietor,  Mr.  Frederic 
Schoeffter,  well  known  for  his  long  connection  as  Manager 
of  the  Hotel  St.  Antoine,  Antwerp. 

The  Hotel  de  1' Univers  may  now  be  considered  as  one  of 
the  bebt  Hotels  in  Brussels. 


BRUGES. 

HOTEL  DE  FLANDRE. 

THIRST  CLASS  HOUSE.    Table  d'Hote  at  1  ands5  o'clock. 
Beautiful  Garden.    Hot  and  Cold  Baths. 
Arrangements  can  be  made  at  any  time  during  the  year  by 
the  week  or  month. 

PENSION  during  Winter,  commencing  at  £6  per  Month. 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


19 


CANNES. 


GRAND  HOTEL  BE  GENEVE. 

~P»IKST-CLASS  HOUSE,  situated  outside  the  town,  in  a 
shaded  position.     Large  Garden.    Sea  View.  Special 
arrangements  made  for  lengthened  sojourn.    Service   a  la 
Carte. 

OMNIBUS    TO    THE  STATION. 

ED.  SCHMID,  Peopeietor. 


CARLSBAD. 

ANGERS  HOTEL. 

THIS  large  and  first-class  Establishment  affords  special 
comfort  for  English  travellers,  who  will  find  it  a  most  desirable  residence. 
It  is  near  the  Springs,  and  in  the  most  beautiful  part  of  the  town.  Charges 
strictly  moderate. 

N.B. —  Tlie  Proprietor  and  his  wife  speak  English.    Deservedly  recommended. 


CHAMBER  Y. 

HOTEL   33E  FBANCE, 

Mr.  CHIRON,  Proprietor. 

ANEW  Establishment,  situated  upon  the  Quay  Nesin,  in 
an  open,  airy  situation,  close  to  the  Railway  Station.     Large  and  small. 
Apartments,  scrupulously  clean. 

TABLE  D'KOTE  AT  11  AND  6  O'CLOCK. 


20 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


May, 


CHAUMOIT  (near  Neuchatel,  Switzerland). 

HOTEL  AND  PENSION  DE  CHAUMONT, 

C.  KITZMANN,  Propeietoe. 
'PHIS  Hotel,  exceedingly  well  situated  for  an  extensive  view 

of  the  magnificent  Panorama  of  the  Alps  and  the  surrounding  scenery,  contains 
large  and  small  Apartments,  Saloons,  Dining-rooms,  Billiard  and  Reading-rooms. 
Private  Suites  of  Rooms  for  Families.  Bath-rooms.  New  milk  and  whey  supplied 
on  the  premises.  Leading  country  and  foreign  Newspapers.  Telegraph  Station 
and  Post-office  here.    Moderate  charges. 

Omnibus  journalier  depart  de  Neuchatel  a  9  h.  du  matin. 


CHRISTIANS.  (Norway.) 

HOTEL     SCAN  Dl  N  AVI  E. 

'PHIS  beautifully  situated  Hotel  is  well  known  by  the 
English  Nobility  for  its  Cleanliness,   Good  Attendance,  and  Moderate 

Prices. 

CHE,.  AUG.  SMITH,  Proprietor. 


CLARENS-1VBONTREUX. 

HOTEL  ET  PENSION  DES  CRETES. 

Opposite  the  Railway  Station  in  the  middle  of  the  Promenades. 

Magnificent  View  of  the  Lake  and  surrounding  Alps. 

Terms  moderate.     Pension  from  5  francs  a  day. 

LOUIS  EOTH,  Propeietoe. 


COBLE  NTZ. 

THE  ANCHOR  HOTEL. 

Mr.  W.  PRANG,  Proprietor. 
THIS  well-known  and  highly  recommended  establishment, 

which  combines  superior  comfort  and  first-class  accommodation,  with  careful 
attendance  and  moderate  charges,  is  situated  just  opposite  the  landing-place  of  the 
Steamers,  and  commands  a  magnificent  view  of  the  Rhine  and  the  Castle  of  Ehren- 
breitenstein.  It  is  conducted  in  a  manner  to  be  found  well  worthy  of  the  patronage 
it  enjoys  of  English  and  American  families  and  travellers.  Excellent  Cooking. 
Choice  Wines.  Foreign  Papers.  Cold  and  Warm  Baths,  and  elegant  Carriages  in 
the  Hotel.    Omnibus  at  the  Station. 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


21 


COLOGNE   ON    THE  RHINE. 

J  CHAM  MARIA  FARINA, 
GEGENDBER  DEM  JULICH'S  PLATZ 

(Opposite  the  Julich's  Place), 

PURVEYOR   TO    H.    M.    QUEEN  VICTORIA; 
TO  H.  R.  H.  THE  PRINCE  OF  WALES ; 
TO  H.  M.  THE  KINO  OF  PRUSSIA;  THE  EMPEROR  OF  RUSSIA; 
THE  EMPEROR  OF  FRANCE; 
THE  KING  OF  DENMARK,  ETC.  ETC., 

OF  THE 

ONLY  GENUINE  EAU  DE  COLOGNE, 

Which  obtained  the  only  Prize  Medal  awarded,  to  Eau  de  Cologne  at  the  Paris  Exhibition 

0/1867. 


THE  frequency  of  mistakes,  which  are  sometimes  accidental,  but  for  the  most 
part  the  result  of  deception  practised  by  interested  individuals,  induces  me  to  request 
the  attention  of  English  travellers  to  the  following  statement : — 

The  favourable  reputation  which  my  Eau  de  Cologne  has  acquired,  since  its  invention  by 
my  ancestor  in  the  year  1709,  has  induced  many  people  to  imitate  it ;  and  in  order  to  be  able 
to  sell  their  spurious  article  more  easily,  and  under  pretext  that  it  was  genuine,  they  pro- 
cured themselves  a  firm  of  Farina,  by  entering  into  partnership  with  persons  of  my  name, 
which  is  a  very  common  one  in  Italy. 

Persons  who  wish  to  purchase  the  genuine  and  original  Eau  de  Cologne  ought  to  be  parti- 
cular to  see  that  the  labels  and  the  bottles  have  not  only  my  name,  Johann  Maria  Farina, 
but  also  the  additional  words,  gegeniiber  dem  Julich's  Platz  (that  is,  opposite  the  Julich's 
Place),  without  addition  of  any  number. 

Travellers  visiting  Cologne,  and  intending  to  buy  my  genuine  article,  are  cautioned  against 
being  led  astray  by  cabmen,  guides,  commissioners,  and  other  parties,  who  offer  their  services 
to  them.  I  therefore  beg  to  state  that  my  manufacture  and  shop  are  in  the  same  house, 
situated  apposite  the  Julich's  Place,  and  nowhere  else.  It  happens  too,  frequently,  that  the 
said  persons  conduct  the  uninstructed  strangers  to  shops  of  one  of  the  fictitious  firms,  where 
notwithstanding  assertion  to  the  contrary,  they  are  remunerated  with  nearly  the  half  part  of 
the  price  paid  by  the  purchaser,  who,  of  course,  must  pay  indirectly  this  remuneration  by  a 
high  price  and  a  bad  article. 

Another  kind  of  imposition  is  practised  in  almost  every  hotel  in  Cologne,  where  waiters, 
commissioners,  &c,  offer  to  strangers  Eau  de  Cologne,  pretending  that  it  is  the  genuine  one, 
and  that  I  delivered  it  to  them  for  the  purpose  of  selling  it  for  my  account. 

The  only  certain  way  to  get  in  Cologne  my  genuine  article  is  to  buy  it  personally  at  my 
house,  opposite  the  Julich's  Place,  forming  the  corner  of  the  two  streets,  Unter  Goldschmidt 
and  Oben  Marspforten,  No.  23,  and  having  in  the  front  six  balconies,  of  which  the  three 
bear  my  name  and  firm,  Johann  Maria  Farina,  Gegeniiber  dem  Julich's  Platz. 

The  excellence  of  my  manufacture  has  been  put  beyond  all  doubt  by  the  fact  that  the 
Jurors  of  the  Great  Exhibitions  in  London,  1851  and  1862,  awarded  to  me  the  Prize  Medal ; 
that  I  obtained  honourable  mention  at  the  Great  Exhibition  in  Paris,  1855 ;  and  received 
the  only  Prize  Medal  awarded  to  Eau  de  Cologne  at  the  Paris  Exhibition  of  1867,  and  in 
Oporto  1865. 

Cologne,  January,  1869.  JOHANN  MARIA  FARINA, 

GEGENUBER  DEM  JULICH'S  PLATZ. 
%*  My  Agency  in  London  is  at  Messrs.  J.  &  R.  M'Cracken,  38,  Queen 
Street,  Cannon  Street,  E.C, 


22 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


May, 


CONSTANCE. 
HOTEL  DU  BROCHET  (HECHT  HOTEL). 

First-class  Establisement,  situated  opposite  the  Harbour  and  the  Lake. 
Excellent  Pension.  Table  d'Hote  at  1  and  5  o'clock,  Spacious  house, 
very  clean,  quiet,  and  well  furnished.  The  Proprietor  has  the  soie  right 
of  fishing  in  the  Ehine.  Boats  and  all  appliances  for  Fishing.  Prices 
very  moderate.    French  and  English  Papers. 


CONSTANTINOPLE. 

HOTEL  D'ANGLETERRE. 

JAMES  MISSIRIE,  Proprietor. 

THIS  long-established,  and  well-known  Hotel,  situated  in 
the  GRAND  RUE  DE  PERA,  commanding  a  magnificent  view  of 
the  UNRIVALLED  BOSPHORUS,  is  replete  with  every  comfort  and 
convenience  for  the  Accommodation  of  Families  and  Tourists. 

A  Select  Table  D'Hote. 

In  consequence  of  the  largely  increasing  number  of  Visitors  to  the 
OTTOMAN  CAPITAL,  from  the  facility  with  which  it  can  now  be 
reached  from  all  parts  of  Europe,  and  Passengers  who  select  this  agreeable 
Route  to  and  from  INDIA  and  the  EAST,  it  is  requested  that  Families 
desirous  of  securing  Rooms  telegraph  or  write  in  anticipation.  Every 
attention  will  be  paid  to  instructions  thus  transmitted. 

CAREFULLY  SELECTED  INTERPRETERS  FOE  ALL 
LANGUAGES. 

The  Attendants  and  Boats  of  the  Hotel  await  the  arrival  of  the  Steamers, 

CONSTANTINOPLE. 

GRAND  HOTEL  DE  L'EUROPE. 

At  CONSTANTINOPLE,  No.  12,  Rue  Deevish  (near  La  Grande  Rne  de  Pera)  ; 

And  also,  from  and  after  1st  May,  1873, 
At  BOUJUKDERE,  on  the  Bospborus,  Summer  Residence  of  the  Corps  Diplo- 
matique and  of  fashionable  Society  (Stone  Buildings). 

BEAUTIFUL  Situation,  with  Panoramic  Views  of  the 
Asiatic  and  European  Shores.  Frequent  and  regular  daily  communications 
with  the  Capital,  by  Steamers  and  by  Land.  Forty  spacious  and  elegantly  furnished 
Apartments.  Table  d'Hote  and  Dinners  a  la  Carte.  French  and  Italian  Cooks. 
Service  and  attendance  under  the  personal  supervision  of  the  Proprietress,  Mme. 
Alberti. — Foreign  Newspapers,  Interpreters,  and  special  attention  to  receipt  and 
despatch  of  letters. 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


23 


DIEPPE. 

HOTEL  EOYAL, 

PACING  THE  BEACH, 

Close  to  the  Bathing  Establishment  and  the  Parade. 

(this  hotel  is  open  all  the  year.) 

TT  IS  ONE  OF  THE  MOST  PLEASANTLY  SITUATED  HOTELS 
A  IN  DIEPPE,  commanding  a  beautiful  and  extensive  View  of  the 
Sea. 

Families  and  Gentlemen  visiting  Dieppe  will  find  at  this  Establish- 
ment elegant  Large  and  Small  Apartments,  and  the  best  of  accommo- 
dation, at  very  reasonable  prices.  Large  Reading-room,  with  French 
and  English  Newspapers. 

The  Refreshments,  &c,  are  of  the  best  quality. 

In  fact,  this  Hotel  fully  bears  out  and  deserves  the  favourable  opinion 
expressed  of  it  in  Murray's  and  other  Guide  Books. 

Table  d'Hote  and  Private  Dinners. 


DIJON. 

HOTEL  DU  JURA. 

Mr.  DAVID,  Proprietor. 

THIS  Hotel,  which  has  been  considerably  enlarged,  is  a 
first-class  house,  and  the  nearest  to  the  Bailway  Station. 
Contains  five  Salons,  sixty  Bed-rooms  en  suite  for  Families, 
Drawing-room,  Smoking-room,  Table-d'hote  ;  Private  Service. 
Carriages  for  Drives;  Omnibus  to  all  the  trains.  French, 
English,  and  German  Papers.  English  and  German  spoken. 
Bureau  de  Change  in  the  Hotel,  where  English  Bank  Notes 
can  be  exchanged.  A  first-rate  cellar  of  the  finest  Burgundy 
Wines. 

There  is  a  Church  of  England  Service  in  the  Hotel. 
Visitors  taken  en  pension  at  reduced  Prices  from  the  18th 
November  to-  15th  May. 


24 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


May, 


DRESDEN. 

HOTEL  BELLEVUE,  DRESDEN. 

Kept  by  Mr.  EMIL  KAYSER. 

npHIS  fine  large  Establishment,  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  Elbe,  between  the 
two  beautiful  bridges,  facing  the  Theatre,  Museum,  and  Catholic  Cathedral, 
adjoining  the  Briihl's  Terrace,  and  opposite  the  Royal  Palace  and  Green  Vaults, 
contains  One  Hundred  Front  Rooms.  These  apartments  combine  elegance  and 
comfort,  and  most  of  them  fronting  either  the  Theatre  Square,  or  public  walks 
and  gardens  of  the  Hotel,  and  command  fine  yiews  of  the  River,  Bridges,  and 
distant  Mountains,  The  Gardens  of  the  Hotel  afford  its  guests  an  agreeable  and 
private  Promenade.  Table  d'Hote  at  one  and  five  o'clock.  Private  Dinners  at  any 
hour.  To  families  or  single  persons  desirous  of  taking  apartments  for  the  winter, 
very  advantageous  arrangements  will  be  offered,  and  every  effort  made  to  render 
their  residence  in  the  Hotel  pleasant  and  comfortable.  Carriages,  Baths,  Riding. 
Billiard  and  Smoking  Rooms.    Ladies'  Parlour. 


DRESDEN. 

VICTORIA  HOTEL. 

^HIS  fine  large  Est  \blishment,   situated   011   the  public 

Promenade  of  the  English  and  American  quarter,  in  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  all  the  curiosities,  contains  One  Hundred  Rooms.  Table  d'Hote  at  One  and 
Five  o'clock.  

The  Garden  of  the  Hotel  affords  its  guests  an  agreeable  Promenade. 

CARRIAGES. 

READING  ROOM  WITH  ENGLISH  AND  AMERICAN  PAPERS. 

To  Families  or  Single  Persons  desirous  of  taking  Apart- 
ments for  the  Winter,  advantageous  arrangements  will  be 
offered. 

Proprietor  and  Manager  of  the  Hotel, 

CAUL  WEISS. 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


25 


DRESDEN. 

HOTEL  GOLDNER  ENGEL. 

THIS  first-class  Hotel,  kept  by  Jos.  Henbjon,  is  situated 
in  the  centre  of  the  Curiosities,  close  to  the  Royal  Palace 
and  Museums. 

Splendid  hot  and  cold  Baths  are  to  be  had  in  the  Hotel. 
English  and  French  Newspapers. 

A  reduction  of  price  in  the  Winter  to  families  who  remain 
for  some  period. 

E  G  YPT. 

ALEXANDRIA  AND  CAIRO. 

$g  Special  g^pahttmeni  to  ^jjjp*  933'  %         of  With*, 
mo  J.f.  %  ^Sfr  3$efttfe0f  %gpl 

DAVID  KOBERTSON  &  CO., 

English.  Booksellers,  Stationers,  Photograph  Vendors, 
and  General  Commission  Agents, 

10,  Grand  Square,  Alexandria,  and  The  Ezbekieh,  Cairo. 

A  Register  of  English  and  American  Travellers  is  kept  at  the  above 
Establishment.  A  very  extensive  Stock  of  Photographs  of  Egypt  and  Syria 
kept  on  hand ;  and  Visitors  will  receive  any  assistance  or  information  they 
may  require. 

English  and  Indian  Newspapers  by  every  Mail. 

TAUCHNITZ  EDITIONS. 
Passages  secured.    Baggage  collected  and  forwarded.    Letters  received  and  posted 
to  all  countries. 

DAVID  ROBERTSON  AND  CO., 

ALEXANDRIA  AND  CAIRO. 

EGYPT    AND  INDIA. 

With  Map,  Post  8vo.,  15s. 
TJANDBOOK  FOR  EGYPT,  THE  COURSE  of  the  NILE, 

through  Egypt  and  Nubia,  Alexandria,  Cairo,  the  Pyramids  and 
Thebes,  the  Suez  Canal,  the  Peninsula  of  Sinai,  the  Oases,  the  Fyoom,  &c. 

II. 

ITANDBOOK  FOR  INDIA, — Bombay  and  Madras.  With 
AA    Map.    2  vols.    Post  8vo.    12s.  each. 

JOHN  MURRAY,  ALBEMAKLE  STREET. 


2A 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


May, 


EGYPT. 

W.  H.  EALPH  &  CO., 

Wine,  Spirit,  and  Provision  Merchants, 
and  Forwarding  Agents, 

8a,  GEORGE  STREET,  MINORIES,  E.C.,  LONDON. 

AND 

EZBEKIAH  GARDENS,  CAIRO. 

Parties  proceeding  to  Upper  Egypt  and  Syria  will  obtain  every 
information  respecting  the  Country. 


First-class  Provisions  supplied  at  moderate  prices. 
THE  EAST. 

With  Maps,  2  vols.,  Post  8vo.,  24s. 
TTANDBOOK  for  the  HOLY  LAND,  SYRIA,  PALESTINE, 

Sinai,  Edom  and  the  Syrian  Deserts. 

IjANDBOOK  for  TURKEY  in' ASIA,  CONSTANTINOPLE, 

the  Bosphoras,  Dardanelles,  Brousa,  Plain  of  Troy,  Crete,  Cyprus, 
Smyrna,  Ephesus,  the  Seven  Churches,  Coasts  of  the  Black  Sea,  Armenia, 
Mesopotamia,  &c.    Maps  and  Plans,    Post  8vo.  15s. 

ill. 

] HANDBOOK  FOR  GREECE,  THE  IONIAN  ISLANDS, 

*  ■  Continental  Greece,  Athens,  the  Peloponnesus,  the  Islands  of  the 
iEgsean  Sea,  Albania,  Thessaly,  and  Macedonia.    Maps.    Post  8vo.  15s. 

JOHN  MUKKAY,  ALBEMARLE  STEEET. 
ENGELBERG  (u§ar  Lucerne,  Switzerland). 

HOTEL  AND  PENSION  DU  TITLIS. 

CATTANT,  Proprietor. 
THIS  New  Hotel  is  fitted  out  with  every  comfort ;  contain- 

ing  Eighty  Beds,  Ladies'  Sitting-room,  Reading,  Billiard,  and  Smoking  Rooms.  English, 
French,  and  German  Newspapers.  English  Service  every  Sunday.  The  best  starting-place 
for  ascending  Mont  Titlis  (18  miles)  ;  good  Guides ;  tariff,  10  frs.,  the  same  as  at  Engstlen 
(See  Berlepsch).   Very  nice  Excursions  on  the  Glaciers  of  Ure-Rothstoclc,  Schlossberg,  and 

Gr 


HOTEL  and  PEISfttl  DE  L'ASCrE,  belonging  to  the  same 
Proprietor.  Excellent  Hotel ;  clean  and  well-furnished  Rooms  at  moderate  prices.  Warm 
and  Cold  Baths. 


1373. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


27 


ENGLAND. 


ABERDEEN  (SCOTLAND). 

POLISHED  GRANITE  MONUMENTS, 

FROM  £5. 

Letter  Cutting  Accurate  and  Beautiful. 
Best  Quality  Granite  and  Marble  Work  of  all  kinds. 
Iron  Railings  and  Tomb  Furnishings  fitted 
complete. 

Plans,  Prices,  and  Carriage-free  Terms  to  all  parts 
of  the  World,  from 


LEGGE,  SCULPTOR. 


n 


B  I  R  M  I  NGHAM. 


THE 

GREAT  WESTERN  HOTEL 

(SNOW- HILL  STATION), 

BIRMINGHAM. 

•  "  One  of  the  most  elegant,  comfortable,  and 
economical  Hotels  in  the  three  kingdoms." — 
The  Field,  July  31,  1869. 

BRISTOL. 

ROYAL  HOTEL,  COLLEGE  GREEN. 

FIRST-CLASS.  Central,  and  pleasantly  situated.  Very 
spacious  Coffee,  Dining,  Reading,  Smoking,  and  Billiard  Rooms.  Private 
Apartments  en  suite.  One  Hundred  and  Twenty  Bed-rooms.  Steam  Lift  and 
Laundry.  Hot  and  Cold  Baths.  Telegraph  Office  and  Post-office  in  the  Hotel. 
Fixed  Charges.    All  Omnibuses  pass  the  door.    Night  Porter  kept. 

W.  SW ANSON,  Manager. 

g  2 


28 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


May, 


ENGLAND. 


KILLARNEY  (IRELAND). 

THE  RAILWAY  HOTEL. 

P.  CURRY, 

Late  Travellers'  Club,  London,  and  Eildare  Street  Club,  Lublin. 
THE  CONTINENTAL  LANGUAGES  SPOKEN  BY  THE  MANAGER. 

I^JBLTS  magnificent  Establishment,  admitted  to  be  one  of 
the  finest  in  Europe,  possesses  everything  requisite  to 
promote  the  comfort  and  convenience  of  Tourists.  It  contains 
one  hundred  Bed-rooms,  a  noble  Coffee-room,  a  Drawing-room 
for  ladies  and  families,  and  several  elegant  and  handsomely- 
furnished  Sitting-rooms,  Billiard  and  fcmoking-rooms,  Baths, 
&c,  &c,  and  is  surrounded  by  an  extensive  and  well-kept 
Flower  Garden.    The  charges  will  be  found  moderate. 

The  porters  of  the  Hotel  await  the  arrival  of  each  train  for 
the  removal  of  Luggage,  &c. 

Table  d'Hote  at  half-past  6  o'clock.  All  attendance  charged. 
A  Room  is  established  for  the  convenience  of  Commercial 
gentlemen. 

LANCASTER- 

(HALF-WAY  BETWEEN  LONDON  AND  SCOTLAND.) 

Parties  holding  Tourist  Tickets  to  and  from  the  Lake  District  or  Scotland 
may  break  their  journey  at  Lancaster  both  going  and  returning. 

KING'S  ARMS  AND  ROYAL  HOTEL, 

And  general  Posting  Establishment  for  Families,  Commercial  Gentlemen 
and  Tourists. 

The  House  is  teeming  with  a  large  Collection  of  Ancient  Works  of  Art, 
including  Gobelin  Tapestry  (inferior  to  none  in  the  United  Kingdom), 
elaborately  carved  Oak  Bedsteads,  Tables,  Chairs,  Cabinets,  Portraits, 
Chinn,  etc.,  which  have  elicited  the  admiration  of  all  visitors,  including 
H.K.H.  the  Prince  of  Wales,  their  Imperial  Highnesses  the  Emperor  and 
Empress  of  Brazil  and  suite,  and  many  other  Royal  Personages,  and  the 
late  Mr.  Charles  Dickens,  who  stated  that  in  all  his  travels  he  had  never 
met  with  such  a  remarkable  house  and  interesting  collection. 

(See  "  The  Lazy  Tour  of  Two  Idle  Apprentices,"  in  Household  Words,  by 
the  late  Mr.  Charles  Dickens.) 

Visitors  will  find  this  old-established  House  equally  as  economic  as 
minor  establishments,  with  the  certainty  of  comfort  and  attention. 

An  Omnibus  from  the  Hotel  meets  the  trains. 

JOSEPH  SLY,  Proprietor. 


1873.  MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK*  ADVERTISER. 


29 


ENGLAND. 

LYNTON  (NORTH  DEVON). 

THE    V A LLE Y   O F  II O CKS  HOTEL. 

I^HLS  favourite  and  beautifully  situate  Hotel,  which  has  lately  had 
-  extensive  alterations,  additions,  and  improvements,  combines  with  moderate  charges  all 
necessary  means  for  the  accommodation  and  comfort  of  Families  and  Tourists.  The  splendid 
Table  d'Hote  and  Coffee  Room,  Reading  Rooms,  Ladies'  Drawing  Room,  and  several  Private 
Sitting  Rooms,  range  in  a  long  front  overlooking  the  sea,  and  looking  into  the  extensive 
private  grounds  of  the  Hotel.  Here  the  visitor  commands  uninterrupted  views  of  the 
Bristol  Channel,  the  Tors,  and  the  Valleys  of  the  East  and  West  Lynns,  and  the  coast  of  South 
Wales,  &c.  The  Hotel  is  also  most  conveniently  situate  as  a  centre  for  visiting  all  the 
places  of  interest  in  the  district.  Post  Horses  and  Carriages.  Coaches  during  the  Season  to 
llfracombe,  Barnstaple,  and  the  West  Somerset  Railway. 

JOHN  CROOK,  Proprietor. 


PENZANCE  (CORNWALL). 

MOUNT'S  BAY  HOUSE, 

ESPLANADE,  PENZANCE,  CORNWALL, 

Has  been  erected  and  fitted  up  expressly  as  a 
SEASIDE 

FAMILY  HOTEL  &^PEEI0R  LODGING-HOUSE. 

NO  expense  or  labour  has  been  spared  by  the  Proprietor. 
The  house  is  furnished  in  the  most  modern  styie,  is  well  supplied  with  Hot 
and  Cold  Baths,  and  replete  with  every  accommodation  suitable  for  Tourists  to 
West  Cornwall. 

All  the  Drawing  Rooms  command  an  uninterrupted  and  unsurpassed  view  of  that 
*  Beauteous  gem  set  in  the  silver  sea,* 
St.  Michael's  Mount,  and  the  whole  of  the  magnificent  Bay. 

Invalids  will  find  in  Mount's  Bay  House  the  comforts  of  a  home,  while  the 
beauty  and  salubrity  of  the  situation,  and  its  nearness  to  the  charming  walks  on 
the  sea-shore,  render  it  a  healthy  and  delightful  residence. 
Suites  of  apartments  for  families  of  distinction. 
Choice  Wines  and  Ales.    Post  Horses  and  Carriages.    Charges  moderate. 
E.  LAVLN,  Proprietor. 


PLYMOUTH,  &c 

With  Map.    Post  8vo.  12s. 

HANDBOOK  FOft  DEVON  AND  CORNWALL— 

EXETER,  ILFRACOMBE,  LYNTON,  SIDMOUTH,  DAWLISH,  TEIGNMOUTH, 
PLYMOUTH,  DEVONPORT,  TORQUAY,  LAUNCESTON,  PENZANCE, 
FALMOUTH,  THE  LIZARD,  LAND'S  END,  &c. 


JOHN  MURRAY,  ALBEMARLE  STREET. 


THIS  Hotel  contains  upwards  of  one  hundred  bedrooms, 
drawing-rooms,  bed  and  dressing-rooms,  and  closets,  en  suite,  a  ladies'  coffee- 
room,  a  gentlemen's  coffee-room,  Table  d'hote,  reading  and  billiard-rooms,  &c.,  &c. 

The  building  is  surrounded  by  its  own  ornamental  grounds,  flower  gardens, 
lawns,  and  terraces,  and  commands  unequalled  views  of  the  whole  range  of  the 
Malvern  Hills  on  one  side,  with  the  expansive  and  charming  valley  sceneiy  ot 
Worcestershire,  bounded  by  the  Bi  edon  and  Cotswold  Hills  on  the  other. 

Of  Great  Malvern — the  salubrity  of  the  air  and  the  purity  of  the  water,  its 
invigorating  effects  in  summer  and  winter,  and  the  beauties  of  the  place — it  is 
superfluous  to  speak.  As  a  winter  residence,  also,  the  dryness  and  high  tempera- 
ture of  Malvern  is  shewn  by  conclusive  and  trustworthy  testimony,  and  is 
confirmed  by  comparative  talles  of  winters  in  other  localities. 

To  meet  the  wishes  of  numerous  Visitors  to  the  Hotel,  the  Proprietors  have 
decided  to  take  Ladies  and  Gentlemen  as  Boarders  during  the  season,  on  the  terms 
stated  in  the  tariff,  which  will  be  forwarded  on  application. 

The  new  Stables  belonging  to  the  Company  are  now  open,  and  comprise  first- 
class  accommodation  for  horses  and  carriages.  Carriages,  saddle-horses,  and  Ays 
may  be  had  at  the  Hotel. 

A  covered  way  conducts  the  visitor  from  the  Railway  Station  to  the  Hotel. 
Porters  attend  every  train,  to  convey  Passengers'  luggage  to  the  Hotel. 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


31 


ENGLAND. 


PENZANCE. 

SEA-SIDE  FAMILY  HOTEL. 

QUEEN'S  HOTEL. 

(On  the  Esplanade.} 

Patronised  by  Her  Majesty  the  Queen  of  Holland. 


THIS  magnificent  Hotel  has  recently  been  greatly  enlarged,  entirely 
re-arranged,  and  handsomely  furnished,  havirjg  a  frontage  of  over  170 
feet,  all  the  rooms  of  which  overlook  the  sea.  It  is  the  only  Hotel  that 
commands  a  full  and  uninterrupted  view  of  Mount's  Bay.  Apartments 
en  suite.  Penzance  stands  unrivalled  for  the  variety  and  quiet  beauty  of 
its  scenery,  whilst  the  mildness  of  its  climate  is  admirably  adapted  to 
invalids.    Ladies'  Coffee  Boom.    Billiard  Boom.    Hot  and  Cold  Baths. 

Table  d'Hote  at  7  o'clock. 
An  Omnibus  meets  every  Train.    Posting  in  all  its  Branches.    Yachts,  &c. 
 HENRY  BLACKWELL,  Proprietor. 

SOUTH  WEST  ENGLAND. 

With  Map.    Post  8vo.  10s. 

TTANDBOOK  FOR  SURREY  AND  HANTS  —  Kingston, 

Croydon,  Reigate,  Guildford,  Dorking,  Boxhill,  Winchester,  Southampton, 
Kew  Forest,  Portsmouth,  and  the  Isle  of  Wight. 

■HANDBOOK  FOR  WILTS,  DORSET,  AND  SOMERSET. 

— Salisbury,  Chippenham,  Weymouth,  Sherborne,  Wells,  Bath,  Bristol, 
Taunton,  &c.    Map.    Post  8vo.  10s. 

JOHN  MURRAY,  ALBEMARLE  STREET. 


32 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


May, 


FLORENCE. 

HOTEL    PORTA.  HOSSA. 

Mr.  BASSETTI,  Proprietor,  who  speaks  English. 

THE  best  and  largest  of  the  Hotels  in  the  centre  of  the  City,  with  first-rate  Restaurant. 
Highly  recommended  to  Bachelors  and  Families  who  wish  to  unite  economy  with  good 
treatment.  Table-d'Hote  at  fr.  3.  50.  Good  Rooms  from  2  fr.  Reading-room  with  Piano. 
Omnibus  at  all  Trains.   Mrs.  BASSETTI  is  an  Englishwoman. 


FLORENCE. 

MESSRS.  COSTA  &  CONTI, 

ARTISTS, 
No.  8,  VIA  ROMAN  A, 

Opposite  the  Museum  of  Natural  History  (Specola),  and  near  the  Pitti  Gallery. 

Messrs.  Costa  and  Conti  keep  the  largest  collection  in  Florence  of  original 
Ancient  and  Modern  Pictures,  as  well  as  Copies  of  all  the  most  celebrated  Masters. 

N.B. — English  spoken. 

Correspondents  in  England,  Messrs.  J.  and  R.  M'CRACKEN,  38,  Queen  Street, 
Cannon  Street,  E.C.,  London. 

FLORENCE- 

GRAND  HOTEL  DE  LAVILLE, 

LUNG'  ARNO  NTIOVO  AND  PIAZZA  MANIN. 

(Southern  Aspect.) 

Patronised  by  their  Majesties  the  Kings  of  Prussia  and  Denmark. 
120  lofty  and  airy  Bed-rooms;  Sitting-rooms;  Reading-room,  with  a  good 
choice  of  European  Papers.     Splendid  Dining-room  and  Table  d'Hote. 
Smoking  Saloon.     Baths  in  the  Hotel.     Fixed  and  moderate  prices. 
Omnibus  at  every  train.    All  languages  spoken. 

D.  LODOMEZ,  Proprietor. 

FLORENCE. 

P.  ROMANELLI, 

Sculptor,  Pupil  of,  and  Successor  to,  the  late  Professor  Bartolini,  has  opened  a  Gallery, 

Lung'  Arno  Guiceiardini,  No.  7. 

The  intelligent  amateur  will  find  there  a  Collection  of  Statues,  both  originals  and  copies, 
artistically  executed. 

Principal  Works— The  Son  of  William  Tell;  the  Young  Franklin;  the  Young 
Washington ;  the  Young  Whittington ;  the  Young  Napoleon  ;  the  Young  Moses ;  Garibaldi. 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


33 


FLORENCE. 

Messrs.  Anthony  Sasso  &  Son,  Artists, 

4,  VIA  DI  BOKGO  OGNISSANTI, 

Distinguished  with  Medals  at  the  Italian  Exhibition  of  1861,  keep  the  most  beautiful  and 
rich  Private  Gallery  in  the  City  of  Ancient  and  Modern  Original  Pictures,  copies  of  the  most 
celebrated  pictures  in  the  Public  Galleries,  water-colour  paintings,  and  beautiful  ancient 
carved  cabinets,  &c.  » 

ENGLISH  SPOKEN. 

Agents  and  Correspondents  in  England  and  America:— 
Messrs.  J.  &  R.  McCRACKEN,  38,  Queen  Street,  Cannon  Street,  London,  E.C. 
Messrs.  DUNCAN,  SH1RMAN  &  CO.,  and  Messrs.  AUSTIN,  BALDWIN  &  CO.,  New  York. 

FLORENCE. 

BRIZZI    AND  NICCOLAPS 
Musical  E si ; il > lishmeiit. 

PIANOFORTES,  oFTEffi^  BEST  MAKERS, 

FOR  SALE  AND  ON  HIRE. 

GENERAL  DEPOT  FOR  WIND-INSTRUMENTS. 
Italian  and  Foreign  Music. 

Musical  Lending  Library. 
PIAZZA  MADONNA,  I    BRANCH  HOUSE  (Music  Dep6t) 

PALAZZO  ALDOBRANDINI.        I  12,  VIA  CERRETANI. 


FLORENCE. 

TELEMACO  DI  G.  BLANCHINI, 

MANUFACTURER  OF  TABLES  AND  LADIES'  ORNAMENTS 
OF  FLORENTINE  MOSIAC, 
LUNG'  AENO  NTJOVO,  1,  AND  BORG'  OGNISSANTI,  2, 

TNVITES  the  English  Nobility  and  Gentry  to  visit  his  Establishment,  where 
may  always  be  seen  numerous  specimens  of  this  celebrated  and  beautiful 
Manufacture,  in  every  description  of  Rare  and  Precious  Stones.    Orders  for  Tables 
and  other  Ornaments  executed  to  any  Design. 

T.  Bianchini's  Correspondents  in  England  are  Messrs.  J*  &  R.  M'Cracken. 
38,  Queen  Street,  Cannon  Street,  E.C.,  London. 

FRANKFORT  O.  M. 

MR.  C.  A.  LOHR, 

PROPRIETOR  OF  THE  ROMAN  EMPEROR  HOTEL, 

Begs  to  recommend  his  House  to  English  Travellers. 

THIS  large  and  well-situated  Establishment  is  conducted  under  the  immediate 
superintendence  of  the  Proprietor,  and  newly  furnished  with  every  comfort, 
and  a  new  splendid  Dining-room. 

The  "  Roman  Emperor"  is  often  honoured  by  Royal  Families  and  other  high 
personages.    The  following  have  lately  honoured  this  Hotel — 

H.M.  THE  KING  AND  QUEEN  OF  WURTEMBERG. 

H.M.  THE  QUEEN  OF  HOLLAND. 
H.I.H.  THE  ARCHDUKE  OF  AUSTRIA.   &c.  &c.  &c. 
Table-d'h6te  at  1,   lfl.  30kr.  Breakfast,  42kr. 

6,   2fl.  Tea,  IZkr. 

Bed  Rooms,  from  lfl.  to  311. 

C  3 


m  MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER.  May, 

FRANKFORT.   O.  M- 

■  ■ 

FRIEDRICH  BOHLEE, 

ZEIL,   No.  54, 


NEXT  DOOR  TO  THE  POST  OFFICE. 

PRIZE    MEDAL.    LONDON.  1862. 


MA^TUFACTOEY  OIF1 


CARVED   STAGHORN  AND  IVORY  ORNAMENTS, 

CARVED  WOOD  WORK  (Vieuxchene)  Furniture  &  Fancy  Objects, 
(Hocks,  Stamps,  ^ron^ns,  €tymf  JfattTg.  Articles  of  jeforg  Jjmrinibn. 

SPECIALITIES    OF    GERMAN  ARTICLES. 

Vienna  Bronzes,  Marquetry,  Leather  and  Meerschaum  Goods,  Travelling 
Articles,  Toilette  Requisites,  etc.,  etc. 
SUPERIOR  COPIES  OF  THE  ARIADNE  BY  DANNICKER. 

Genuine  Eau  de  Cologne  of  Jean  Marie  Farina,  opposite  the  Julichsplatz, 

FIXED  PRICES. 

The  Agents  in  London  are  Messrs.  J.  and  R.  McCracken,  38,  Queen  Street, 
Cannon  Street  West 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


35 


FRANKFORT. 


P.  A.  TACCHI'S  SUCCESSOR, 

BOHEMIAH  FAHCT  GLASS  AND  C1YSTAL 
WAlEH©I!JSIgo 

P,  A.  TACCHI'S  SUCCESSOR,  Manufacturer  of  Bohemian 
Glass,  begs  to  acquaint  the  Public  that  he  has  always  an  extensive 
Assortment  in  the  Newest  and  most  Elegant  Designs  of 

ORNAMENTAL  CUT,  ENGRAVED,  GILT,  &  PAINTED  GLASS., 

BOTH  WHITE  AND  COLOURED, 

In  Dessert  Services,  Chandeliers,  Candelabras,  Articles  for  the  Table 
and  Toilet,  and  every  possible  variety  of  objects  in  this  beautiful 
branch  of  manufacture.  He  solicits,  and  will  endeavour  to  merit,  a 
continuance  of  the  favours  of  the  Public,  which  he  has  enjoyed  in 
so  high  a  degree  during  a  considerable  number  of  years. 

P.  A.  Tacchi's  Successor  has  a  Branch  Establishment  during  the 
Summer  Season  at 

WIESBADEN,  in  the  Old  Colonnade,  No.  1, 

OPPOSITE  THE  THEATRE, 

Where  will  always  be  found  an  extensive  Selection  of  the  newest 
Articles  from  his  Frankfort  Establishment. 

Visitors  to  Frankfort  should  not  fail  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  Show 
Rooms  of  Mr.  P.  A.  Tacchi's  Successor. 


His  Correspondent  in  England,  to  whom  he  undertakes  to  forward 
Purchases  made  of  him,  is  Mr.  LOUIS  HENLE,  3,  Budge 
Row,  Cannon  Street,  London,  E.G. 


36 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


May, 


.  FREIBURG  in  Bresgau,  Duchy  of  Baden. 


HOTEL  SOMMER,  Zahringer  Hof. 

Newly  built,  opposite  the  Station ;  finest  view  of  the  Black  Forest  and  the  Vosges ; 
most  comfortable  and  best  house  there.   Baths  in  the  Hotel. 
Proprietor,  Mr.  G.  H.  SOMMER. 


GENOA. 
ROYAL  INTERNATIONAL  PHARMACY. 

CARLO  BRUZZA,  Piazza  Nuova,  General  Depository  for  Italy  of  the 
specially  accredited  Medicines  of  the  World.   English,  French,  and  Italian  Articles, 
Mineral  Waters,  Perfumeries,  Pomades,  Essences,  &c. 


GENOA. 

HORACE  AUGUSTE  MOSSA, 

JEWELLEB, 

AND 

MANUFACTURER  OF  GOLD  AND  SILVER  FILAGREE  WORK, 

Which  obtained  PRIZE  MEDAL  at  the  Universal  Exhibition 
of  London  in  1851. 

His  Establishments  are  situated  in  the  Grande  Albergo  d'ltalia, 
in  Via  del  Campo,  near  the  Porta  di  Vacca  ;  he  also  keeps  a  Depository 
in  the  Grande  Albergo  di  Genova.  He  undertakes  the  execution  of 
all  Commissions  with  exactitude,  and  guarantees  his  Works  to  be 
of  pure  Gold  and  Silver,  and  Silver  doubly  gilt.  Travellers  are 
invited  to  visit  his  Establishments  without  obligation  to  purchase. 

Correspondents  in  England— Messrs.  J.  &  R.  McCRACKEN, 
38,  Queen  Street,  Cannon  Street,  E.C.,  London. 


COMPANION  TO  THE  HANDBOOKS. 

Post  8vo.,  6s. 

'HE  CICERONE ;  or,  Art  Guide  to  Painting  in  Italy.  For 

the  use  of  Travellers.    By  Dr.  Jacob  Burckhardt. 

JOHN  MURRAY,  ALBEMARLE  STREET. 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


37 


&  wnmm  &  co:s 

ITALIAN    MAIL    STEAME  R  S. 

Regular  Monthly  Departures  for  the 
INDIAN  LINE 

(Via  SUEZ  CA.NA.1m.) 

From  Genoa  to  Bombay  on  the  24th  I  From  Bombay  to  Genoa  on  the  1st 

and  from  Naples  on  the  27th  and  from  Aden  on  the  8th-. 

of  each  Month. 


MEDITERRANEAN  LINES. 

ALEXANDRIA  (Egypt) to  ITALY. 

Alexandria  to  Genoa  every  7,  17,  27  at  2  p.m.  I  Genoa  to  Alexandria  every  5, 15,  25    at  7  p  m. 

(Calling  at  Messina,  Naples,  &  Leghorn.;     |     (Calling  at  Leghorn.  Naples,  &  Messina.) 
From  Naples  to  Genoa  every  2, 12,  22  at  2  p.m.  I  From  Naples  to  Alexandria  8,  18,  28  at  2  p.m. 
Arrival  at  Genoa  4,  14,  24.  |  Arrival  at  Alexandria  3,  13,  23. 

GENOA  to  TUNIS. 

From  Genoa  every  Thursday  . .  . .  at  9  p.m.  I  From  Tunis  every  Wednesday  . .  . .  at  noon. 

„    Leghorn  every  Friday    ..  . .  at  11  „        „    Cagliari  every  Thursday. .  ..  at  6  p.m. 

„  Cagliari  every  Sunday  ....  at  8  „  „  Leghorn  every  Saturday  ....  at  1 1  „ 
Arrival  at  Tunis  every  Monday    . .  at  noon.  |  Arrival  at  Genoa  every  Sunday    . .  at  6  a.m. 

GENOA  to  CAGLIARI. 


From  Genoa  every  Monday  &  Thurs.  at  6  p.m. 

„  Leghorn  every  Tues.  &  Friday  at  1 1  „ 
Arr.  at  Cagliari  every  Thurs.  &  Sun.  murn. 


From  Cagliari  every  Mon.  &  Thurs.  at  6  p.m. 

„  Leghorn  every  Wed.  &  Sat.  . .  at  11  „ 
Arr.  at  Genoa  every  Thurs.  &  Sun. . .  at  6  A.M  . 


NAPLES  to  CAGLIARI. 

From  Naples  every  Saturday  . .  . .  at  2  p.m.  I  From  Cagliari  every  Thursday  . .  . .  at  2  p.m. 
Arr.  at  Cagliari  eveiy  Sunday  ....  at  7  „     |  Arr.  at  Naples  every  Friday    . .  . .  eveniug. 

GENOA  to  PORTOTORRES. 

From  Genoa  every  Wednesday  . .  ..  at  9  p.m.  I  From  Portotorres  every  Sunday  ..  at  noon. 

„    Leghorn  every  Thun-day. .  . .  at  3   ,,        „    Leghorn  every  Monday  . .  ..  atllA.M 

Arr.  at  Portotorres  every  Friday    . .  at  noon.  |  Arr.  at  Genoa  every  Tuesday  . .  . .  morning. 

GENOA,  BASTIA,  MADALENA  &  PORTOTORRES 


From  Genoa  to  Leghorn  every  Sat.     at  9  p. 

„    Leghorn  to  Bastia  every  Sun.  at  8  a.m. 

„    Bastia  to  Madalena  every  Sun.  at  6  p.m. 

„  Madalena  to Portot.  every  Mon.  at  6  a.m. 
Arr.  at  Portotorres  every  Mon  at  6  p.m. 


From  Portot.  to  Madal.  every  Wed.  at  8  a.m. 
„    Madalina  to  Bastia  every  Wed.  at  5  p.m. 
„    Bastia  to  Leghorn  every  Thurs.  at  6  a.m. 
„   Leghorn  to  Genoa  every  Thurs.  at  11  p.m. 
Arr.  at  Genoa  every  Friday  morning 


CIVITAVECCHIA  to  MADALENA  &  PORTOTORRES- 

From  Civitav.  to  Madal.  every  Wed.  at  3  p.m.  i  From  Portot.  to  Madal.  every  Friday  at  10  a.m. 

„  Madal.  to  Portot.  every  Thurs.  at  7  a.m.  „  Madal.  to  Civitav.  every  Fri.  at  »  p.m. 
Arr.  at  Portotorres  every  Thursday  at  3  p.m.  |  Arr.  at  Civitavecchia  every  Sat.  . .  at  11  a.m. 

LEGHORN  to  the  ISLAND  OF  ELBE. 

(Sun.  at  10  a.m.  I  (Mon.  at 8  a.m. 

From  Legh.  to  Portof.  every  \  Wed.  at  8  „  From  Portof.  to  Legh.  every  \  Fri.  . .  at  8  a  .m. 
Arr.  at  Portof.  every  Sun.  &  Wed.  at   4  p.m.  |  Arr.  at  Leghorn  every  Mon.  &  Fri.  evening. 

PIOMBINO  to  PORTOFERRAIO- 

From  Piombino  every  day  at  3  p.m.  |  From  Portoferraio  every  day  . .  . .  at  8  a.m. 

For  Freight,  Passage,  and  Particulars,  apply  at  Bombay,  to  VOLKART  BROTHERS:  at 
Alexandria,  to  BARKER  &  CO. ;  at  Marseilles,  to  CH.  LAFORET  &  CO. ;  at  London,  to 
A.  LAMING  &  CO.,  8.,  Leadenhall  Street,  and  in  other  ports  to  the  Company's  Agencies. 

K.  HUBATTINO  &.  CO.  (CSNOAj. 


38  MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER.  May, 

GRENOBLE. 

HOTEL  MONNET, 

M.  TRILL  AT,  Proprietor 

(Son-in-Law  and  Successor  to  M.  Monnet). 

THIS  Hotel  is*  situated  in  the  PLACE  GRENETTE,  14  ;  it  offers  excellent  ac- 
commodation, and  will  be  found  deserving  the  patronage  of  English  Families  and 
Single  Gentlemen.  Post  Horses  and  Coaches  for  Aix-les-Bains,  Allevard,  Ariage  la  Motte- 
les-Bains,  la  Salette,  &c. 

Omnibuses  belonging  to  tlte  Hotel  at  the  Station. 


HEIDELBERG. 

HOTEL  DE  L'EUROPE. 

'JTHIS  new,  magnificent,  first-rate  Establishment,  sur- 
rounded by  private  and  public  gardens,  with  a  view  of 
the  Castle,  and  in  the  very  best  situation  in  Heidelberg, 
enjoys  an  European  reputation. 

READING  ROOM, 

With  English  and  American  Papers. 

Reduced  prices  for  protracted  stay,  and  for 
the  Winter  Season. 

ELffiJFELI-GUJER,  Proprietor. 

No  Omnibus  required,  being  but  400  ft.  from  the  Station. 
GERMANY. 

With  50  Woodcuts.    12mo.    3s.  6d. 

A  HISTORY  OF  GERMANY, 

FROM  THE  INVASION  OF  THE  KINGDOM  BY  THE  ROMANS 
UNDER  MARIUS  DOWN  TO  1867. 
On  the  Plan  of  Mrs.  Markham's  Histories. 


JOHN  MUEEAY,  ALBEMAKLE  STREET. 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


39 


HEIDELBERG. 


HOTEL  M  RUSSIE. 

jgEAUTIFULLY  situated  on  the  Promenade,  with  a  fine 
view  of  the  old  castle.  Eeading  Room,  with  Times  and 
Galignani.  A  very  nice  Garden,  and  all  sorts  of  Baths  attached 
to  the  House.  Close  to  the  English  Church.  Five  minutes 
from  the  Swimming  Baths.  Pension,  six  and  seven  francs 
a  day. 

Hotel  Omnibus  at  the  Station. 
Proprietor,  WILH.  WETTSTEIN. 


HEIDELBERG. 

MULLER'S  HOTEL  VICTORIA. 

T?IRST   CLASS.    One  of  the  best  in  Heidelberg.  Splendidly 
situated  near  the  Station  and  the  Promenade.    Large  and  Small 
Apartments  most  comfortably  furnished  and  entirely  carpeted.  Fine 
Kitchen  and  choice  Wines. 

AUG.  MULLER,  Proprietor. 


HEIDELBERG. 

TJOTEL  ADLEE,  in  the  Grand  Place,  opposite  and  nearest  the  Castle. 

Deservedly  recommended  for  its  excellent  situation,  comfort,  and 
moderate  charges. 

Mr.  LEHR,  Proprietor. 


40 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


May, 


HOMBURG. 

HOMBOLTRG. — ROYAL  VICTORIA  HOTEL. — First-rate  for  Families  and  Single 
Gentlemen,  close  to  the  Springs  and  the  Kursaal ;  it  is  one  of  the  best  situated  Hotels 
in  the  town.  A  splendid  Dining-room,  and  two  suites  of  airy  and  quiet  apartments  (with 
balconies),  overlooking  the  fine  Taunus  Mountains,  have  been  newly  added  to  the  Hotel.  It 
has  been  patronised  by  His  Royal  Highness  the  Prince  of  Wales,  and  several  other  Royal 
personages.  The  Proprietor,  who  has  been  ior  years  in  first-class  hotels  in  London,  offers 
visitors  the  advantages  of  good  and  comfortable  accommodation.  All  the  attendants  speak 
English.  Best  French  and  English  cooking.  Excellent  Wines.  Moderate  charges.  Good 
fishing,  hare  and  partridge  shooting  free.   GUSTAVE  WEIGAND,  Proprietor. 


HOMBURG. 

HOTEL  DES  QUATRE  SAISONS.—  Mr.  SCHLOTTERBECK,  Proprietor.— 
This  Hotel  is  of  the  first  class,  and  enjoys  a  well-merited  reputation.  It  is  situated 
near  the  Springs  and  the  Cursaal.  Excellent  Table  d'Hote  and  Wines  ;  the  Proprietor  is  a 
large  dealer  in  Wines;  and  endeavours  to  make  the  stay  of  his  patrons  as  comfortable  and 
pleasant  as  possible, 


INNSBRUCK. 

HOTEL  GOLDEN  SUN. —  M.  Horandtner,  Proprietor.— 

This  first-class  Hotel,  situated  in  the  finest  part  of  the  town,  and  only  four  minutes' 
walk  from  the  Railway  Station,  enjoys  a  high  reputation  for  being  honoured  with  the 
patronage  of  travellers  of  all  nations.  The  greatest  care  is.  given  to  the  attendance.  Large 
and  small  well-furnished  Apartments  for  Families  and  Single  Gentlemen.   English  speken. 


INNSBRUCK. 

HOTEL  DE  L'FUROPE,  kept  by  Mr.  SCH FINER. — A  new  and  well-furnished 
Hotel,  conveniently  situated,  ju>t  facing  the  splendid  valley  of  the  Inn,  opposite  the 
Railway  Station.  Excellent  Table  d'Hote  and  private  dinners.  Arrangements  made  at 
very  reasjnable  prices.  Well-furnished  Apartments.  English  Newspapers  taken  in. 
Splendid  situation,  commanding  a  fine  view  of  the  mountains.    English  spoken. 


INTERLACKEN. 

J.  GROSSMANN, 

SCULPTOR  IN  WOOD,  AND  MANUFACTURER  OF  SWISS 
WOOD  MODELS  AND  ORNAMENTS, 
Carved  and  Inlaid  Furniture  manufactured  to  any  Design, 

AT  INTERLACKEN, 

TJIS  WAREHOUSE  is  situated  between  the  Belvedere  Hotel  and  Schweizerhof, 
where  he  keeps  the  largest  and  best  assortment  of  the  above  objects  to  be 
found"  in  Switzerland.    He  undertakes  to  forward  Goods  to  England  and  elsewhere. 

Correspondents  in  England,  Messrs.  J.  &  R.  McCracken,  38,  Queen  Street, 
Cannon  Street,  E.G.,  London.. 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


41 


INTERLAKEN. 

GRAND  HOTEL  DES  ALPES. 

OPPOSITE  THE  JUNGFRAU  GLACIER. 

250  Beds. 

EEDUCED  PEICES  (PENSION)  are  made  for  prolonged  stay 
in  the  early  and  later  part  of  the  season. 

ENGLISH  AND  AMERICAN  NEWSPAPERS. 

Open  from  the  lUh  of  MAY. 

T.  F.  KNECHTENHOFEK,  Proprietor. 


INTERLAKEN. 

HOTEL  DE  BELLE  VUE, 

Kept  by  Mr.  HERMANN  RIMPS. 
"C'XCELLENT  Second-class  Hotel,  very  well  situated,  containing  a 

branch  "  Pension  Felsenogg,"  with  a  fine  Garden  attached.  It  has  been  recently  enlarged 
and  newly  furnished,  and  contains  80  Beds.  Boarders  taken  in,  per  day  5£  francs  during  the 
months  of  May,  June,  September,  October ;  and  6£  francs  per  day  during  the  months  of  July 
and  August.  English,  French,  and  German  Newspapers.  Omnibuses,  Private  Carriages, 
and  Saddle  Horses.  English  spoken.  The  moderate  charges  of  the  Hotel  Belle  Vue  are  to 
be  particularly  noticed. 


ITALY. 

\  NGLO-AMERICAN  BANKERS. — Messrs.  Maquay,  Hooker  &  Co., 
Florence — Via  Tornabuoni,  No.  5.    Messrs.  Maquay,  Hookek  &  Co.,  Rome — Piazza 
di  Spagna,  No.  20.    Messrs.  Maquay,  Hookek  &  Co.,  Leghorn — Via  Burra,  No.  7.  With 
Branches  at  Pisa,  Siena,  and  Baths  of  Lucca. 

Agents  and  direct  Correspondents  of  all  the  principal  Bankers  in  Europe  and  the  United 
States.    Reading-rooms.   Goods  stored  and  lorwarded  for  clients,  &c,  &c. , 


42 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


May, 


JERUSALEM. 

n  HOTEL  DAMASCUS. 

HOENSTEIN  begs  to  inform  Visitors  to  the  "Holy 

City"  that  his  Hotel  has  undergone  a  thorough  renovation,  and  is  now- 
replete  with  everything  tending  to  make  them  comfortable  during  a  long  or  short 
stay.  It  is  finely  situated  near  the  Damascus  Gate,  all  the  Consulates,  Mosque  of 
Omar,  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  and  all  the  other  interesting  places  recorded 
in  Sacred  History.  A  splendid  view  of  the  Mount  of  Olives,  Mosque  of  Omar,  and 
a  large  portion  of  the  City. 

The  Bedrooms  are  large,  airy,  and  clean.  The  Wines  are  of  the  best  quality,  and 
moderate  in  price.    Table  d'Hote,  12  and  6*30  o'clock. 

A.  H.  speaks  English  and  other  European  languages,  and  wife  a  Scotchwoman. 

No  Pool  or  Stagnant  Water  in  the  vicinity. 


LIEGE. 

HOTEL  D' ANGrLETERRE, 

PLACE  DU  THEATRE  ROYAL  A  LIEGE. 
Mr.  CLUCK,  Proprietor. 

THIS  large  and  magnificent  Hotel,  much  frequented  by  English  families 
of  distinction,  also  by  Tourists  and  Travellers,  is  situated  in  the  finest  part  of  the  town, 
at  a  short  distance  from  the  Railway  Stations  and  from  the  Steamboats,  contiguous  to  the 
Boulevards,  and  also  very  near  places  of  public  amusement.  It  is  celebrated  for  its  Cleanli- 
ness, good  attendance,  and  reasonable  prices.  Excellent  large  and  small  well  furnished 
apartments,  suitable  for  Families  or  Single  Travellers.  Fixed  prices.  Superior  Cooking,  and 
Table  d'HSte  very  good.   English,  French,  and  German  spoken. 


LO  N  DON. 


TPHE  best  Remedy  for  Acidity  or 
the  Stomach,  Heartburn,  Headache, 
Gout,  and  Indigestion ;  and  the  best  mild 
aperient  for  delicate  constitutions,  es- 
pecially adapted  for  Ladies,  Children, 
and  Infants. 

DINNEFORD  &  CO.,  172,  New  Bond  Street ;  and  of  all  Chemists  throughout  the  world. 


ESSENTIALS    FOR  TRAVELLING. 

Thresher's  India  Tweed  Suits.  Thresher's  Kashmir  Flannel  Shirts. 

Thresher's  Kashmir  Woollen  Socks.     Thresher's  Coloured  Flannel  Shirts. 
Thresher's  Travelling  Bags. 
Sold  only  by  THRESHER  AND  GLENNY, 
NEXT  DOOR  TO  SOMERSET  HOUSE,  STRAND. 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


43' 


LONDON. 

THE  CONTINENT. 


COURIERS  AND  TRAVELLING  SERVANTS  OF 
DIFFERENT  NATIONS. 


Society  of  Couriers  and  Travelling 
Servants. 

Established  16  Years. 
Patronised  by  the  Royal  Family,  Nobility,  and  G-entry. 
12,  BUEY  STREET,  ST.  JAMES'S. 

THIS  Society  is  composed  of  Members  of  different  Nations, 
all  of  well-established  reputation,  great  experience,  efficiency, 
and  respectability. 

Couriers  suitable  for  any  country  can  be  obtained. 

Italians,  Germans,  Swiss,  French,  and  Men  of  other 
Nations,  compose  this  Society;  some  of  whom,  besides  the 
usually  required  languages,  speak  Spanish,  Russian,  Swedish, 
Turkish,  and  Arabic, — in  fact,  every  Continental  and  European 
language. 

Travellers  for  any  part  can  immediately  meet  with 
Couriers  and  Travelling  Servants  on  application  to  the 
Secretary. 


COURIERS  AND  TRAVELLING  SERVANTS  OF  DIFFERENT  NATIONS, 
12,  BURY  STREET,  ST.  JAMES'S. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


LONDON. 

PASSPORT  AGENCY  OFFICE, 

W.  J.  ADAMS,  59,  FLEET  STREET,  LONDON,  E.C. 

Regulations  gratis  for  obtaining  Foreign  Office  Passports. 

pOUNTRY  or  LONDON  Residents,  V     a 

V7  by  forwarding  a  Banker's  Application,  or 
Certificate  of  Identity,  can  have  a  PASSPORT 
and  VISAS  obtained.  By  this  arrangement,  a 
personal  attendance  is  unnecessary. 

Cost  of  Passport,  2s. ;  Visas,  Various. 

Passports  carefully  Mounted  and  Cased,  and 
Names  Uttered  thereon  in  Gold. 

Passport  Cases  from  Is.  6d.  to  5s.  6d.  each. 

THE  LATEST  EDITIONS  OF  MURRAY'S  HANDBOOKS. 
BRADSHAW'S  BRITISH  and  CONTINENTAL  GUIDES  and  HANDBOOKS 

to  France,  Belgium,  Germany,  Switzerland,  Italy,  Spain  and  Portugal,  Normandy,  Brittany, 

Tyrol,  Paris,  Turkey,  Syria,  and  Palestine  (2  vols). 
Tourist's  Handbook  to  Great  Britain,  &c,  in  four  parts. 
Baedeker's  Handbooks,  Ball's  Alpine  Guides,  Pack's  Pyrenees. 
BRADSHAW'S  Complete  Phrase  Books,  French,  Italian,  Spanish,  and  German.    Is.  each. 
B  kadsha  w's  Overland  and  Through  Route  Guide  to  India,  China,  and  Australia,  5s. 
Bradshaw's  Handbooks  to  Bombay,  Madras,  and  Bengal,  10s.  each. 

Kellar's,  Lettthold's,  and  Ziegler's  Maps  of  Switzerland.  Matr's  Map  of  the  Tyrol, 
Knapsacks,  Rugs,  Waterproof  Coats,  Door-fasteners,  Handbags,  Portmanteaus,  Straps,  Soap, 

Compasses,  Drinking  Cups,  Courier  Bags,  Glycerine,  &c. 
Harper  &  Appleton's  Handbook  to  Europe  and  the  East. 
Black's  Guides  to  England,  Ireland,  Wales,  and  Scotland. 
O'Shea's  Spain  and  Portugal. 
Phrase  Books  and  Dictionaries. 

Experienced  Couriers  engaged  upon  application. 


THE  LONDON  and  WESTMINSTER  BANK  issues  Cir- 
cular Notes  of  £10,  £25,  and  £50  each,  for  the  use  of  Travellei-s.  payable 
in  the  principal  Towns  on  the  Continent  of  Europe,  also  in  Asia,  Africa,  and 
North  and  South  America.  No  expense  whatever  is  incurred,  and  when  cashed  no 
charge  is  made  for  commission.  Letters  of  Credit  are  also  granted  on  the  same 
places.  They  may  be  obtained  at  the  City  Office  in  Lothbury,  or  at  any  of  the 
Branches,  viz.: 

Westminster  Branch    .    .  1,  St  James's  Square. 
Bloomsbury      „        .    .  214,  High  Holbom. 
South wark        „        .    .  6,  High  Street,  Borough. 
Eastern  „        .    .  130,  High  Street,  Whitechapel. 

Marylebone      „         .    .  4.  Stratford  Place,  Oxford  Street 
Temple  Bar  .    .  217,  Strand. 

Lambeth  „         .    .  89  &  9 1,  Westminster  Bridge  Road. 

May,  1873.  W.  S.  HIGLEY,  General  Manager. 


THE  CONTINENT,  &c. 

16mo.    3s.  6d. 

JJANDBOOK  OF  TRAVEL  TALK,  for  the  use  of  Travellers, 


in  English — French — German — and  Italian. 


JOHN  MUKKAY,  ALBEMARLE  STREET. 


1873.  MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER,  45 


LON  DON. 

CHUBB  S  LOCKS  AND  SAFES. 

PRIZE  MEDALS  AWARDED  at  the  following  Exhibitions:— 
LONDON  1851,  PARIS  1855,  LONDON  1862,  DUBLIN  1865,  PARIS  1867. 

CHUBB    &  SON, 

BT  APPOINTMENTS, 

MAKERS  TO  THE  QUEEN,  AND  TO  H.R.H.  THE  PRINCE  OF  WALES. 


pHUBB'S  PATENT  DETECTOR  LOCKS,  the  most  secure  from 

\J  picklocks  and  false  keys,  are  strong,  simple,  and  durable,  and  made  of  all  sizes  and  for 
every  purpose  to  which  a  Lock  can  be  applied. 

Trunks,  Portmanteaus,  Travelling  Bags,  Dressing  Cases,  Writing  Desks,  <fcc,  fitted  with 
only  the  usual  common  and  utterly  insecure  Locks,  can  have  the  place  of  these  supplied,  by 
Chubb's  Patent  without  alteration  or  injury. 

Tbavellebs'  Lock-Pbotectobs  and  Pobtable  Scutcheon  Locks  for  securing  Doors  that 
may  be  found  fastened  only  by  common  Locks. 

CHUBB  <fc  SON  have  always  in  stock  a  variety  of  Writing  and  Despatch  Boxes  in 
Morocco  or  Russia  Leather  and  Japanned  Tin ;  tbe  latter  being  particularly  recommended 
for  lightness,  room,  durability,  and  freedom  from  damage  by  insects  or  hot  climates. 

Best  Black  Enamelled  Leather  Travelling  Bags  of  various  sizes,  all  with 
Chubb's  Patent  Locks.    Cash,  Deed,  and  Paper  Boxes  of  all  dimensions. 


nHTJBB'S  PATENT    SAFES    are  con- 

\J  structed  in  the  very  best  manner,  of  the  strongest 
wrought  iron,  fitted  with  Chubb's  Patent  Dbill-pbe- 
ventivk  and  their  Genpowdek-pboof  Steel-plated 
Locks,  are  the  most  secure  from  fire  and  burglary,  and 
form  the  most  complete  safeguard  for  Books,  Papers,  Deeds, 
Jewels,  Plate,  and  other  valuable  property. 

CHTJBB  &  SON  have  also  strong  wrought-iron  Safes, 
without  fire-resisting  lining,  but  equally  secure  in  all  other 
respects,  intended  for  holding  plate  where  protection  from 
fire  is  not  an  object,  and  affording  much  more  room  inside 
than  the  Patent  Safes.  They  are  recommended  specially 
CflUDO  s  J ewel  Safes,  in  place  of  the  ordinary  wooden  cases  for  plate,  which  may 
For  Ladies'  Dressing  Rooms,     so  easily  be  broken  open. 


Attention  is  requested  to  the  following  letter,  which  appeared  in  the  "  TIMES  " 
of  11th  May,  1870  :— 

"JEWEL  ROBBERIES. 

-  To  the  Editor  of  the  Times. 

"  Srs, — Allow  me  for  the  sake  of  the  reputation  of  myself  and  my  fellow  craftsmen,  to 
say  that,  having  carefully  noted  the  Jewel  Robberies  in  Dwelling-houses  for  the  last  cO  years, 
1  have  never  known  any  Robbery  to  have  been  effected  where  the  Jewels  were  in  a  safe, 
and  tbe  Key  inaccessible.  It  is  true  that  many  ladies  are  careless  either  in  leaving  their 
Key  about  or  in  trusting  it  to  a  servant,  but  if  Safe-makers  will  make  the  Key  so  small 
that  a  Lady  may  wear  it  without  inconvenience,  it  may  always  be  carried  on  the  person. 

"  In  a  recent  Robbery,  upon  which  you  commented  in  a  leading  article  a  few  weeks  since, 
the  Jewels  were  all  left  outside,  on  the  top  of  the  Safe. 

"  1  am,  Sir,  your  obedient  Servant, 

"  57,  St.  Paul's  Churchyard,  May  10th,  1870."  "  JOHN  CHUBB." 


Complete  Illustrated  Priced  Lists  of  Chubb's  Locks,  Boxes,  Safes,  and  other  Manufactures, 
gratis  and  post-free. 

CHTJBB  and  SON,  Makers  to  the  Bank  of  England,  57,  St.  Paul's  Church- 
yard, London,  E.C.;  28,  Lord  Street,  Liverpool;  68,  Cross  Street,  Man- 
chester ;  and  Horseley  Fields,  Wolverhampton. 


46  MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


May, 


LON  DON. 

By  Appointment  to  H.  R.  H.  The  Prince  of  Wales. 


ALIENS  PORTMANTEAUS 


37,  WEST  STRAND,  LONDON,  W.C. 

New  Illustrated  Catalogues  of  Registered  and  Patented  Articles 

Post  Free. 


ALLEN 5 
PATENT 
BAG 


ALLEN'S  PATENT      ALLEN'S  PATENT  ALLEN'S  PATENT 

BAG.  DESPATCH-BOX  DESK,        Quadruple  Portmanteau. 


ALLEN'S 
SOLID  LEATHER 
DRESSING-CASE. 


ALLEN'S  EXPANDING 
PORTMANTEAU* 


ALLEN'S  10  GUINEA 
SILVER  DRESSING  BAG, 


ALLEN'S  NEW 
DRESSING  BAG. 


ALLEN'S  SOLID 

MAHOGANY 
DRESSING-CASE. 


LADY'S 
WARDROBE 
PORTMANTEAU. 


Allen's  Barrack  Furniture  Catalogue,  for 
Officers  joining,  Post  Free. 
PRIZE  MEDAL  AWARDED 

FOR    GENERAL  EXCELLENCE. 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


47 


LONDON, 


TO  CONTINENTAL  TRAVELLERS. 


DORRELL  &  SON'S 
PASSPORT  AGENCY, 
15,  CHARING  CROSS,  S.W. 

Every  Information  given  respecting  Travelling  on  the  Continent. 
French  and  Italian  spoken,  and  Correspondence  carried  on  in  either  Language. 


British  Subjects  visit- 
ing the  Continent  will 
save  trouble  and  expense 
by  obtaining  their  Pass- 
ports through  the  above 
Agency.  No  personal 
attendance  is  required, 
and  country  residents 
may  have  their  Pass- 
ports forwarded  through 
the  post.  A  'Passport 
Prospectus,'  containing 
every  particular  in  de- 


tail, by  post,  on  applica- 
tion. 

Passports  Mounted, 
and  enclosed  in  Cases, 
with  the  name  of  the 
I  bearer  impressed  in  gold 
on  the  outside;  thus  af- 
fording security  against 
injury  or  loss,  and  pre- 
venting delay    in  the 
frequent  examination  of 
j  the  Passport  when  tra- 
^  veiling. 


Fee,  Obtaining  Passport,  Is.  6d. ;  Visas,  Is.  each.   Cases,  Is.  6d.  to  5s.  each. 

THE  LATEST  EDITJcl^r^^F^MURRAY'S  HANDBOOKS. 

English  and  Foreign  Stationery,  Dialogue  Books,  Couriers'  Bags,  Pocket- 
books  and  Purses  of  every  description,  Travelling  Inkstands, 

and  a  variety  of  other  Articles  useful  for  Travellers.  

FOREIGN   BOOKS  AT  FOREIGN  PRICES. 

Travellers  may  save  expense  and  trouble  by  purchasing  Foreign  Books  in 
England  at  the  same  Prices  at  which  they  are  published  in  Germany  or  France. 

WILLIAMS  &  NORGATE 

have  published  the  following  CATALOGUES  of  their  Stock  :— 


1.  CLASSICAL 

2, 


CATALOGUE. 

CATA- 


THEOLOGICAL 
LOGTJE. 

3.  FRENCH  CATALOGUE. 

4.  GERMAN  CATALOGUE. 

5.  EUROPEAN  LINGUISTIC 

CATALOGUE. 

6.  ORIENTAL  CATALOGUE. 

7.  ITALIAN  CATALOGUE. 

8.  SPANISH  CATALOGUE. 

9.  ART-CATALOGUE.  Art,Archi- 

tecture,  Painting,  Illustrated  Books. 


10.  NATURAL  HISTORY 
CATALOGUE.  Zoology,  Bo- 
tany, Geology,  Chemistry,  Mathe- 
matics, &c. 

11.  MEDICAL  CATALOGUE. 
Medicine,  Surgery,  and  the  Depen- 
dent Sciences. 

12.  SCHOOL  CATALOGUE.  Ele- 
mentary Books,  Maps,  &c. 

13.  FOREIGN  BOOK  CIRCU- 
LARS. New  Books,  and  New 
Purchases. 

14.  SCIENTIFIC-BOOK  CIRCU- 
LARS. New  Books  and  Recent 
Purchases. 


ANY  CATALOGUE  SENT  POST-FREE  FOR  ONE  STAMP. 

WILLIAMS  &  NORGATE,  Importers  of  Foreign  Books, 

14,  Henrietta  Street,  Covent  Garden,  London,  and 
20,  South  Frederick  Street,  Edinburgh. 


48 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


LONDON. 

NATIONAL  PROVINCIAL  BANK  of  ENGLAND. 


ESTABLISHED  IN  THE  YEAB  1833. 


Head  Office— BISHOPSGATE  STREET,  corner  of  THREADNEEDLE  STREET. 
St.  James'  Branch— 14,  WATERLOO  PLACE,  PALL  MALL. 
St.  Marylebone  „     28,  BAKER  STREET. 
Islington  „    173,  UPPER  STREET. 


Capital. 

SUBSCRIBED  CAPITAL   £2,550,000    0  0 

PAID-UP  CAPITAL    1,305,000    0  0 

RESERVE  FUND    501,655    8  5 

No.  of  SHAREHOLDERS   2,974. 


Bixzttaxg. 


Right  Hon.  Lord  Ernest  Augustus  Charles 
Brudenell  Bruce,  M.P.,  7,  St.  George's 
Place,  Hyde  Park  Corner,  S.W. 

John  Oliver  Hanson,  Esq.,  4,  Dorset 
Square,  N.W. 

John  Kingston,  Esq.,  6,  Crosby  Square, 
E.C. 

Henry  Paull,  Esq.,  33,  Devonshire  Place» 

Portland  Place,  W. 
John  Stewart,  Esq.,  26,  Throgmorton  St., 

E.C. 

Sir  James  Sirbald  David  Scott,  Bart.. 
18,  Cornwall  Gardens,  W. 


Richard  Blaney  Wade,        13,  Seymour 

Street,  Portman  Square,  W. 
Hon.  Eliot  Thomas   Yorke,  15,  Park 

Street,  Grosvenor  Square,  W. 
Duncan  Macdonald,  Esq.,  Weybank  Lodge, 

Guildford,  Surrey,  and  Belgrave  Mansions, 

Grosvenor  Gardens,  S.W. 
George  Hanbubt  Field,  Esq.,  67,  Eccleston 

Square,  S.W. 
Alex.  Robertson,  Esq.,  20,  Grafton  Street, 

Berkeley  Square,  W%  and  the  College, 

Elgin,  N.B. 
R.  Wigram,  Esq.,  Whitehall  Yard. 


The  National  Provincial  Bank  of  England,  having  numerous  branches  in  England  and 
Wales,  as  well  as  agents  and  correspondents  at  home  and  abroad,  affords  great  facilities  to 
parties  transacting  Banking  business  with  it  in  London.  Customers  keeping  accounts  with 
the  Bank  in  town  may  have  moneys  paid  to  their  credit  at  its  various  branches,  and  remitted 
free  of  charge. 

Current  accounts  conducted  at  the  Head  Office  and  Metropolitan  Branches  on  the  usual 
terms  of  London  Banks. 

Deposits  at  interest  received  in  London  of  sums  of  10Z.  and  upwards,  for  whicn  receipts  are 
granted,  called  "  Deposit  Receipts ;"  and  interest  allowed  according  to  the  value  of  money 
from  time  to  time  as  advertised  by  the  Bank  in  the  newspapers. 

The  Agency  of  Country  and  Foreign  Banks,  whether  Joint  Stock  or  Private,  is  undertaken. 

Purchases  and  Sales  effected  in  all  British  and  Foreign  Stocks  ;  and  Dividends,  Annuities, 
&c,  received  for  customers. 

Circular  Notes  and  Letters  of  Credit  are  issued  for  the  use  of  Travellers  on  the  Continent 
and  elsewhere. 

At  the  Country  Branches,  Deposits  are  received  and  all  other  Banking  business  is  con- 
ducted on  the  usual  terms. 

The  Officers  of  the  Bank  are  bound  to  secrecy  as  regards  the  transactions  of  its  customers. 

Copies  of  the  last  Annual  Report  of  the  Bank,  Lists  of  Shareholders,  Branches,  Agents, 
and  Correspondents,  may  be  had  on  application  at  the  Head  Office,  and  at  any  of  the  Bank's 
Branches. 

By  order  of  the  Directors, 

E.  ATKINSON,     >  Joint 

WM.  HOLT,  i  General  Manage?  s. 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


49 


LO  N  DON. 

Select  Library, 


BOOKS  FOR  ALL  READERS, 


FIRST-CLASS  SUBSCRIPTION 

FOR  A  CONSTANT  SUCCESSION  OF  THE  NEWEST  BOOKS, 

One  Guinea  per*  Annum, 

COMMENCING  AT  ANT  DATE. 
BOOK  SOCIETIES  SUPPLIED  ON  LIBERAL  TERMS. 


CHEAP  BOOKS.— NOTICE. 

TWENTY  THOUSAND  VOLUMES  OF 

BOOKS  IN  ORNAMENTAL  BINDING  FOR  PRESENTS. 

CONSISTING  CHIEFLY  OF 

WORKS  OF  THE  BEST  AUTHORS, 

AND  MORE  THAN  TWO  HUNDRED  THOUSAND  VOLUMES 
of  Surplus  Copies  of  other  Popular  Books  of  the  Past  Season, 
ARE  NOW  ON  SALE  AT  GREATLY  REDUCED  PRICES. 
Catalogues  postage  free  on  Application. 


MUDIE'S  SELECT  LIBRARY,  New  Oxford  Street,  London. 
CITY  OFFICE— 2,  King  Street,  Cheapside. 

Stanford's  Foreign  Office  Passport  Agency, 

6  &  7,  CHAEING  CROSS,  LONDON,  S.W. 

Passports  (which  are  good  for  life) 
mounted  on  Muslin  or  Silk,  in  Roan, 
Morocco,  or  Russia  Case,  with  the 
name  of  the  Owner  lettered  on  the 
outside,  thus  preventing  injury  or 
loss,  as  well  as  lessening  the  delay  in 
examination  abroad. 

For  further  particulars,  including 
the  Forms  of  Application,  Cost  of 
Passport,  Visas,  &c,  see  Stanford's 
Passport  Circular,  which  will 
be  forwarded  per  post  on  receipt  of 
One  Stamp. 

Gratis  on  application,  or  free  per  post  for  One  Stamp, 

STANFORD'S  TOURIST'S  CATALOGUE, 

Containing  Title,  Price,  &c,  of  the  Best  Guide  Books,  Maps,  Conversation  Books,  Diction- 
aries, &c.,  published  in  the  United  Kingdom,  the  Continent,  and  America,  and  kept  con- 
stantly in  stock  by  Edward  Stanford, 

<       London:  EDWARD  STANFORD,  6  &  7,  Charing  Cross,  S.W., 
Agent  for  the  Sale  of  the  Ordnance  Maps,  Geological  Survey  Maps,  and  Admiralty  Charts. 


50 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


May, 


LON  DON. 

Important  to  the  Travelling  Public. 
PARCELS  TO  AND  FROM  THE  CONTINENT. 

THE  CONTINENTAL 

DAILY  PARCELS  EXPRESS, 

Known  on  the  Continent  as  "L'Agence  Continentale," 
(ESTABLISHED  1849), 

SOLE  Agency  for  England  of  the  Belgian  Government 
RAILWAY,  THE  IMPERIAL  GERMAN  POST,  and  Correspondent  of  the 
Northern  of  France  Railway,  conveys  by  Mail  Steam  Packets,  Twice  Daily 
(Sunday  excepted),  via,  Dover,  Ostend,  and  Calais,  and  rapidly  by  Rail  and  Post  to 
destination,  Sample  Parcels  and  Packages  of  all  kinds,  between  England  and  every 
part  of  the  Continent.  The  Through  Rates  which  are  very  moderate,  and  include 
all  charges,  except  Duties  and  Entries,  are  to  be  had  gratis  on  application. 

Parcels  should  he  hooked  as  follows  : — 
HOMEWARD.— From  the  Continent. 
In  all  Germany.  At  any  Post-office  of  the  Imperial  German  Post,  or  of  the 
Countries  in  connection  therewith,  viz.,  Austria,  Switzerland,  Russia, 
Denmark,  &c.  The  Address,  and  especially  the  Waybill  (Frachtbrief ) 
should  bear  the  words  "  Service  de  l'Agence  Continentale  via 
Ostende." 

Belgium.  At  any  of  the  State  Railway  Stations,  at  the  Office  of  the  Agent  in 
Brussels,  A.  Croot,  90  bis,  Montagne  de  la  Cour ;  or  they  can  be 
sent  direct  to  Mr.  De  Ridder,  54,  Rue  St.  Joseph,  Ostend. 

Holland,     In  the  principal  towns,  Van  Gend  and  Loos. 

France.    Paris,  G.  Pritchard,  4,  Rue  Rossini.    To  whose  care  also,  parcels 
for  conveyance  to  England  can  be  despatched  from  towns  beyond 
Paris,  with  advice  by  Post.   Also  at  23  Rue  Dunkerque,  opposite  the 
Gard  du  Nord,  P.  Bigeault. 
Note. — No  parcels  or  luggage  sent  from  the  Continent  to  England  should  be 

addressed  Poste  Restante,  or  to  be  left  at  any  Hotel  or  Railway  Station,  as  they 

are  seldom  takea  in.    They  can  be  addressed  Bureau  Restant,  Agence  Continentale, 

Dover. 

OUTWARD.— To  the  Continent. 
In  London.  At  Chief  Office,  53,  Gracechurch  Street,  City  (D.  N.  Bridge, 

Manager,  to  whom  all  communications  should  be  addressed),  or  at  the 

Spread  Eagle  Universal  Office,  34,  Regent  Circus. 
In  Country  Towns.    At  the  Agency  in  Liverpool,  Manchester,  Sheffield,  Hull, 

Leeds,  Glasgow,  Dublin,  Bradford,  Nottingham,  Southampton,  Dover, 

•and  Folkestone. 

In  other  Towns,  where  no  Agent  may  be  appointed,  parcels  should 
be  sent  under  cover  by  Railway,  to  D.  N.  Bridge,  at  above  address, 
with  advice  of  contents  and  value  by  Post. 
N.B. — Persons  wishing  to  send  or  to  obtain  goods  of  any  kind  from  Belguim, 
uan  do  so  through  this  Express,  "  Contre  Remboursement,"  i.e.,  Payment  of  the 
Amount  of  Invoice  on  delivery  of  the  Parcel.    Insurance  rates  moderate. 
London:  Chief  Office,  53,  Gracechurch  Street. 
May,  1873. 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


51 


LON  DON- 


APPEAL. 
rpHE   COMMITTEE  of  the  CHURCH  of  ENGLAND 

EDUCATION  SOCIETY  earnestly  appeal  for  increased  funds  to  enable  them 
to  continue  the  Society's  operations. 

Many  of  our  Schools  for  the  Poor  are  either  absolutely  dependent  upon  the 
Society's  grants,  or  would  be  crippled  in  their  work  without  such  aid.  The  Society 
also  assists  Pupil  Teachers  who  would  otherwise  be  unable  to  complete  their 
course  of  training.  The  Society  also  supplies  Subscribers  and  Schools  with  all 
kinds  of  Books  and  Stationery  at  wholesale  prices. 

The  Society's  means  are  far  from  adequate  to  the  exigencies  of  the  present  crisis, 
which  urgently  demand  every  possible  effort  to  secure  for  an  increasing  population 
a  sound  Protestant  Education,  and  to  counteract  the  pernicious  influence  of 
Secular  School  Boards. 

F.  MAUDE,  R.N.,  Chairman. 
REGINALD  GUNNERY,  Hon.  Cler.  Sec. 

11,  Adam  Street,  AdelpM,  London,  W.C. 


"  A  most  delicious  and  valuable  article."— Standard. 

CDV'Q  CARACAS  COCOA 

g   !  H  !  Prepared  with  Caracas  and  other  choice  growths  of  Cocoa 

"  It  is  the  very  finest  Cocoa  ever  offered  to  the  public."— court  Circular 


FRY'S 


Extract  of  Cocoa 

The  Pure  Cocoa  Nib  deprived  of  the  superfluous  oil. 

Of  great  value  to  invalids  and  others  obliged  to  avoid  rich 
articles  of  diet. 


FRY'S 


Cocoa  Paste  and  Milk 

Prepared  with  Pure  Condensed  Milk, 

Only  requires  to  be  mixed  with  boiling  water  to  produce 
a  delicious  cup  of  Cocoa. 


Travellers  will  find  any  of  these  articles  of  great  value. 


J.  S.  FRY  &  SONS,  BRISTOL  &  LONDON. 

D  2 


52 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


May, 


LONDON. 

A  VOICE  FROM  HAMPSHIRE. 


14,  North  Cross-street,  Gosport,  October  16th,  1872. 

Dear  Sirs,— About  five  or  six  years  ago  I  was  very  ill,  suffering  from  boils,  of  the  painful 
and  dangerous  kind  called  carbuncular  boils,  and  no  medicine  which  I  took  gave  me  relief, 
till  a  friend  of  mine  advised  me  to  try  Parr's  Life  Pills  ;  but  I  would  not  do  so  for  some 
time,  as  I  had  no  faith  that  they  could  do  me  good,  but  my  friend  becoming  more  urgent,  I, 
to  satisfy  bim,  tried  these  Pills,  and  soon  found  so  much  benefit  that  I  determined  to  per- 
severe, and  thankful  I  am  that  I  did  so,  for  the  result  is  a  perfect  cure.  I  have  never  been 
troubled  since,  and  an  occasional  dose  keeps  me  in  capital  good  health.— I  am,  Gentlemen, 
vours  respectfully  and  gratefully,  J.  Carswell. 

Messrs.  T.  Roberts  and  Co.,  8,  Crane-court,  Fleet-street,  E.C. 

Parr's  Life  Pills  may  be  had  of  all  the  principal  druggists  and  medicine  vendors  throughout 
the  world.    In  Boxes,  Is.  l*d.,  2s.  9ci.,  and  in  Family  Packets,  lis.  each. 


By  Royal 


Command. 


JOSEPH  GILLOTT'S 

CELEBRATED 

STEEL  PENS. 


SOLD  BY  ALL  DEALERS  THROUGHOUT  THE  WORLD. 


Every  Packet  bears  the  facsimile 
of  his  Signature, 


TOUKISTS!   TOURISTS!  TOURISTS! 


The  Miniature  Photographic  Apparatus. 

NO  KNOWLEDGE  OF  PHOTOGBAPET  BEQUISITE. 
Sole  Manufacturers: 
MURRAY  &  HEATH,  Opticians,  &c,  to  Her  Majesty, 

69,  JERMYN  STREET,  LONDON,  S.W. 
Description  and  Prices  forwarded  on  receipt  of  stamped  envelope. 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


53 


LON  DON. 

GARY'S  IMPROVED  POCKET  TOURIST'S  TELESCOPE. 

(See  'Murray's  Handbook') 
Manufactures  of  all  descriptions  of  Mathematical,  Surveying,  and  Optical  Instruments,  for 
the  use  of  Naval  and  Military  Officers,  &c.  Also  the  new  Binocular  Reconnoitring  Field 
Glass,  in  Aluminium  of  exceeding  lightness  and  durability,  so  highly  spoken  of  by  officers 
and  other  gentlemen :  from  5l.  5s. ;  ordinary  metal  from  li.  10s.  Carys  improved  Achro- 
matic Microscope,  with  two  sets  of  choice  lenses,  capable  of  defining  the  severe  test 
objects;  from  21.  15s.   Travelling  Spectacles  of  all  kinds. 

Mathematical  and  Optical  Instrument  Maker  by  special  appointment  to  the  War  Office, 
Admiralty,  Trinity  House,  Royal  Military  College,  Sandhurst,  Royal  Geographical  Society, 
Christ's  Hospital,  Trinity  House,  King's  College,  &c. ;  and  Optician  to  the  Royal  London 
Ophthalmic  Hospital. 

GOULD  &  PORTER,  Successors  to  CARY,  131,  STRAND,  LONDON. 
Established  upwards  of  a  Century. 


PURE  AERATED  WATERS. 

ELLIS'S 

RUTHIN  WATERS, 

Soda,  Potass,  Seltzer,  Lemonade, 
Lithia,  and  for  GOUT,  Lithia 
and  Potass. 

CORKS  BRANDED  "  R-  ELLIS  &  SON",  RUTHIN,"  and  every  label  bears  their  trade 
mark.   Sold  everywhere,  and  Wholesale  by  R.  Ellis  &  Son,  Ruthin,  North  Wales, 
London.  Agents:  W.  Best  &  Sons,  Henrietta  St.,  Cavendish  Square. 

MR.  TENNANT,  GEOLOGIST,  149,  STRAND,  LONDON, 
W.C.,  gives  practical  Instruction  in  Mineralogy  and  Geology.   He  can  also  supply 
Elementary  Collections  of  Minerals,  Rocks,  and  Fossils,  on  the  following  terms : — 

100  Small  Specimens,  in  cabinet,  with  three  trays  £2    2  0 

*200  Specimens,  larger,  in  cabinet,  with  five  trays  5   5  0 

300  Specimens,  larger,  in  cabinet,  with  nine  drawers       .    .    -    .    10  10  0 
400  Specimens,  larger,  in  cabinet,  with  thirteen  drawers  ....    21    0  0 
More  extensive  collections,  to  illustrate  Geology,  at  50  to  100  Guineas  each,  with  every 
requisite  to  assist  those  commencing  the  study  of  this  interesting  science,  a  knowledge  of 
which  affords  so  much  pleasure  to  the  traveller  in  all  parts  of  the  world. 

*  A  collection  for  Five  Guineas  which  will  illustrate  the  recent  works  on  Geology  by 
Ansted,  Buckland,  Jukes,  Lyell,  Murchison,  Page,  Phillips,  and  contains  200  Specimens,  in 
a  cabinet,  with  5  trays,  comprising  the  following,  viz.  :— 

Minerals  which  are  either  the  components  of  Rocks,  or  occasionally  imbedded  in  them  :— 
Quartz,  Agate,  Chalcedony,  Jasper,  Garnet,  Zeolite,  Hornblende,  Augite,  Asbestus,  Felspar, 
Mica,  Talc,  Tourmaline,  Zircon,  Topaz,  Spinel,  Calcareous  Spar,  Fluor,  Selenite,  Baryta, 
Strontia,  Salt,  Cryolite,  Sulphur,  Plumbago,  Bitumen,  Jet,  &c. 

Native  Metals  or  Metalliferous  Minerals:  these  are  found  in  masses,  in  beds,  or  in 
veins,  and  occasionally  in  the  beds  of  rivers.    Specimens  of  the  following  are  contained  in 
the  Cabinet : — Iron,  Manganese,  Lead,  Tin,  Zinc,  Copper,  Antimony,  Silver,  Gold,  Platina,  &c. 
Rocks: — Granite,Gneiss,Mica-slate,Porphyry,Serpentine,Sandstones,Limestones,Lavas,  &c. 
Paleozoic  Fossils,  from  the  Llandeilo,  Wenlock,  Ludlow,  Devonian,  and  CarboniferousRocks, 
Secondary  Fossils,  from  the  Trias,  Lias,  Oolite,  Wealden,  and  Cretaceous  Groups. 
Tertiary  Fossils,  from  the  Woolwich,  Barton,  and  Bracklesham  Beds,  London  Clay.Crag,  &c. 
In  the  more  expensive  Collections  some  of  the  Specimens  are  rare,  and  all  more  select. 
ELEMENTARY  LECTURES  ON  MINERALOGY  AND  GEOLOGY, 
adapted  to  young  persons,  are  given  by  J.  TENNANT,  F.R.G.S.,  at  his  residence,  149, 
STRAND,W.C.,and  Private  Instruction  to  Travellers,  Engineers,  Emigrants,  Landed  Pro- 
prietors, and  others,  illustrated  by  an  extensive  collection  of  Specimens,  Diagrams,  Models,  &c. 

All  the  recent  works  relating  to  Mineralogy,  Geology,  Conchology,  and  Chemistry ;  also 
Geological  Maps,  Models,  Diagrams,  Hammers, Blowpipes,  Magnifying  Glasses,  Platina  Spoons, 
Electrometer  and  Magnetic  Needle,  Glass-top  Boxes,  Microscopic  Objects,  Acid  Bottles,  &c, 
can  be  supplied  to  the  Student  in  these  interesting  and  important  branches  of  Science. 


54 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


May, 


LONDON. 


THE  FURNISHING  OF  BED-ROOMS. 


HEAL  &  SON  have  16  separate  Rooms,  each  completely  furnished  with 
a  different  Suite  of  Furniture,  irrespective  of  their  general  Stock  displayed 
in  Six  Galleries  and  Two  Large  Ground-floor  Wareroonis,  the  whole 
forming  the  most  complete  stock  of  Bed-room  Furniture  in  the  Kingdom. 

Japanned  Deal  Goods  may  be  seen  in  complete  suites  of  five  or  six 
different  colours,  some  of  them  light  and  ornamental,  and  others  of  a 
plainer  description.  Suites  of  Stained  Deal  Gothic  Furniture,  Polished 
Deal,  Oak,  and  Walnut,  are  set  apart  in  separate  rooms,  so  that  customers 
are  able  to  see  the  effect  as  it  would  appear  in  their  own  rooms.  A 
Suite  of  very  superior  Gothic  Oak  Furniture  is  generally  kept  in  stock, 
and  from  time  to  time  new  and  select  Furniture  in  various  woods  is 
added. 

Bed  Furnitures  are  fitted  to  the  Bedsteads  in  large  numbers,  so  that  a 
complete  assortment  can  be  seen,  and  the  effect  of  any  particular  pattern 
ascertained  as  it  would  appear  on  the  Bedstead. 

A  very  large  stock  of  Bedding  (HEAL  &  SON'S  original  trade)  is 
placed  on  the  BEDSTEADS. 

The  Stock  of  Mahogany  Goods  for  the  better  Bed-rooms,  and  Japanned 
Goods  for  plain  and  Servants'  use,  is  very  greatly  increased.  The  entire 
Stock  is  arranged  in  sixteen  rooms,  six  galleries,  each  120  feet  long,  and 
large  ground-floors,  the  whole  forming  as  complete  an  assortment  of  Bed- 
room Furniture  as  they  think  can  be  desired. 

Every  attention  is  paid  to  the  manufacture  of  the  Cabinet  work,  and 
they  have  large  "Workshops  on  the  premises  for  this  purpose,  that  the 
manufacture  may  be  under  their  own  immediate  care. 

Their  Bedding  trade  receives  their  constant  and  personal  attention, 
every  article  being  made  on  the  premises. 

They  particularly  call  attention  to  their  Patent  Spring  Mattrass,  the 
Sommier  Elastique  Portatif.  It  is  portable,  durable,  and  elastic,  and  lower 
in  price  than  the  old  Spring  Mattrass. 


HEAL  AND  SON'S 

ILLUSTRATED  CATALOGUE  OF 

BEDSTEADS,  BEDDING,  &  BED-ROOM  FURNITURE, 

SENT  FREE  BY  POST. 

198,  197,  198,  TOTTENHAM  COURT  ROAD. 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


55 


.  LUCERNE. 

SCHWEIZERHOF.  LDZERNERHOF. 

First-class  Hotels. 


HAUSER  BROTHERS,  Propkietors. 


BEST  SITUATION  ON  THE  QUAY. 

With  splendid  View  of  the  Celebrated  Panorama  of  the 
LAKE  AND  MOUNTAINS. 


LUCERNE. 

GRAND  HOTEL  NATIONAL. 


SEGrESSER  BROTHERS  &  CO.,  Proprietors. 


rpHIS  most  elegant  and  comfortable  Establishment  is  one 
*  of  the  largest  in  Europe.  It  is  beautifully  situated  on 
the  border  of  the  Lake,  with  a  splendid  view  of  the  Alps. 
Visitors  are  certain  of  meeting  with  every  possible  comfort. 

Drawing-Room,  Reading-Room,  Billiard,  Music 
Saloon,  and  Pianos.   Bath,  Sec. 

LIFT  AT  THE  CONTINUAL  DISPOSITION  OF  VISITORS. 


MODERATE  PRICES. 


56 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


May, 


LUCERNE. 

Englischer  Hof— Hotel  d'Angleterre. 


Proprietor — JEAN  EEBEE. 


THIS  First-rate  Establishment,  very  well  recommended  by 

A  the  best  class  of  Travellers,  is  situated  close  to  the  Steamers'  Landing-place, 
and  vis-a-vis  the  Railway  Stations,  on  the  loveliest  position  of  the  Lake,  with 
superb  views  of  the  Rigi,  Pilatus,  Alps,  and  Glaciers ;  contains  several  Saloons, 
62  comfortable  Rooms,  Smoking  and  Reading  Rooms,  where  are  French  and 
English  newspapers. 


LUCERNE. 

HOTEL  BEAU  EIVAGE. 

Proprietor— Mr.  ED.  STRUB. 


"PIEST-CLASS  HOTEL.    Magnificent  and  unique  position 

on  the  borders  of  the  Lake.  Beautiful  ornamental  grounds.  Boats  for  ex- 
cursions on  the  Lake.  Public  Drawing-room.  Smoking-room.  Apartments  for 
Families.  Warm  Baths,  and  bathing  in  the  Lake.  Newspapers  of  different  countries. 
Cuisine  excellent.  Good  attendance.  Moderate  prices.  Arrangements  made  for 
a  long  stay.    In  Spring  and  Autumn  price  of  board  and  lodging  7  francs  per  day. 


LUCERNE. 

SWAN  HOTEL. 

THIS  Hotel,  in  the  very  best  situation,  enjoys  a  high 
character.  "Mr.  ILEFELI,  the  Proprietor,  has  made  in  the  later  years  a  great  many 
improvements,  and  does  his  utmost  to  offer  to  his  Visitors  a  comfortable  home.  An 
elegant  new  Ladies'  Drawing-room,  besides-  a  Reading-room  and  Smoking-room.  Cold, 
Warm,  and  Shower  Baths. 


LUCHON  (BAGNERES  DE),  PYRENEES. 

Grand  Hotel  Bonne-Maison  et  de  Londres, 

Mr.  YIDAL,  Jun.,  Proprietor. 

SITUATED  opposite  the  Thermal  Establishment  or  Bath-rooms.  This  favourite 
and  first-rate  Hotel  affords  extensive  accommodation  of  the  best  description 
for  a  large  number  of  visitors.  It  is  delightfully  situated,  and  will  be  found 
most  comfortable  for  Families  or  Gentlemen.  The  house  has  been  entirely 
re-decorated  throughout 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


57 


LUXEMBOURG. 

HOTEL  DE  LUXEMBOURG. — Proprietor,  J.  P.  Hastert. 
This  First-class  Hotel  recommends  itself  to  Families  and  Single  Gentlemen  by  the 
cleanliness  of  its  well-furnished  airy  apartments,  all  of  them  commanding  a  very  beautiful 
view.  Excellent  Table  d'Hote.  Moderate  Prices.  Omnibus  to  and  from  every  Train. 
Travellers  are  recommended  not  to  permit  themselves  to  be  misled  by  porters  at  the  Station. 


LUXEMBOURG. 

HOTEL   DE  COLOGNE. 

Proprietor,  Mr.  WUETH  FENDIUS. 

THIS  Hotel  is  of  the  first  class,  and  is  situated  in  the 
centre  of  the  town.    The  ACCOMMODATION  is  both  COMMODIOUS  and  com- 
fortable, and  the  prices  on  the  most  moderate  scale. 

Excellent  Cuisine  and  fine  Wines.  Private  Carriages  belonging  to  the  Hotel. 
An  Omnibus  of  the  Hotel  at  the  Station  for  the  arrival  of  all  Trains. 

English  spoken.    A  beautiful  large  Garden  belonging  to  the  Hotel. 


MACON. 

Stopping  Place  between  Switzerland  and  Italy. 

HOTEL  DES  CHAMPS  ELYSEES. — Btjchalet,  Proprietor. 
— Close  to  the  Railway  Station.    Omnibus  to  all  the  Trains.    Fikst-rate  House. 
Apartments  for  Families,  Salons,  Smoking  Eoom.    Table  d'Hote  and  Service  a  la  Carte. 

This  Hotel  is  recommended  for  its  comfort  and  cleanliness.  Wines  and  Cuisine 
renowned. 


MARIENBAD. 

HOTEL  KLINGER. 

Proprietor,  J.  D.  HALBMAYE. 

FIRST  and  LARGEST  HOTEL  in  this  Watering  Place. 
Preferred  on  account  of  its  charming  situation  at  the  corner  of  the  Pro- 
menade and  Park,  and  has  a  beautiful  view.  Newly  and  elegantly  furnished  with 
every  comfort  and  in  noble  style,  containing,  with  the  dependance,  230  Kooms, 
Saloons,  &c. 

Carriages  in  the  Hotel.    Omnibus  to  the  Hallway  Station. 

MOAB. 

With  Map  and  40  Illustrations,  Crown  8vo.,  15s. 

THE  LAND  OF  MOAB.    Travels  and  Discoveries  on 

the  East  Side  of  the  Dead  Sea  and  the  Jordan.  By  H.  B.  Tristram, 
F.R.S.,  Honorary  Canon  of  Durham. 


JOHN  MURRAY,  ALBEMARLE  STREET. 

D  3 


58 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


May, 


MARSEILLES. 

€^      jl.     i>  hotei:^, 

NOAILLES, 

24,  BTJE  NOAILLES  (Cannebiere  prolongee). 
First-class  House,  built  in  imitation  of  the  Grand  Hotel,  Paris. 

THIS  splendid  Establishment,  the  LAEGEST,  MOST 
IMPORTANT,  AND  MOST  EECENT  OP  THE  HOTELS  OP 
MARSEILLES,  is  the  only  one  in  the  Rue  Noailles  which  possesses  a 
large  Garden  in  its  centre  surrounded  by  twelve  Dining-rooms  of  the 
Restaurant.  Table-d'Hote  all  the  Year  with  very  excellent  Wine. 
Reading  Room,  Conversation  Room,  Piano.  Smoking  Room,  and  15 
Bath  Rooms  always  ready.  French  and  Foreign  Political  and  Illustrated 
Papers.  The  splendour  and  comfort  of  this  Establishment,  combined  with 
the  attentive  care  of  the  employees,  make  this  magnificent  Hotel  one  of 
the  most  important  and  celebrated  in  Europe. 

MODERATE  PRICES. 
STAFF  AND  INTERPRETERS  SPEAKING  ALL  LANGUAGES. 

Omnibuses  of  the  Hotel  to  meet  every  Train.    Private  Carriages.  Omnibuses 
and  Carriages  enter  the  Hotel. 

MAYSNCE. 
"H  o  t  e  L   J%*$!$        E  TE  BJRE  . 

HEHEY  SPECHT,  Wine  Merchant  and  Grower. 

THIS  first-rate  and  excellent  Hotel  (combining  every  English  comfort),  situated 
-  in  trout  of  the  Bridge,  is  the  nearest  Hotel  to  the  Steamboats  and  close  to  the 
Xiaiiway  Stations.  From  its  Balconies  and  Rooms  are  Picturesque  Views  of  the 
lihiue  and  Mountains.  Galignani,  Times,  and  Illustrated  News  taken  in.  The 
Table-d'Hote  is  renowned  for  its  excellence,  and  for  its  Genuine  Rhenish  Wines 
and  Sparkling  Hock,  which  Mr.  Specht  exports  to  Kneland  at  Wholesale  Prices, 

MAYENCE. 

HOTEL  DE  HOLLANDE. 

FEED.  BUDINGEN,  Proprietor. 

THIS  first-class  well-known  Hotel,  much  frequented  by  English  Families  and 
Tourists,  has  been  greatly  enlarged  and  improved,  and  contains  now  140 
Rooms  and  Saloons.  Cold,  Warm,  and  Shower  Baths.  English  comfort.  This 
Hotel  is  situated  on  the  River,  opposite  to  the  Landing-place  of  the  Rhine 
Steamers,  and  near  the  Railway  Station,  and  affords  from  its  Balconies  and  Windows 
splendid  views  of  the  Rhine  and  Taunus  Mountains.  This  Hotel  is  reputed  for  its 
excellent  cooking,  exquisite  Wines,  cleanliness  and  good  attendance.  English 
Newspapers. 

Choice  Rhine  and  Moselle  Wines,  wholesale  and  for  exportation, 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


59 


MENTONE. 

HOTEL  WESTMINSTER. 

THIRST-CLASS  ESTABLISHMENT,  newly  built  and  fur- 
nished with  taste  and  according  to  all  the  latest  improve- 
ments. In  a  Southern  aspect  overlooking  the  sea  and  a  beautiful 
Garden  giving  access  to  the  public.  "Promenade  du  Midi." 
Large  Public  Saloon.  Billiard  and  Smoking  Rooms.  English 
and  several  Foreign  languages  spoken.  English  and  American 
Luncheon  Saloon.    Omnibus  at  all  Trains. 

METZ. 

ME.  H.  B.  HAMILTON, 

GUIDE  TO  GRAVELOTTE  AND  OTHER 
BATTLE  FIELDS  AROUND  METZ. 

ADDEESS  : 

Grand  Hotel  de  l'Europe,  Metz. 
METZ. 

GRAND  HOTEL  DE  L'EUROPE. 

ME.  MONIES,  PROPRIETOR. 

THIS  first-rate  Hotel,  much  frequented  by  Families  and  Gentlemen,  situated  in  the  finest 
part  of  the  town,  near  the  Railway  Station  and  Promenade,  is  replete  with  every  comfort ; 
the  apartments  are  tastefully  and  elegantly  furnished.  It  is  celebrated  for  its  cleanliness, 
good  attendance,  and  reasonable  prices.  Saloons,  "Reading,  and  Refreshment  Rooms ;  Table 
d'HSte  at  1  and  5  o'clock ;  Breakfasts  and  Dinners  at  all  hours.  Advantageous  arrange- 
ments made  with  Families  during  the  Winter  Season.  In  front  of  the  Hotel  there  is  a  fine 
extensive  garden  and  large  court-yard.  Baths  and  carriages  in  the  Hotel.  Omnibuses  and 
carriages  belonging  to  the  Hotel  convey  passengers  to  and  trom  the  Railway  Station. 
English,  French,  Italian,  and  German  spoken.   Moderate  prices. 

The  Bead  Waiter,  the  First  Housemaid,  and  the  Page,  are  English  Servants.    Guide  to 
Gravelotte,  Mr.  Hamilton. 

IV!  i  LAN. 

Hotel   Cavour,   Place  Cavour, 

Just  opposite  the  Public  Gardens. 

KEPT  BY  J.   SUARDI  AND  CO. 

THIS  first-rate  Hotel  is  fitted  up  with  every  modern  appliance,  and  situated  in  the  finest, 
part  of  Milan.  It  commands  a  fine  view  of  the  Promenade  near  to  the  Station,  the  Grand 
Theatre,  the  National  Museum,  and  the  Protestant  Church.  Excellent  Table-d'hote.  Charges 
very  moderate.  Baths  on  each  floor.  A  Smoking  and  a  Reading  Room  supplied  with  foreign 
aewepapers. 

Omnibus  of  the  Hotel  at  the  arrival  of  all  trains. 


60 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


MILAN. 

HOTEL  M  LA  fiMNDE  BRETAGM. 

HTO  this  Hotel  has  been  added  new  Dining,  Reading,  Drawing,  and  Smoking  room: 
and  the  whole  house  entirely  refurnished  by  the  new  proprietor,  J.  LYNAM 
Large  and  small  Apartments  for  Families  or  Single  Gentlemen.  Hot  and  cold  Bath; 
The  house  is  situated  in  the  centre  of  the  town,  near  the  Cathedral,  Theatres,  and  a] 
other  places  of  interest.  Good  Table  d'Hote.  English  Times  taken  in.  Severs 
languages  spoken.  The  house  is  only  two  stories  high.  Five  minutes'  walk  fror. 
the  English  Church.  Brougham  and  Omnibus  of  the  Hotel  at  the  Station  to  meet  al 
trains. 


MONTREUX. 

LANGBEIFS  HOTEL  AID  PENSION. 

BEAU  SEGOUR  AU  LAC. 

First-Class  Family  Hotel,  with  all  English  comforts. 
Restaurant.       Table  d'Hote.  Baths. 

Good  Fishing. 


MONTREUX. 

HOTEL  DES  ALPES. 

(  Within  ten  minutes  of  Chillon.} 

A.  CHESSEX,  Proprietor. 

Tj^IBST- CLASS  Establishment,  surrounded  with  immense 
Gardens.  Pension  Charges  for  a  long  stay.  Goats' -milk 
cures  in  the  Spring.  Telegraph  Office.  Steamboat  Pier  in 
front  of  the  Hotel.  Three  pretty  Chalets  for  large  Families 
have  lately  been  added  to  the  Establishment. 


MONUMENTS  WITHOUT  MEMORIALS. 

With  230  Illustrations,  Medium  8vo.3  24s. 

RUDE  STONE  MONUMENTS  in  all  COUNTKIES  ; 
their  Age  and  Uses.    By  James  Fekgusson,  F.R.S,,  Author  of  the 
"  History  of  Architecture,"  &c.  &c. 

JOHN  MURRAY,  ALBEMARLE  STKEET. 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


61 


MOSCOW. 


HOTEL   BILL  0. 

GREAT  LUBIANKA  STREET. 


Peopeietoe,  Me.  EDWAED  BILLO. 


ALEEADY  advantageously  known  for  these  past  20  Years, 
and  of  late  considerably  Enlarged,  and  newly  Furnished  with  all  the 
requirements  of  modern  times,  this  FIRST-CLASS  FAMILY  HOTEL, 
entirely  Private,  has  merited,  under  the  careful  attention  of  the  Proprietor, 
for  its  comfort,  cleanliness,  and  order,  the  unquestionable  patronage  of  the 
most  distinguished  Travellers. 

This  Hotel  is  situated  in  the  highest  and  healthiest  part,  the  very  centre 
of  Moscow,  with  the  front  to  the  sunside,  and  most  convenient  for  visitors 
on  pleasure  or  business,  being  near  the  Imperial  Theatre  and  Opera  House, 
the  Kreml,  and  the  Boulevards,  and  also  close  to  the  City,  the  Exchange, 
the  Post  and  Telegraph  Offices,  and  the  business  places  in  general. 

Single  Rooms  and  Apartments,  excellent  Table  d'Hote  Dinner  at  5|  p.m., 
separate  dinners,  choice  wines.    Prices  moderate. 

Ladies'  Room,  Reading  and  Smoking  Room.  English  Newspapers,  viz.  : 
'  The  Times,'  •  The  Graphic,'  and  '  Punch ;'  French  and  German  News- 
papers. Every  sort  of  information  about  the  town,  its  environs,  trade,  and 
the  inland  communications. 

Own  Letter-box.  Interpreters  and  Guides.  Bank  Notes  and  Bills  of 
Circular  Letters  changed. 

Cold,  Warm,  Shower  Baths,  Sponge  Tubs.  Equipages  and  Droshkies 
at  the  door. 

No  personal  trouble  whatever  with  the  Passports,  which  are  strictly 
required  by  the  police  office.  Own  Carriage  and  attendance  at  the  Peters- 
burg Railway  Station  to  receive  the  Travellers  and  their  Luggage.  It  is 
advisable  to  secure  Rooms  beforehand,  especially  during  the  time  of  the 
Nishny  Fair  (in  August),  and  during  the  Carnival  time  (in  January  and 
February). 

CAUTION.— Travellers  are  cautioned  not  to  confound  the  HOTEL 
BILLO  with  other  establishments  of  nearly  unisonous  names,  and 
to  take  care  not  to  allow  themselves  to  be  led  away  by  the  Cabmen 
or  Iswoschtschiks  and  other  interested  persons,  especially  at 
St.  Petersburg,  but  to  insist  on  being  conducted  to  the  HOTEL 
BILLO,  Great  Lubianka ;  in  Russian,  Gostinnitza  BiUo,  Bolshaia 
Lubiarika. 


62 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


MUNICH, 


WIMMER  &  CO., 

GALLERY  OF  PINE  ARTS. 

3,  BRIENNER  STREET, 

invite  the  Nobility  and  Gentry  to  visit  their  Gallery  OF  Fine  Arts,  containing 
an  Extensive  Collection  of 

MODERN  PAINTINGS 

by  the  best  Munich  Artists, 

PAINTINGS    ON    PORCELAIN    AND    ON  GLASS. 

also  a  large  Assortment  of 

PHOTOGRAPHS, 

including  the  complete  Collections  of  the  various  Public  Galleries. 

Correspondents  in  England,  Messrs.  J.  &  R.  M'Cracken,  38,  Queen  Street, 
Cannon  Street,  E.C.,  London. 

Correspondents  in  the  United  States,  Messrs.  Keller  &  LiNGG,  97,  Reade 
Street,  New  York. 

MUNICH. 

HOTEL  ENGLISCHER  HOF. 

FIRST-RATE  FAMILY  HOTEL, 

Well  situated  and  close  to  the  Telegraph  and  Post-office,  English 
Church,  Palace,  and  Royal  Theatres. 

New  and  elegantly  Furnished  with  every  modern  Comfort. 

HOT    AND    COLD  BATHS. 

Carriages  and  Omnibuses. 


Fixed   Moderate  Prices. 


Proprietor,  F.  E.  SITZLER. 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


63 


SVfUNiCH. 

HOTEL  I) IT  RUIN. 

l^ELL  situated  near  the  Kail  way  Station;  entirely  re-furnished  by 
H  the  new  Proprietor,  Mr.  C.  HAYMANN  ;  with  all  the  comfort 
and  luxury  of  modern  times.  100  Kooms  and  Saloons  ;  well-furnished 
Apartments  for  Families  and  Single  Gentlemen.  Beautiful  Dining 
Koom,  decorated  in  the  Renaissance  style.  Large  Refreshing  Room. 
Billiard  Room.  Table  d'Hote  at  1  and  5  o'clock.  "  Dinners  a  la  Carte  " 
at  any  hour.  English,  French,  and  Foreign  Newspapers.  Carriages  in 
the  Hotel.    Omnibus  to  meet  every  Train. 


NAPLES. 

BRITISH  LIBRARY  &  READING  ROOMS, 

{Established  in  1837  by  Mrs.  Dorant), 
26  7,     RIVIERA     DI  CHIAJA. 

MURRAY'S  GUIDES  FOR  SALE  AT  THE  LONDON  PRICES. 
BAEDEKER'S  AND  OTHER  GUIDES. 
TAUCHN1TZ  EDITIONS. 

The  READING  ROOMS  are  supplied  with  the  leading  English,  American, 
German,  French,  and  Italian  Journals. 

ANNEXED 

ENGLISH    AND    AMERICAN  BANK, 

GEORGE  CTVALLERI. 


BANK  BILLS,  CIRCULAR  NOTES,  AND  LETTERS  OF  CREDIT 

cashed  on  London  and  Paris. 

WORKS   OF  ART  AND  LUGGAGE 

warehoused,  and  forwarded  to  all  parts  of  the  world. 


Correspondents  (  Messrs.  CHARLES  CARR  &  Co.,  14,  Bishopsgate  St. Within, 
in  London    \  Messrs.  OLIVIER  &  CO.,  37,  Finsbury  Square. 


NEUCHATEL. 

HOTEL  DE  BELLE  VUE. 

ESTABLISHED  and  managed  by  the  Proprietor,  Mr.  Albert 
Elskes — This  very  comfortable  tirst-class  Hotel,  delightfully  situated  on  the 
banks  of  the  Lake,  is  the  only  one  in  the  town  commanding;  an  entire  view  of  the 
Alps  from  Mont  Blanc  to  the  summit  of  the  Appenzell.  It  is  so  constructed  as  to 
afford  the  greatest  tranquillity,  which,  combined  with  careful  attendance,  renders 
the  Hotel  a  most  desirable  residence  for  Families. 

Reduced  Prices  for  Protracted  Stay. 


Pension  from  the  15th  of  October  till  the  15th  of  May. 


64 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


May, 


NICE. 

HOTEL  DE  LA  GRANDE  BRETAGNE. 

JAEDIN  PUBLIC, 

(Limited  Company.) 

FULL  SOUTH. 

J.  L AVI T,  Manager. 
FIRST-CLASS  and  WELL-KNOWN  HOTEL. 

Central  Position,  splendid  View  of  the  Sea,  and  Public 

Garden. 

Charges  very  moderate,  and  affixed  in  each  Koorn. 
TABLE  D'HOTE.  (One  of  the  Best  at  Nice.) 

Omnibus  of  the  Hotel  at  the  arrival  of  all  Trains. 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


65 


NICE. 

GRAND  HOTEL  PARADIS. 


(FULL  SOUTH.   Situated  in  the  most  healthy 
position.) 


Highly  spoken  of  for  its  great  Comfort  and 
excellent  Cooking. 

REGULAR    FIXED  CHARGES. 

VERY  PUNCTUAL  AND  CIVIL  ATTENDANCE. 

LARGE  HANDSOME  DINING  HALL 


Ladies'  Coffee  Room.    Reading  Rooms.   Smoking  Room. 
Baths-Room  on  each  floor. 

Private  Dining-rooms  attached  to  the  Grand  Apartments. 

Omnibus  at  the  arrival  of  all  Trains. 
OPEN  ALL  THE  YEAR. 

***  This  Hotel  is  frequented  by  the  English  Nobility  and  Gentry. 


For  further  particulars  address  the  Manager, 

Mr.  G.  RIESTERER. 


66 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


May, 


NORWAY. 


APKACTICAL  OEAMMAE,  with  Exercises  in  the  Lan 
guage,  for  TRAVELLERS  AND  SPORTSMEN  in  NORWAY. 
By  JOHN  Y.  SARGENT,  M.A.,  Magdalen  College,  Oxford. 

RlVINGTONS. 


NUREMBERG. 

RED    HORSE  HOTEL 

(Rothes  Ross), 

Proprietor  :  M.  P.  GALIMBERTI.     Manager:  M.  BAUER. 

THIS  excellent  old-established  Hotel,  situated  in  one  of  the  best  quarters  of  the 
town,  is  well  adapted  for  Tourists  and  Families  making  a  visit  to  Nuremberg  of 
some  duration,  and  who  will  find  every  conceivable  comfort  and  convenience. 
Table-d'Hote  at  1  p.m.,  and  Private  Dinners  at  all  hours.  The  Establishment 
will  be  found  well  worthy  of  the  renown  and  patronage  it  has  enjoyed  from  English 
travellers  of  the  highest  rank  during  many  years. 

NUREMBERG. 

HOTE  L  I)E  B  A  VIE  RE 

(BAYERISCHEK,  HOP). 

THIS  old-established,  first-class,  and  best  situated  Hotel,  in  the 
centre  of  the  town,  close  to  the  river,  contains  suites  of  apartments  and 
single  rooms,  100  Bed-rooms  and  Sitting-rooms,  all  elegantly  furnished  in  the 
new  style.  It  is  patronised  by  the  most  distinguished  families,  and  has  all  the 
accommodation  of  an  Hotel  of  the  first  rank.  English  Divine  Service  during  the 
season.  Foreign  newspapers.  Carriages  in  the  Hotel.  Omnibus  to  and  from  each 
train.    Moderate  and  fixed  prices. 

PALERMO- 

HOTEL  iCSTE'NTBAL, 

KEPT  by  L.  GRANDI,  Proprietor,  Corse  Vittorio  Emanuele,  No.  355,  near 
the  Post  and  Telegraph  Offices,  and  the  Principal  Theatre.  Beautiful  situation  over- 
looking the  Sea.  Large  and  small  Apartments  for  Families  and  Single  Travellers,  all  very  clean 
and  at  moderate  charges.  Table  d'H6te.  "  Restaurant."  Boarders  taken  at  8  and  9  francs 
per  day.   English  spoken.  

PALLANZA  (Italy). 

GRAND  HOTEL  PALLANZA, 

(  Opposite  the  Borromean  Islands,) 
M.  G-.  SEYSCHAB,  Proprietor. 

A  First-class  Hotel  with  every  desirable  comfort,  a  great  choice  of  Bed  and  Sitting-rooms, 
all  well  iurnished;  large  Conversation-room,  Reading  and  Music-room.  English  Church 
Service  daily  in  the  Hotel.  Magnificent  position  with  view  upon  the  three  branches  of  the 
Lake  Maggiore  and  the  Chain  of  Mountains  of  the  Simplon.  Large  beautiful  Garden  with 
Baths  in  the  Lake.  The  Hotel  has  an  exceptional  situation  for  visitors  for  the  two  Seasons. 
Pension  in  Winter  at  very  moderate  prices.  In  Winter  the  Hotel  is  heated.  The  Central 
Office  of  the  Swiss  JJiligences  is  in  the  Hotel. 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


67 


HOTEL  DE  La'gRANDE-BRETAGNE, 

14,  Rue  Caumartin  —  OLIVIER,  Proprietor. 


VUE  INTERIEURE. 


THIS  FIRST-CLASS  HOTEL,  situated  in  the  centre  of  the  finest  part  of  Paris,  near  the 
Boulevards  and  new  Opera  House.  Conversation,  Reading,  and  Smoking  Booms.  Two 
large  Court-yards  with  Garden.  Rooms  on  the  ground,  first  and  second  floors,  from  3  to 
5  frs.  Apartments  for  Families.  Celebrated  Cuisine  and  Cellar.  Dinners  at  4  Irs.  and 
a  la  carte.    Advantageous  arrangements  for  a  protracted  stay. 


ST.  PETERSBURG. 

HOTEL  D'ANGLETERRE, 

ST.  ISAAC'S  square; 

{Gostinitza  Angleterre,  Issakofski  Sab  or) 

H.  SOHMITZ,  Proprietor. 
THIS  new  and  well-conducted  Hotel,  situated  in  the  centre 

X  of  the  City,  facing  the  St.  Isaac's  Church,  near  the  Post-office,  the  Royal 
Palaces  and  Public  Buildings,  affords  large  suites  of  well-furnished  Apartments 
for  Families,  and  comfortable  and  airy  Bedrooms  for  Single  Gentlemen.  A  large 
Dining-room  where  Dinners  are  served  from  Three  till  Seven  o' Clock,  from 
one  rouble  and  above.  A  well-furnished  Reading-room.  The  '  Times/  and 
other  English,  French,  and  German  Newspapers. 

HOT  AND  COLD  BATHS,  TUBS,    AND  SITTING  BATHS. 
Guides  and  Servants  speaking  English. 

Omnibuses  at  the  Stations,  and  Steamboats  near  Landing-places  from  Stockholm 
and  England. 

THE  QUEEN'S  MESSENGERS  FREQUENT  THIS  HOTEL. 
N.B. — Misses  Benson's  Hotel  no  longer  exists. 


68 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


May 


PISA. 

GIUSEPPE  ANDREONI, 
Sculptor  in  Alabaster  and  Marble  and  Objects 
of  Fine  Art, 

NO.    872,   VIA    SANTA  MARIA, 

WHERE 

A  GKEAT  ASSORTMENT  OF  FINE  ARTS,  SCULPTURE,  &c, 
CAN  BE  SEEN. 
Correspondents  in  England,  Messrs.  J.  &  R.  M'Cracken,  38,  Queen  Street, 
Cannon  Street,  E.C.,  London. 


PRAGUE. 

GOLDEN  ANGEL  HOTEL, 

(ZUM  GOLDENEN  ENGEL,) 
ZELTNER  STREET,  OLD  TOWN, 

Mr.  F.  STICKEL,  Proprietor. 

This  Hotel  is  situated  at  no  great  distance  from  the  Terminus  of  the  Railway  to  Dresden 
and  Vienna,  the  Post  and  Telegraph  Office,  the  Custom  House,  the  Theatre,  and  other  public 
buildings,  and  is  in  the  centre  of  the  Old  Town.  Warm  and  Cold  Baths.  English  and 
French  Newspapers  taken  in. 


PRAGUE. 

WILLIAM  HOFMANN, 

BOHEMIAN    GLASS  MANUFACTURER 

TO  HIS  MAJESTY  THE  EMPEROR  OF  AUSTRIA, 

HOTEL  BLUE  STAR, 

Recommends  his  great  assortment  of  Glass  Ware,  from  his  own  Manufactories  in 
Bohemia.  The  choicest  Articles  in  every  Colour,  Shape,  and  Description,  are  sold, 
at  the  same  moderate  prices,  at  his  Establishments. 

Correspondents  in  London,  Messrs.  J.  and  R.  M'CRACKEN,  38,  Queen  Street 
Cannon  Street,  E.C. 

Goods  forwarded  direct  to  England,  America,  &c. 


With  Portraits,  Crown  8vo.,  12s. 
MEMOIRS  OF  THE  EARLY  ITALIAN  PAINTERS,  and 

x"  of  the  Progress  of  Painting  in  Italy,  from  Cirnabue  to  Bassano.  By 
Mrs.  Jameson. 


JOHN  MURKAY,  ALBEMARLE  STREET. 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


69 


ROME. 


J,   P.  SHEA, 

ENGLISH  HOUSE-AGENT, 

FORWAKDING  AGENT 
TO  H.R.H.  THE  PEINOE  OF  WALES, 

11,  PIAZZA  DI  SPAGNA. 

At  this  Office  persons  applying  for 

Large  or  Small  Furnished  Apartments 

invariably  obtain  correct  and  unbiassed  information  on  all  matters  connected  with 

Lodging-Houses,  Boarding-Houses, 

and 

Household  Management, 

while 

Low  and  Fixed  Charges 

for  practical  services  offer  safe  and  satisfactory  assistance  to  Proprietor  and  Tenant, 
as  testified  by  the  increasing  confidence  of  English  and  American  Travellers 
since  the  opening  of  the  establishment  in  1852. 

Plans  and  Lists  of  Apartments  sent  by  Post 

to  persons  who  wish  to  secure  accommodation,  or  avoid  inconvenience  at  the 
approach  of  Carnival  or  the  Holy  Week. 

AS  CUSTOM-HOUSE  AGENT, 

Mr.  Shea  clears  and  warehouses 

Baggage  and  other  effects 

for  travellers  who,  to  avoid  the  expense  of  quick  transit,  send  their  things  by  sea  or 
luggage-train,  directed  to  his  care. 
He  also  superintends  the 

Packing  of  Works  of  Art  and  other  Property 

intrusted  to  his  care,  and  the  forwarding  of  the  same  to  England,  &c.  ;  and  being 
Agent  for  Messrs.  Burns  and  Mclvers'  Italian  line  of  steamers,  can  offer 
facilities  on  the  freight  of  packages  between  Italy  and  England. 


CORRESPONDENTS- 
london  Messrs.  J.  &  R.  M'CRACKEN,  38,  Queen  Street,  Cannon  Street,  E.G. 

Messrs.  CHAS.  CARE  &  CO,,  14,  Bishopsgate  Street  Within. 

BOULOGNE  s.  M  Messrs.  L.  BRaNLY  &  CO. 

PARIS  Mr.  C.  GUIS  DON,  20,  Rue  Pierre-Levee. 

MARSEILLES   Messrs.  GIRAUD  FRERES,  44,  Rue  Sainte. 

FLORENCE  Messrs.  HASKARD  &  SON. 

NEW  YORK   Messrs.  AUSTIN,  BALDWIN,  &  CO.,  12,  Broadway. 

BOSTON  Messrs.  WELLS,  FARGO,  &  CO. 


70 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


May, 


ROME. 

L.  A.  GALLANDT, 

7  and  8,  PIAZZA  DI  SPAGNA, 

ROME, 

MANUFACTURER  of  MOSAICS. 

f  nxbtwx  to  $L$L  %  $mg  of  fiate. 

ESTABLISH  ED     18  50. 

Foreigners  are  respectfully  solicited  to  visit  this  Establish- 
ment, where  they  will  find  a 

RICH  and  VAEIED  ASSORTMENT  of  TABLES,  PICTURES, 
ORNAMENTS  SET  IN  GOLD,  &c,  &o. 

PBIZE  MEDALS  .-—London,  1862.    Paris,  1855. 


RHEINFALL     NEUHAUSEN,  SCHAFFHAUSEN. 


HOTEL  SCHWEIZEREOF.    Proprietor,  Mr.  WEGENSTEIN. 
THE  HOTEL  SCHWEIZEKHOE,  known  to  English  visitors  as 

-1  one  of  the  best  Hotels  in  Switzerland,  has  been  greatly  enlarged  since  last  year,  and  is 
now  a  splendid  first-rate  establishment. 

The  SCHWEIZEKHOF  is  situate  opposite  the  celebrated  Falls  of  the  Rhine,  and  sur- 
rounded by  a  fine  park  and  garden.  The  position  is  unsurpassed,  the  eye  ranging  a  distance 
of  above  180  miles— a  panoramic  view  including  the  whole  range  of  the  Swiss  Alps  and  the 
Mont  Blanc.  Healthy  climate.  Church  Service.  Preserved  Trout  Fishing.  Prices  moderate. 
Pension.    Hotel  Omnibuses  at  Neuhausen  and  Schaffhausen. 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


71 


ROTTERDAM. 
HOTEL    33E  L'EUROPE. 

THIS  HOTEL  has  been  newly  established  this  .year,  is  situated  in  the 
centre  of  the  town,  just  opposite  the  Exchange,  Post-office,  Telegraph-office,  the- new 
Railway  Station,  and  close  to  all  the  Landing-places  of  the  different  steamers.  The  rooms 
are  well  and  comfortahly  furnished,  so  that  Travellers  and  Families  will  find  every  comiort, 
combined  with  the  most  civil  attendance  and  moderate  charges.  Table  d'Hote  at  half-past  4, 
and  Dinners  a  la  Carte  at  any  time.  English,  French,  and  German  Newspapers  are  kept, 
and  all  these  languages  are  spoken  in  the  Hotel.  Carriages  are  on  the  premises,  and  attend  all 
Trains  and  Boats.  The  Proprietor,  Mr.  C.  BAKKEK,  will  spare  no  pains  to  merit  the 
patronage  he  receives. 


ROTTERDAM. 
H.  A.  KRAMERS,  importer  ot  FcmsiG-xr  books. 

Mr.  Murray's  1  Handbooks  for  Travellers,'  Bradshaw's  Monthly  Railway  Guides,  Bae- 
deker's '  Reischandbiicher,'  and  Hendschel's'  Telegraph,'  always  in  Stock.  English,  French, 
and  German  Books  imported  Weekly,  and  a  great  variety  of  New  Books  kept  in  Store. 

47,  GELDERSCHE  KADE. 


SEVILLE  (SPAIN). 

JJOTEL  DE  LONDKES.— This  highly  recommended  Hotel 

is  situated  on  the  Plaza  Nueva,  the  most  central  and  beautiful  part  of  this 
delightful  city.  Travellers  will  rind  here  every  accommodation  for  Families  and 
Single  Gentlemen.  Splendid  Dining-room,  fine  Sitting-rooms,  clean  Bed-rooms,  and 
excellent  attendance.  French  and  English  Newspapers.  Baths,  Carriages,  &c. 
English,  French,  and  Italian  spoken. 


SPA. 

HOTEL  D'  YORK.— This  Hotel  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  Spa,  particularly  frequented 
by  English  Travellers,  and  the  best  in  the  locality.  It  is  exceedingly  well  situated  in 
the  healthiest  and  pleasantest  part  of  the  town,  close  to  the  Casino,  the  Promenades,  and  the 
Boulevard  de3  Anglais.  The  apartments  are  comfortable,  airy,  and  command  the  finest  and 
most  varied  views  of  the  mountains.  The  Omnibus  of  the  Hotel  runs  regularly  to  and  from 
the  Railway  Station,  awaiting  every  Train.  English,  French,  and  American  papers.  Table 
d'H6te  at  5  o'clock. — LARIMER,  Proprietor. 


STOCKHOLM. 
C.   E.   FRITZE,  Bookseller. 

GlIfAVE    ADOLFS    TOKG  (Square), 

(NEXT  HOUSE  TO  THE  RYDBERG  HOTEL). 

Scandinavian,  English,  French,  and  German  Books. 
TRAVELLING  MAPS  AND  HANDBOOKS. 
Views  of  Stockholm,  and  Swedish  and  Norwegian  Peasant 
Costumes,  in  Photograph  and  Lithograph. 

"  BRADSHAW'S  RAILWAY  GUIDE"  and  "HENDSCHEL'S  TELEGRAPH." 

C.  E.  FRITZE,  Bookseller,  Gustaf,  Adolfs  Torg,  Stockholm. 


72 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


May, 


T  H  U  N  . 

JEAN  KEHRLI- STERCHI, 

AND 

M  AFCTP  AC TUEEE  OP  SWISS  MODELS  AND  OEUAMEMTS, 

Establishment  vis-a-vis  the  Hotel  Belle  Vue  and  at  the  side  of  the  New  Grand 
Hotel  de  Thun,  in  the  Bazar  des  Etrangers, 

For  26  years  at  the  Woodwork  Establishment  at  the  Giessbach  Falls, 
eldest  son  of  the  founder  of  said  establishment, 

INVITES  the  attention  of  English  tourists  to  his  Establishment  at  the  Bellevue 
Hotel,  Thun,  where  a  choice  assortment  of  Swiss  Wood  Carvings  may  always 
be  seen. 

Correspondents  in  England,  Messrs.  J.  &  R.  M'Cracken,  38,  Queen  Street, 
Cannon  Street,  London. 

 ; — : — i  !  i  ■  !  j 

TREVES,  ON  THE  MOSELLE. 

HOTEL  DE  TREVES. 

A    FIEST- CLASS  HOTEL  for  Families  and  Gentlemen: 

highly  recommended.  It  is  situated  in  the  middle  of  the  Town,  and  offers 
to  large  families  and  tourists  every  comfort  and  convenience. 

Omnibus  and  Carriages  at  the  Railway  Station  and  Steamer. 

Moselle  Wine  of  the  Best  Quality. 
ENGLISH  AND  FRENCH  PAPERS. 


TURIN. 

GRAND  HOTEL  DE  TURIN. 

Opposite  the  Arrival  Platform  of  the  Porta  Nuova  Station. 
Branch  Establishment  of  the  Bebnerhof  at  Berne  and  Kraft's  Hotel  de  Nice  at  Nice. 

THIS  newly-erected  first-class  Hotel,  in  a  central  position,  is  entirely 
kept  according  to  the  Swiss  principles,  and  combines  the  greatest  comfort  with  moderate 
charges.   Heated  during  the  Winter  season.   Table  d'H6te  at  half-past  5  and  8  o'clock. 

REDUCED  PRICES  FOR  A  PROTRACTED  STAT. 


Kept  by  CONSTANT  KEAFT. 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


73 


TURIN. 


GRAND  HOTEL  DE  I/EUROPE, 

PLACE  CHATEAU, 

Opposite  the  Kings  Palace. 


FIRST-CLASS  FAMILY  HOTEL. 


OLD  REPUTATION. 


VENICE. 


CARLO  PONT  I, 

OPTICIAN   AND  PHOTOGRAPHER, 

Who  gained  the  Prize  Medal  at  the  Interaational  Exhibition  of  1862,  and  whose 
House  is  acknowledged  to  be  the  first  of  the  kind  in  the  City,  is  the  Inventor  of 
the  Optical  Instrument  known  under  the  name 

MEGALETHOSCOPE, 

(first  called  Alethoscope),  the  most  perfect  instrument  for  magnifying  photographs 
and  showing  them  with  the  effects  of  night  and  day.  His 

ISOPERISCOPIC  SPECTACLES 

gained  Medals  at  the  Exhibitions  of  Paris  and  Padua,  and  were  pronounced  by  the 
scientific  bodies  to  be  superior  in  principle  to  all  others,  as  well  as  being  more 
moderate  in  price. 

His  Photographic  Establishment  is  in  the  Piazza  San  Marco,  No.  52,  near  the  Cafe 
Florian;  and  his  Optical  Establishment  at  Riva  dei  Schiavoni,  No.  4180,  near  the 
Albergo  Reale. 

Correspondents  in  London,  Messrs.  J.  and  R.  M'CltACKEN,  38,  Queen  Street, 
Cannon  Street,  E.C 


74 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


May, 


VENICE. 


GRAND  HOTEL  VICTORIA. 

(Formerly  REGINA  D'INGHILTERRA.) 
ROBERT  ETZENSBERGER,  Manager. 

ipHE  largest  and  finest  Hotel  in  Venice,  most  conveniently 

situated  near  the  Piazza  S.  Marco  and  the  principal  Theatres.  180  Bed- 
rooms, Private  Sitting-rooms,  Reading-room,  with  Piano,  Billiard-room,  and 
Smoking-room.  Baths  of  every  description,  great  comfort  and  cleanliness.  Service 
on  the  Swiss  system.    Charges  more  moderate  than  in  any  other  first-class  Hotel. 

Arrangements  for  Pension. 


English  spoken  by  all  the  Servants. 


VIENNA. 

Stock-Company  for  Hotels  and  Bathing  Establishments 
at  Vienna. 

THE  HOTEL  BKITANNIA,  Vienna,  Stadt,  Schillerplatz  4,  OPENED 
on  May  1st,  1873.  The  Hotel  Britannia  (First-Class  Hotel)  is  situate  with  the  grand 
front  towards  the  Schillerplatz,  with  the  side  fronts  towards  the  Elisabeth  and  the  Nibelun- 
genstrasse,  next  to  the  Opernring,  in  the  centre  and  in  the  most  fashionable  part  of  Vienna. 
It  contains  200  Rooms,  furnished  with  every  luxury  and  comfort;  Dining,  Music,  and 
Reading  Rooms ;  Baths,  Elevator,  &c. 

CARL  JUNG,  Manager, 
Purveyor  to  the  Court  of  Prussia,  formerly  Leaseholder  of  the  Cursaal  at  Wiesbaden. 
N.B, — Rooms  from  four  florins  a  day  and  upwards. 

VIENNA. 

Stock-Company  for  Hotels  and  Bathing  Establishments 
at  Vienna. 

THE  HOTEL  DONAU,  II.  Nordbahnstrasse  No.  26,  Vienna,  OPENED 
on  April  27th,  1873.  The  H6tel  Donau  (First-Class  Hotel)  is  situate  on  the  Praterstern, 
opposite  the  Nordbahn,  and  only  a  few  steps  from  the  Nordwestbahn  Terminus,  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  the  Exposition  Grounds,  Telegraph  and  Tramway  Station.  400  elegant 
Rooms,  furnished  with  all  comfort  and  modern  improvements. 

CAKL  TEAUT,  Manager, 
Purveyor  to  the  Court  of  Prussia,  formerly  Restaurant  in  the  Cursaal  at  Wiesbaden. 
Remark. — All  the  rumours  of  exorbitant  Prices  at  the  Vienna  Hotels  are  incorrect ;  there 
are  Rooms  at  the  Hotel  Donau  from  2  florins  50  kr.  a  day  and  upwards,  at  the  disposal  of 
Guests. 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


75 


V  E  V  AY  (Switzerland). 

HOTEL  MOOSER,  at  Chemenin,  near  Yevey,  kept  by  Mr. 
J.  NUSSBAUMER.    Newly-built  First-class  Hotel,  only  ten  minutes'  walk 
from  Vevey.    Beautifully  situated  in  the  middle  of  a  large  park.  Comfortable 
Apartments  for  Families  and  Single  Gentlemen.    Baths.  Billiard-room. 
Pension  the  whole  year.         Moderate  Charges. 

VICHY. 

View  of  the  Grand  Hotel  des  Ambassadeurs  at  Vichy-les-Bains. 


pEAND  HOTEL  DES  AMBASSADEUES,  Situated  on 

the  Park. — This  magnificent  Hotel  is  now  one  of  the  first  in  the  town.  It  is  managed 
in  the  same  style  as  the  largest  and  best  hotels  on  the  Continent.  By  its  exceptional  situa- 
tion, the  house  presents  three  fronts,  from  which  the  most  beautiful  views  are  to  be  had ;  and 
from  its  balconies  is  heard  the  excellent  Band  of  the  Casino.  The  Hotel  contains  200  Rooms, 
20  Saloons,  a  Saloon  for  Banquets,  capable  of  holding  500  persons,  and  a  large  and  fine  Dining- 
room,  200  covers,  a  Smoking-room,  and  2  Billiard  Tables.  Large  and  small  Apartments  for 
Families.  English  and  Spanish  spoken.  Interpreter.  The  Omnibus  of  the  Hotel  awaits 
all  the  Trains  at  the  Station. 

VICHY. 

GRAND  HOTEL  DU  PARC, 

Proprietor,  Mr.  GEEMOT, 
Opposite  the  Baths  and  the  Park. 

A  S  in  Paris  and  London,  Vichy  has  its  Grand  Hotel.  The 

Grand  Hotel  du  Pare  of  Vichy,  for  comfort,  elegance,  and  convenience,  is 
equal  to  any  of  the  large  Hotels  of  Paris  or  London. 

SUITES  OF  APARTMENTS  FOR  FAMILIES. 

s  2 


76 


,  MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


May, 


VIENNA. 


The  most  extensive  Warehouse  for  Bohemian  White  and  Coloured 
Crystal  Glass. 

J.  &  L.  LOBMEYR, 

GLASS  MANUFACTURERS, 

No.  13,  KARNTHNERSTRASSE. 

All  kinds  of  Bohemian  White  and  Coloured  Crystal  Glass ;  Table,  Dessert,  and 
other  Services ;  Vases,  Candelabras,Chandeliers,  Looking-glasses;  Articles  of*  Luxury, 
in  Crystal  Glass,  mounted  in  Bronze,  and  in  Carved  Wood.  They  obtained  the 
Prize  Medal  at  the  International  Exhibitions  of  1862  and  1867. 

The  prices  are  fixed  at  very  moderate  and  reasonable  charges. — The  English 
language  is  spoken. 

Their  Correspondents  in  England,  Messrs.  J.  and  R.  M'Cracken,  No.  38, 
Queen  Street,  Cannon  Street,  E.C.,  London,  will  transmit  all  orders  with  the 
greatest  care  and  attention. 


VIENNA. 


AUGUST  KLEIN, 

By  Appointment  Purveyor  to  the  Prince  op  Wales  and  to  the  Imperial 
Courts  of  Austria  and  France. 

THE  LARGEST  MANUFACTORY  OF  VIENNA 

LEATHER  AND  BRONZE  GOODS. 

Mr.  Klein  wishes  to  call  attention  to  his  articles,  which  are  not  to  be 
equalled  in  novelty  and  variety. 

MANUFACTORY. 

VIENNA. — Neubau,  Andreasgasse,  No.  6. 

DEPOTS. 
VIENNA.— Stadt  Graben,  20. 
PARIS. — 6  &  8,  Boulevard  des  Capucines.  . 
LONDON. — 75,  Wimpole  Street,  W. 
Wholesale. 

N.B. — Free  admission  is  granted  to  all  Persons  wishing  to  visit  the  Manufactory. 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


77 


VIENNA. 

Bohemian  Grlass  and  Bronze  Warehouse. 

HEINRICH  ULLRICH, 

LATE  WILLIAM  HOFMANN, 
GLASS  AND  BRONZE  MANUFACTURER, 

No.  3,  LUGECK, 

Recommends  his  great  assortment  of  Glass  and  Bronze  Ware  in  the  choicest  articles,  in 
every  colour,  shape,  and  description,  specially  adapted  to  the  English  and  American  taste, 
from  his  own  manufactories  in  Bohemia  and  Vienna  (for  the  Bronze). 
The  prices  are  fixed  at  very  moderate  and  reasonable  charges. 

He  received  at  the  last  Paris  Exhibition  the  Silver  Medal  lor  excellent  execution  and  very 
cheap  prices. 

HEINRICH  ULLRICH  has  a  branch  Establishment  during  the  Summer  Season  at 

BADEN-BADEN, 

No.  4,  SOPHIEN  STREET,  near  the  ENGLISH  HOTEL, 

where  will  always  be  found  an  extensive  selection  of  the  newest  articles  from  his  Vienna 
warehouse. 

The  English  language  is  spoken  and  every  information  given  with  pleasure  to  travellers. 
He  sells  only  real  Bohemian  Glass,  and  not  Hungarian  Glass,  which  in  many 
places  Is  sold  in  substitution. 

Agents  in  Paris  and  New  York. 
Agents  in  London,  Messrs.  J.  and  R.  M'CRACKEN,  38,  Queen  Street,  Cannon  Street,  E.C. 


VIENNA. 

HOTEL 

"  ARCHDUKE  CHARLES.'' 

Kept  by  M.  JOSEF  ZIMMEKMAN.N, 
The  new  Proprietor. 


rjpHIS  First-class  Hotel,  situated  in  the  best  part  of  Vienna, 
has  been  greatly  improved  in  modern  comfort,  recherche 
cuisine  and  excellent  service  at  moderate  charges.  The 
Landlord  will  spare  no  trouble  to  maintain  its  ancient  repu- 
tation, and  to  give  satisfaction  to  the  travelling  Gentry  and 
Nobility. 


78 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


WIESBADEN. 

BLACK  BEAR  HOTEL  AND  BATHS. 

OTTO  FKEYTAG,  Proprietor. 
Scrupulous  Cleanliness,  Attentive  Service,  and  Moderate  Charges. 

Central  situation — close  to  the  Mineral  Springs,  the  Theatre,  the  Conversation 
House  and  the  Promenades.  Contains  140  Rooms  and  Saloons,  elegantly  furnished, 
spacious  Dining-rooms,  Ladies'  Parlour,  Smoking-room,  and  60  neatly  fitted-up 
Bathing  Cabinets.  Table  d'Hote  at  1  and  5  o'clock.  Exquisite  Wines.  English, 
French,  and  German  Papers. 

VISITOBS  BOARDED. 


WIESBADEN. 

FOUR  SEASONS  HOTEL  &  BATHS. 

PBOPBIETOB,  DB.  ZAIS. 


'THIS  First-Class  Establishment,  equal  to  any  on  the 

Khine,  is  in  the  best  and  most  delightful  situation  in  the  Great  Square, 
opposite  the  Kursaal,  the  Theatre,  the  Promenades ;  close  to  the  Boiling 
Spring  and  the  new  English  Chapel. 

This  Hotel  is  the  largest  in  the  place,  containing  a  great  choice  of 

SPLEKDK)  AM)  COMFORTABLE  APARTMENTS 

for  Families  and  Single  Travellers  ;  exquisite  Cuisine  and  first-class  Wines, 
combined  with  attentive  service  and  moderate  charges. 

TABLE  D'HOTE  at  1  and  5  p.m.,  and  PEIYATE  DIOTEES. 


The  Bathing  Establishment  is  the  best  in  the  Place. 


WORKS  ON  ART. 

With  Illustrations,  3  vols.,  Svo.,  63s. 
A  HXSTOKY  OF  PAINTING  IN  ITALY,  from  the  2nd  to 
the  14th  Century.    By  J.  A.  Crowe  and  G.  B.  Cavalcaselle. 
Also,  by  the  same  Authors, 
A    HISTOEY    OF  PAINTING    IN    NORTH  ITALY, 
Venice,  Padua,  Vicenza,  Verona,  Ferrara,  Milan,  Friuli,  Breschia, 
from  the  14th  to  16th  Century.    With  Illustrations,  2  vols.,  8vo.,  42s. 

"  Our  authors  give  great  attention  to  ancient  processes  of  painting,  and  thus  we  get  from 
this  book  many  hints  on  the  nature  of  examples,  such  as  no  other  kind  of  information  would 
afford.  It  would  be  difficult  to  overrate  the  importance  of  this  branch  of  study;  it  enables 
a  critic  to  speak  in  a  far  more  conclusive  manner  as  to  the  nature,  and  even  the  origin  of  a 
picture  than  it  would  be  safe  to  do  on  the  authority  of  records  alone.  This  book  is  a  welcome 
contribution  to  the  library  of  art." — Athenceum. 


JOHN  MURRAY,  ALBEMARLE  STREET. 


1873. 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER. 


79 


WILDBAD. 

H6tel  Klumpp,  formerly  Hotel  de  TOurs, 

Mr.  W.  KLUMPP,  Proprietor. 

rIS  First-class  Hotel,  containing  36  Salons  and  170  Bed-rooms,  a  separate 
Breakfast,  a  very  extensive  and  elegant  Dining-room,  new  Reading  and 
Conversation  as  well  as  Smoking  Salons,  with  an  artificial  Garden  over  the  river, 
is  situated  opposite  the  Bath  and  Conversation  House,  and  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  the  Promenade. 

It  is  celebrated  for  its  elegant  and  comfortable  apartments,  good  cuisine  and 
cellar,  and  deserves  its  wide-spread  reputation  as  an  excellent  hotel.  Table-d'hote 
at  One  and  Five  o'clock.    Breakfasts  and  Suppers  a  la  carte.    New  Billiard  Table. 

EXCHANGE  OFFICE. 

Correspondent  of  the  principal  Banking-houses  of  London  for  the  payment  of 
Circular  Notes  and  Letters  of  Credit. 

Omnibus  of  the  Hotel  to  and  from  each  Train.   Elegant  private  carriages, 
when  required. 


ZURICH. 

HOTEL  DE  L'EPEE  AU  LAC. 

Most  beautifully  situated  in  the  midst  of  the  town,  with  a  magnificent  view  over  the  Alps, 
Liake,  and  Glaciers.   Entirely  new  and  completely  restored. 

Proprietor:  Ch.  FLORAT. 

Principal  Features. — Excellent  beds,  greatest  cleanliness,  best  kitchen,  attentive  service, 
moderate  prices.  German,  English,  French,  Italian  and  American  newspapers.  These 
languages  are  spoken  in  the  Hotel. 

Dinner  at  every  hour.    Omnibus  at  the  Station. 


ZURICH. 

HOTEL  ET  PENSION  BELLEVUE 
AU  LAC- 

Proprietors:  EHMELL  &  POHL. 

'pHIS  splendid  and  admirably  conducted  establishment,  situ- 
ated on  the  shore  of  the  Lake,  commands,  by  its  unsurpassed  position,  the  best  view  of 
the  Lake,  Alps,  and  Glaciers,  and  offers,  by  its  superior  internal  arrangements,  the  comforts 
of  Private  Apartments  and  Public  Parlours,  with  careful,  civil,  and  quiet  attendants— all 
desirable  attractions  to  travellers  as  a  place  of  residence  or  of  temporary  sojourn. 

Pension  at  reduced  prices,  and  arrangements  made  for  Families  from  October  to  July. 

Notice.— 125  Apartments  facing  the  Lake. 


80 


MURRAY'S  HANDBOOK  ADVERTISER.  May,  1873. 


ESTABLISHED  188 


THE  ORIGINAL  GUIDE  &  TRAVELLERS'  DEPOT 

AND 

LEE  &  CARTER, 

440,  WEST  STRAND,  LOND01 

(Nearly  opposite  the  Charing  Cross  Hotel). 


KNAPSACKS 

STIFF  OR  LIMP. 


PORTMANTEAUX 

OF  ALL  PATTERNS. 


BAGS 


OF  ALL  KINDS. 


Intending  Tourists  are  respectfully  invited  to  visit  this  Establishment 
before  making  purchases  for  their  journey. 

AN  EXTENSIVE  STOCK  OF  TRAVELLERS'  REQUISITES  TO  SELECT  FROM; 


Guide  Books  (in  pocket  bindings). 
Maps  and  Plans  of  all  Parts. 
Foreign  Dictionaries. 
Dialogues  and  Grammars. 
Polyglott  Washing  Books. 
Journals  and  Diaries. 
Pocket  Books  and  Note  Cases. 
Purses,  Sov.  and  Nap.  Cases. 
Money  Belts  and  Bags. 
Writing  Cases  and  Blotters. 
Ink  Stands  and  Light  Boxes. 
Foreign  Stationery. 
Travelling  Chess  Boards,  &c. 
Knives,  Scissors,  &  Corkscrews. 
Barometers  &  Thermometers. 
Field  Glasses  &  Compasses. 
Eye  Preservers  and  Spectacles. 
Railway  Rugs  and  Straps. 


Hat  Cases  and  Bonnet  Boxes 
Luggage  Straps  and  Labels. 
Travelling  Lamps. 
Camp  Candlesticks. 
Flasks  and  Drinking  Cups. 
Sandwich  Cases. 
Luncheon  Baskets. 
Dressing  Cases  &  Housewives 
Soap  and  Brush  Boxes. 
Sponge  and  Sponge  Bags. 
Baths  and  Air  Cushions. 
Waterproofs  &  Foot  Warme  r 
Camp  Stools  and  Leg  Rests. 
Portable  Closet  Seats. 
Etnas  for  boiling  water. 
Combs,  Brushes,  and  Mirrors. 
Glycerine  and  Insect  Powdejj 
Door  Fasteners,  &c,  &c,  &c. 


London :  Printed  by  William  Clowes  and  Sons,  Stamford  Street  and  Charing  0-oss